About

Melinda Copp

Greetings! And welcome to The Writer’s Sherpa blog. If you want to write and publish a nonfiction book, then you’ve come to the right place.

I am Melinda, and here’s little background on me: I am a fledgling creative nonfiction writer, writing teacher, and experienced freelance ghostwriter. I like reading books, writing books, and helping other people write books. Long ago, I worked at a self-publishing company, and I’m currently trying to write and publish my own book. I started this site to provide information to aspiring nonfiction authors about writing and publishing books.

Okay, enough about me! Here are some FAQs about this site:

For whom is this site written?

I think all writers can benefit from the information on this site, but it’s really geared toward the nonfiction writer who wants to write a book. Now, nonfiction is a big genre. It includes creative nonfiction, how-to nonfiction, memoir, business, self-help, etc. You can read nonfiction in literary journals, newspapers, and magazines. So some of my readers are writing a book to establish expertise and grow a business; others are writing a memoir to share their life story; and others are more like me, creative writers or journalists who want to make a career out of writing books.

How can this site help me write and publish a book?

My goal is to help aspiring nonfiction authors improve their writing skills; figure out how to take their experiences, research, and ideas and put them into a strong, cohesive, and publishable book; develop a solid author platform; and navigate the publishing world. I will tell you right now that I’m not an expert in all those things (some, yes, but not all). This is why I interview experts and publish guest posts from smart people who know better than me.

Why does the site focus on nonfiction? Do you hate fiction or something?

Although writing is writing, publishing fiction is really different from publishing nonfiction. I love fiction, but I write nonfiction and have always worked in the nonfiction world, so I know that genre better. (I have a BS in journalism, worked as a freelance journalist for a long time, and have an MFA in creative nonfiction.) I can tell you my opinion on what makes good fiction (I have impeccable taste!), but asking me about what flies in the fiction publishing world would be like asking my six-year-old how to drive a car. He’ll have an answer, but it might not be the best one, and it sure as heck won’t come from a voice of experience.

I see that you have ads on the site—what’s that all about? And what about your product/program/book recommendations?

Ah, yes. I want to be completely transparent about the links, promotions, and recommendations I make on The Writer’s Sherpa. I am not a wealthy woman. Therefore, I support this site and help put food on the table with a few ads and other occasional promotions. Here’s the full scoop:

My recommended resources page and some of the articles on this site contain affiliate links. If you click on those links and make a purchase, I may be paid a small commission. Please rest assured that I personally have read or tried or researched anything I specifically recommend and I would never recommend anything I don’t find helpful.

Some other links, like Google ads for example, show automatically, so I don’t have complete control over the products and programs mentioned there. Even so, I strive to ensure the ads are relevant to my readers’ interests. If you do notice anything inappropriate, please let me know.

Obviously, I stand wholeheartedly behind all the Writer’s Sherpa programs and products I mention and promote on the site, like the Summit Book Writing Course and others. I work really hard to make them awesome. Please, by all means, buy them, love them, share them! Woohoo!

In all seriousness, please thoroughly investigate any program, product, or service before you buy it. Like my dad always said: Money doesn’t grow on trees. So never spend yours on something you either cannot afford or do not intend to use.

Any other questions? Contact me and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

To connect with Melinda:

Facebook: http://companies.to/writerssherpa/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/melindacopp

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melindacopp