About My Book Development Work
My favorite moment is being with writers when they first hold their finished book in their hands. Witnessing a writer feeling the joy of completion is always unforgettable!
After leaving my position at Council Oak Books as Associate Publisher, I began working directly with authors on book development. Ironically, when I saw the founder of Council Oak, Paulette Millichap, at the Book Expo a few years into my development work and shared what I was doing, she said:
“Ja-lene, I think what you are doing is the future of book publishing.”
Her words meant a lot to me that day and confirmed that I was on the right path.
With writers, I’ve worked with some who already had a working manuscript, while others had a call to write but no clue where to begin. Regardless of where the writer was, I stepped in to assist with various tasks and coached the writer through all of the publishing processes to completion.
From development editing to designing printed books and ebooks to printing authors’ copies and helping negotiate royalty agreements with traditional publishers, I have helped many authors achieve completion!
The following project overviews will help you gain clarity on the many ways I have assisted writers.
From Author’s Edition to Traditional Publishing
Henosis and The Promise of Wholeness
Merging Classic Teachings with Modern Psychology
What Eric Said About Ja-lene
“When Ja-lene Clark entered my life, she immediately recognized the importance of a book combining psychological wisdom, eternal principles, and practical applications. Through four years of developmental editing, mentoring, and multiple revisions, a close friendship was forged. This book would not have been possible without Ja-lene’s guidance, patience and encouragement.”
—Eric Ehrke, LCSW, LMFT
About My Work with Eric
On the Henosis self-published edition and The Promise of Wholeness publisher edition
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Eric Ehrke on his book, and it was truly a transformative experience! Eric had a vast wealth of spiritual, philosophical, and psychological wisdom that we had to consolidate into a cohesive and comprehensible book for general readers and therapy professionals. This process took several years of meticulous work, but the end result was nothing short of marvelous!
I take great pride in our collaborative efforts, and I’m thrilled that Rowman and Littlefield Publishers quickly picked up the rights to publish Eric’s book after we produced the author’s version. Creating the author’s version was crucial because it helped Eric visualize the book in its entirety, allowing him to deliver a well-developed book to the publisher. This made the traditional publishing process much smoother for both Eric and his publisher.
Project Involvement
- Book concept development, editing from rough draft through author’s edition
- Consulting and mentoring
- Connected author with copyeditor and indexer
- Print project management
- Book interior typesetting (author’s print edition)
The Promise of Wholeness Book Reviews
“With his forty years’ experience as a psychotherapist and seeker of hidden truth, Eric Ehrke merges classical teaching with modern psychology to create a new framework for a revitalized humanity.”
— Jennifer Read Hawthorne, coauthor, #1 New York Times best seller Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, and author, The Soul of Success
“Eric Ehrke creates a tapestry in The Promise of Wholeness, weaving Platonic forms, Plotinus’s ideas, with Jungian and modern psychological thought. The Promise of Wholeness is born of Ehrke’s years of experience with clients, peers, family, and the ordinariness of daily life….The quality and depth of thought reflected in his writing, the time and thought needed for each chapter are investments in further understanding the glory of being human.”
— David B. Henderson, EdD, owner, NorthStar Consultants
“It is rare when a book embodies the very potential it claims to awaken in its readers. Henosis takes us on a journey of the human quest for soul — it is a living breathing labyrinth of self-discovery and awakening that shatters illusions and asks us to question everything. And in the end, its message is the antidote for a new humanity.”
— Kara Catrelle, LCSW, psychotherapist, Asheville
Activate Joy
Live Your Life Beyond Limitations
What AlixSandra Said About Ja-lene
“Writing a book is a daunting and a very scary experience, as the publishing industry has changed radically. As I write these words, they cannot adequately describe my appreciation for Ja-lene Clark. To me, this book is a work of art because of the love and dedication we found in one another. we have been changed through the process of editing, changing, and exchanging ideas, swimming in a sea of creativity together and basking in the sheer joy of bringing the completed work to press.”
—AlixSandra Parness, DD
About My Work with AlixSandra
Assisting AlixSandra in completing her book was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. She was a pleasure to work with, a gifted teacher and metaphysician, who had a knack for making complex spiritual practices feel enjoyable. We collaborated on her author’s edition, developing the manuscript, and then I was responsible for designing and laying out the book, as well as managing its production.
Interestingly, in 2012, while I was in Las Vegas for other purposes, I had the chance to meet with her for lunch. I had sent a submission copy of the author’s edition to New Page Books in New Jersey, and to my great joy, I informed AlixSandra that they had made an offer to publish her book. She was ecstatic, describing it as one of the most thrilling moments of her life. I felt honored when New Page chose to use my interior design with minimal editing of the book.
Project Involvement
- Book concept development, editing from rough draft through author’s edition
- Consulting and mentoring
- Custom charts and graphics
- Cover design (author’s edition using AlixSandra’s beloved friend, the dolphin!)
- Book Interior Design and Typesetting (print and ebook)
- Print project management (author’s edition)
- Sold rights to the book to New Page Books
- Made files ready for New Page Books
Activate Joy Book Reviews
“With Activate Joy, the medium is the message! The book carries so much joyful energy that reading it brings you into a happier space! Along with its uplifting vibration is a practical blend of some of the most sophisticated metaphysical concepts and counsel you will find.”
—Donna Eden, author of the bestseller Energy Medicine
“With case histories and invaluable guidance on changing belief systems, AlixSandra Parness shows us how to work with the Creative law to build a new reality of life. Reading this book will make you feel good.”
—John Randolph Price, chairman of the Quartus Foundation and bestselling author of The Abundance Book, The Angels Within Us, Superbeings, and 15 other titles
Ghostwriting for Council Oak and Beyond
The Circle Is Sacred, Sworn to Fun, and Shazam! The Formula
Ancient Wisdom Applied to Everyday Life
What Scout Said About Ja-lene
“Thank you to Ja-lene, who jumps feet first into the pool of my heart and mind and swims alongside me, making the journey of writing joyful and so beautiful.”
—Dr. Scout Cloud Lee, CBS Survivor Finalist and Cancer Survivor
About My Work with Scout
I was thrilled when I learned that Scout would participate in the CBS reality show Survivor. It is one of my favorite TV shows, and I have been watching it religiously since the first season.
Council Oak needed to act quickly and create something new when they found out about it. The publishing process is slow, and we usually announce new books six months before publication. However, we had little time before Scout’s season would air, so we needed to create an instant book. We decided to rebrand her existing book, The Circle is Sacred, to fit with the Survivor theme. It was an easy task. We also wanted a new book, so Scout sent us several manuscripts to consider. None of them were a perfect fit, so I took pieces from her manuscripts and turned them into a daily meditation book. Sworn to Fun was the perfect title for her survivor persona because she had become known for her wise-woman sayings.
Scout and I collaborated on Shazam! The Formula after I left Council Oak. I reorganized the manuscript she had used to teach corporate trainings and did ghostwriting to flesh out the concepts fully. I also did the layout and design of the book. We published Shazam! as an author’s edition. Scout was so happy with my work that she insisted on listing me as a co-writer on the cover. It was an honor to see my name on the cover of the first book* that listed me as a co-author.
*A new edition of Shazam! was published by Balboa Press, a Division of Hay House, in 2019.
Project Involvement
- Rebranding existing book cover and ghostwriting new book with both to launch while the author appearances on the CBS reality show Survivor
- Ghostwriting Sworn to Fun and Shazam
- Project Management
- Cover Design Book Interior Design and Typesetting (Shazam! the formula print and ebook)
- Publishing Shazam at Amazon
Scout Cloud Lee’s Reviews
“She very much fit into the Vanuatu scene in terms of spirituality. She wasn’t joking. She brought a bit of fresh air. She wasn’t a cynic; she was an optimist.”
—Jeff Probst, Survivor Host
“Lee, a teacher of learning seminars in personal growth, provides an intimate look at her own spiritual journey as she addresses issues of women’s empowerment. Her unique philosophical perspective encompasses a blend of Native American, Christian, Australian Aboriginal, and New Age concepts. Lee emphasizes the importance of tapping into the feminine aspect of divinity in order to achieve balance and wholeness. She explores methods of contacting the divine feminine through prayer, ritual, music, and dance. The chapters on ritual and ceremony provide an especially fascinating and detailed look at the way in which Lee and other members of her spiritual circle weave their spirituality into their daily lives.”
—From Library Journal
“Scout Cloud Lee is deliciously mad, maddeningly exquisite, exquisitely demanding, demandingly rigorous, rigorously challenging, and challengingly excellent!”
—Director of the Canadian Psychiatric Association
“Young Lady, I would cast your image in bronze and stand it in the Smithsonian to represent the pioneering woman in America today!”
—Director of the Smithsonian Institute
Highly Complex Book Projects
The Classical Vegetarian Cookbook
A Comprehensive Guide to Modern Vegetarian Cuisine as Master by a Classically Trained Chef
What Ron Said About Ja-lene
“Ja-lene took the final edited draft and made it into a showcase for my recipes and my dream of new vegetarian cuisine!”
—Ron Pickarski
About My Work with Ron
Ron Pickarski is the founder, president, and culinologist of Eco-Cuisine, Inc., a US vegetarian and vegan foodservice company. He is the first vegetarian chef to be certified as an Executive Chef by the American Culinary Federation and has 50 years of experience in professional kitchens ranging from fine dining to QSR. As a Food Technologist/Culinologist, his specialty is researching and developing natural, vegan foodservice savory speed scratch products with pulses designed for chefs to cook with and build into their menus to serve healthy diners embracing vegetarian cuisine.
Ron came to me with a mammoth project, including 400 recipes and several hundred professionally produced photographs of his delicious vegetarian dishes. He compiled a cooking textbook manuscript that provides novice and professional cooks with a comprehensive understanding of vegan and vegetarian cuisine. It also has five chapters of cooking insights and instructions that teach plant-based vegetarian classical (French) vegan cooking techniques with recipes developed by Chef Ron during his 42 years as a vegan chef.
It was a true challenge to develop an elegant and functional design, with slight customizations for each of the 400 recipes and accompanying food images. Ron was delighted with the results, and his cookbook has been used in culinary schools worldwide. I am delighted with the success of his cookbook!
Project Involvement
- Mentoring and Consulting
- Light editing
- Managing over 400 recipes and hundreds of professionally produced photographs
- Cover Concepting and Design
- Book Interior Design and Typesetting
- Indexing
- Production management (printed in Canada)
Click here to view sample pages of The Classical Vegetarian Cookbook.
Ron Pickarski Reviews
“Pickarski, a professional chef who is also a Franciscan brother, brings his considerable culinary expertise to this sophisticated collection of vegan recipes (vegetarian dishes that exclude eggs and dairy foods as well as meats and fish). Experienced and savvy vegetarian cooks especially will enjoy trying out the volume’s elegant dishes.”
—Publishers Weekly
“There is great variety here, and great inventiveness. Brother Ron has won many awards at the Culinary Olympics, and includes some of those prize-winning dishes such as Southern Blackened Tempeh with Tomato-Apricot-Ginger Coulis, and Garbanzo Parsnip Gnocchi, and Beet Sea Vegetable Quenelles…”.
—From Independent Publisher
Visionary Fiction Project
She Travels Light
Metaphysical Teachings Embedded in a Work of Fiction
About My Work with Raquel
I met Raquel Spencer at an event, and we instantly connected. She wanted to write a book to support her base as a metaphysical teacher but didn’t know where to start. She traveled to Tulsa and stayed with me while we considered ideas for her book. A self-help or inspirational book just did not fit her. What came from our development session is the bones of a work of fiction. It was an extraordinary experience connecting Raquel’s extraordinary life experiences and turning them into a work of “faction.” Fiction gave Raquel a bigger playground and more freedom to express her knowledge. I loved our time working together!
Project Involvement
- Fiction book concept development
- Character and plot development
- Editing from rough draft through author’s edition
- Consulting and mentoring
- Cover Design
- Book Interior Design and Typesetting (print and ebook)
- Print project management
- Publishing on Amazon
Book Description
On Arayla’s wedding day, she receives a gift—a glass vial—from a mysterious woman. Curious, she unknowingly activates the vial, which transports her to a parallel dimension where a man with unforgettable amber eyes guides her. Soon after, Arayla’s life begins to take some interesting twists and turns, traveling between timelines, continents, and dimensions. Is her role to ignite a grid of Light that reconnects humanity with lost ancient knowledge? Before she can determine the answer, she must figure out whom she can trust, what is real…and what is not.
Raquel Spencer’s Reviews from Amazon
Links to Additional Project Portfolios
Book Development • Alison L. James • Melissa Harris • Council Oak Books • Graphic Design • Website Projects
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