Summertime Publishing – Interview with Jo Parfitt

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February 5, 2010 by Cristina | Comments (0)

How would you feel if: you could present your friends, family and potential clients with a copy of your published book? You had a stack of books beside you to sell whenever you gave a workshop or speech? Money appeared in your bank account for books sold online – without you having to lift a finger, pack a Jiffy bag or go to the post office? The media contacted you regularly to ask you to comment on specific issues – because they’d read your book? You could finally cross ‘write a book’ off your To Do list? Are you beginning to feel excited? Let us introduce you Jo Parfitt from Summertime Publishing, your personal writing coach.

Jo Parfitt is the author of 26 non-fiction books, a journalist, editor, writer’s mentor, speaker and teacher. She specialises in helping expatriates and entrepreneurs to plan, write, edit and publish their books. Her programs are inspiring and empowering, are available live and online and focus on books, articles and life story. Her motto is ’sharing what I know to help others to grow’.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Inspiring, informative, empowering

What are your most popular products or services?
Writer’s Mentoring Service from brainwave to bookshelf
Write Your Life Stories program
Career in Your Suitcase, Release the Book Within and Find Your Passion books

People may be surprised to know…
That my first book idea, a cookbook, called French Tarts, was accepted by the first publisher I approached. I was 22, had not been published before could not cook.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
The magazine I had been editing folded. I was at a networking event and when someone asked me what I did the words ‘I help people write books’ fell out of my mouth. It was my instinctive answer.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Robin Pascoe, the Canadian author of six books, who runs www.expatexpert.com and Expatriate Press, from Vancouver, Canada.

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
To try to do everything I could, just because I could. This meant I had no niche, my brand was too disparate and people found it hard to give me referrals.

How do you spend your free time?
Travelling, cooking and sharing food with friends, enjoying nature and art and bellydancing.

What is your indulgence?
A facial once a month from an esthetician who uses YonKa products. Julie Jones of www.essencetherapeutics.nl, you are the best!

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
A Connecting Women meeting www.connectingwomen.nl in The Hague for networking but to lunch and a gallery for sheer indulgence

Follow Jo on twitter for free tips about writing.

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