An Interview With June Cotner

June is a best selling author and marketing consultant, with nine books to her credit including Graces and Animal Blessings that have sold more than one-half million copies, she has three forthcoming books, and her agent has sold three of her book proposals this year to Random House and Harper Collins. A top literary agent calls her book proposals "the gold standard". June Cotner teaches students simple but highly effective marketing ideas and promotional tools to get their work in the public eye.

Connie Hill: Tell me about your background, how did you get started as a writer?

June Cotner: After graduating from UC Berkely in 1972 I worked for Sullivan Language School as a school director, then a district manager on the east coast. After having children I did business management and marketing part time for the architectural firm. This allowed me to be with my kids, which I loved. While working for the firm I saw a need for clients to have a book to help them describe what they wanted in their new or remodeled home. I worked on and off with what was originally a pamphlet that grew into a book. I tried to sell it to 30 different publishers, but didn't know I needed to do a book proposal or that I needed an agent. I met my agent-Denise Marcel in 1990 at the Pacific NW Writers Conference. Two years later the Home Design Handbook was published by Henry Holt and it's in it's 10th printing now.

Connie: That is great!

June: I know! Especially when you hear the statistics that most new books only last 6 weeks on bookstore shelves...

Connie: So how did you move to spiritual books?

June: While getting my book published I became friends with my agent and she came for dinner one night and saw a binder called Graces I'd put together for our family. I didn't like a lot of graces that I'd heard or that families would recite by rote. I wanted my children to feel a more inspired spiritual connection. So I started the binder and when my agent saw it she said, "This is a book! And I know the perfect publisher!" One book came after another. Harper SF asked if I would be willing to do a similar book to have by your bedside. That book was Bedside Prayers. Then came Bless the Day and Heal Your Soul, Heal the World which is my favorite book, but also my first out of print book. Then Family Celebrations came out in spring '99. It's in it's 3rd printing. This year Get Well Wishes came out in July and Animal Blessings in September.

Connie: Are you working on other books?

June: Yes, Mothers and Daughters, coming out next spring from Harmony Books, a division of Random House. It's significant, poetry tends not to sell well--this is pure poetry.

Connie: Random House is the largest mainstream publisher in the world, right?

June: Yes, it's significant that they bought it.

Connie: It's interesting to hear how began on one topic and now you've gone in a whole different direction.

June: I owe it all to my agent for helping me find my passion.

Connie: It's wonderful. I love to hear stories of people being led on their perfect path.

June: It's worked out well. My books have struck a chord with many people. I receive the nicest e-mails and letters from the nicest people.

Connie: How did you begin presenting Writing a Knockout Non-Fiction Book Proposal and How to Get Published?

June: It was after I'd published 6 books. A year ago I was asked to teach a workshop with Denise at the Pacific NW Writers Assn. Conference on Writing a Knockout Non-Fiction Book Proposal. The two of us work on it together and figured out what our parts would be and the workshop went over so well. I was really surprised to find out how much I loved doing it--I didn't expect it. So my agent is on the east coast and I'm out here, and I thought I'd like to be able to do more of these workshops so I came up with a 90 minute format that I offered to various book stores on the topic of how to get published as a general topic.

I got a few comments that surprised me. As well as the books I also have some clients that I work with--not many because I lack the time. One client commented that she had read the 3 main books on writing book proposals and said a lot of the information that I share is not available in those books. It's information that writers really need. I thought that somehow if you dug deeply enough you would find the information in a book. This woman is an incredible researcher and she indeed does read everything and hadn't found the information. Her comments were really helpful.

A lot of people have told me that I have just been the boost they really needed to go ahead and start their own project or complete their proposal. So, the feedback has been great.

Connie: Maybe that's your next book?

June: Well, I'm thinking about that. I used to say I don't want to do a book on non-fiction book proposals because there are three good ones out there. But my client, who has become a friend, tells me that my information is really unique and I should do a book on it.

But I think what would be most helpful and I've just completed a rough outline for is called Grassroots Marketing for Writers.

Connie: That sounds great and something that would be really helpful!

June: Publishers do a few things for a short time. It is really up to the author to make sure the book is successful. So I've looked at all the little low cost things we can do from the ground up that can make our book grow.

Connie: Do you talk about that in either of these workshops?

June: No, I have another workshop on that. It's the workshop I did at the Pacific NW Booksellers Conference. If you felt there were enough of an audience that would be great. It's so much information that I couldn't get into the other two workshops.

Connie: Anything more you want to say about your books?

June: What's nice about my books is that I started out with my binder. And my agent and publisher felt it would be stronger if I opened my submissions to lesser known poets. So I put an ad in Writer's Digest as well as Poets and Writers. Now my books are comprised of about 20% famous authors and 80% lesser known poets. The lesser known poets have said that my books provide great exposure for their poetry. That is a good service I didn't see in the beginning. Some poets have said that the poems I choose are so accessible that I'm helping bring poetry to everyday life.

Connie: Your books are interesting from the standpoint that they are spiritual, but they are also mainstream. And that says something about getting spirituality out into the main culture.

June: And spirituality books have been the fastest growing genre in book publishing over the last 7 years. It's been an incredible trend and my books have been out during that time.

Connie: You've been traveling a lot, has that been to promote your new books?

June: Yes it has. The books are the primary reason and then also I was booked to teach some workshops for the Learning Annex in LA, New York and San Francisco so I plan my travel around those workshops and then filled in with other signings. And then both Graces and Bedside Prayers are carried at all of the 100 Restorations Hardwares around the country.

Connie: Wow! Talk about mainstream! I didn't even know they had books!

June: Yes, they carry hundreds. When I do a signing at one of those I sign at least 100 books! They carry very few books so I feel great about having mine there.

Connie: So what would you like to say before we end?

June: I have never been so passionately involved in anything than what I'm doing right now and I love to share my tips and ideas with aspiring writers. I never expected to be doing this and I just totally love what I do! And I love working with people who are almost there and I can tell them how to take it to the next level.

Connie: June, thank you for taking time to talk with me today.

Top

Interviewed by Connie Hill, who is in charge of events and the website at New Renaissance Bookshop.