Newsletter for NWU Twin Cities

Meet Anne Fletcher

Posted by permission by the author and the Twin Cities Chapter of the National Writers Union

LW: How did you get into writing?
AF: It’s probably in my genes. I have a father who was a writer and editor throughout his professional life. I have a master’s degree in nutrition science--I started out doing traditional dietetic work. Eighteen years ago I worked for a private practice in obesity in Massachusetts and did public relations for them. I developed a newsletter for professionals in the area to get publicity for the practice. I also did some columns for the local newspaper. Then, I noticed women’s magazines ran articles focusing on diet and nutrition and I thought "I can write those." At the time magazines were not using people with training in the field as writers as much as they are now. So the door was open. I sent queries to a number of magazines and got a phone call from Vogue offering me two assignments. That opened the door for me. I left the clinical job and took a job as the executive editor of Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter. My entrée into book s came when one of my writers sold his first book to a major publisher in New York and introduced me to his agent. I had about ten book ideas; one was about the health benefits of fish. The New England Journal of Medicine had just printed three articles about fish oils that were getting a lot of coverage. The agent gave me a recipe for writing a book proposal, which I had never done before. Really, a book proposal is your sales pitch to a publisher about why this is a hot topic and you should write a book about it. I wrote this proposal and she sold it to Harper Collins. So I got my first book advance and quit my job. Eat Fish, Live Better came out in 1989. It was by no means a best-seller but it created huge consulting opportunities for me representing the fish industry—which generated most of my income for the next five years. They paid me to travel around the country and talk about my book.

LW: How did you get into your subsequent books?
AF: I became a contributing editor for Prevention magazine which meant I did a monthly article for them. One was on weight loss success stories. It was picked up by Readers Digest both in the U.S. and Canada, and that said to me there’s a book in there. I went to an agent who helped me write a book proposal. It was turned down by at least 15 publishers. Of the two offers I got, I went with a small publisher in Vermont called Chapters Publishing. They helped make that book, Thin For Life, a best-seller—it’s sold more than 300,000 copies. Because of its success I was able to sell part two, Eating Thin For Life and a third book Thin for Life Daybook.

Writing the proposal for my new book, Sober For Good, took me a long time—nine months—because it’s not my field. I find the more time and effort I put into writing the book proposal the more likely I am to sell it, the more I’m on the way to writing the book. The gamble is you can write a book proposal that doesn’t sell, and I have done two of those along the way.

LW: Sounds liked you’re hooked on books now.
AF: I do occasional features for magazines often in connection with my book. Every once in a while I’ll do a story that’s a spin off for one of my books for, like, Good Housekeeping, but it can’t just be regurgitation, you need to caste it in a new light. This is interesting. I remember reading that some successful author said "Never turn down an interview—no matter how small." Years ago a woman interviewed me for a story on weight control for a European magazine. My immediate reaction was "This will do nothing for my book." But I did the interview. Never saw the story. Recently I get this e-mail from the same woman who is now the news director for O (Oprah’s) Magazine—"Hi I don’t know if you remember me, I interviewed you a couple of years ago…" That’s why you never turn down an interview. I accepted her offer to be a consultant for an article on weight control. But I also said, "Let me tell you about my new book." Now I’m writing a feature on alcohol recovery for their September issue.

LW: Sounds like you are really hands on with your publicity.
AF: Successful authors do a huge amount of their own publicity. Publishers tend to do the same old thing—if you’re lucky you get sent on a media tour. But beyond that there’s so much more you can do. Particularly with a self help book. After four years working on this book I know the world of alcohol recovery better than the publisher does. The vice president of marketing of Houghton Mifflin came to me for suggestions on professional journals to run advertising for my book. So I spent several days last week researching what journals clinicians might read. I wrote for no money a 2000 word article about my book for a psychology journal—just to get the publicity. And I convinced my publisher to place a full-page ad with them. A lot of it is just hard work—but I happen to love it. 

LW: So what have you learned?
AF: There’s a lot more that goes into book writing than writing a book. You have to use every avenue that you’ve learned about in writing that book to promote that book. Do things that supplement what the publisher does. This is what you need to think about; Who is the audience for this book? What are creative ways to reach them? Also, as a full-time author, you pretty much always have to have a book in the works. So, this summer I will do another proposal, because typically you get paid royalties only twice a year. Even if Sober for Good made a million dollars this spring I would not see that money until next December.

LW: Why did you join NWU?
AF: I’ve been approached to write for websites and their contracts are impossible. Usually I don’t involve my agent in smaller income generating things and lawyers are two hundred dollars and hour. A friend of mine who belongs told me to join the union. I’ve gotten really good contract advice here.

LW: How is your family taking all this?
AF: When I write a book it’s my full-time job, and toward the end of the book its nights, days and weekends and my family is really ticked off. My husband is very supportive. To be able to do this when you have a family, one person needs to have a steady job with benefits because the income is totally unpredictable. When it rains, it pours—and then there are long dry spells. When you’re trying to send kids to summer camp you need to have a steady income.

LW: What’s your next book?
AF: I’m going back to weight control and success stories—using that same model, but this time for teenagers.

Anne welcomes referrals of teens or young adults who have overcome serious weight problems or eating disorders. E-mail her at: Annemfletcher@aol.com

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