For the last two years, Genevieve and I have poured our hearts and souls into our little boutique publishing company, Pownal Street Press. We have been wooed and wowed by all of the talent that has come through our doors thus far, and we continue to wake up every morning to new manuscripts, authors & artists. So first, we want to express some gratitude for all of the people, writers & organizations that have helped us grow.
Together, Gen and I have talked with dozens and dozens of writers who have an idea — but they aren’t sure where to start. I was a writer who didn’t know where to start, once, and so was Gen. We know that nonfiction writers tend to get stuck in the weeds even before they write. Vulnerabilities, permission from family members, and having the time to complete the project all stand in the way of writers who are crafting their stories, many who are in the midst of running their own small businesses, coaching youth soccer, or trying to make the space to host relatives during prom week! We know that the lives of our authors are full, before the demands and complexities of producing their first full-length title.
Last year over the Christmas holidays, Gen and I began to think about our authors, and we wondered if we could help them earlier. As a small staff, we knew we didn’t have the capacity to take on many more private book coaching clients, although we know for a fact that that is extremely rewarding work.
What if we could create a platform where we could guide authors through the initial set-ups of their manuscripts, by asking them critical questions at each stage of the process? As a creative writing teacher for many years, I knew that for most people, the idea of joining a small cohort to talk about their book idea is a comfortable choice. Perhaps together, we could encourage each other to engage in some positive writing habits, form a supportive writing community, and create a longer timeline for writers to gently ease into their book projects, one session at a time.
So with a few long discussions around what we felt were some of the best outcomes of our chats, we would like to introduce you to our new baby— the HeartWork Sessions. HeartWork is a platform for both readers and writers, a place where we can share our passions for publishing books with you, and maybe even teach you a trick or two along the way.
We really hope HeartWork will be a place for you to learn from us, and for us to learn from you. Communication is a two way street! Together, you have given us the brilliant idea of helping you with your next chapter. Thanks for helping us with ours.
Pownal Street Press is PEI’s newest publishing house. Women owned and women led, friendly, warm and professional: Pownal Street Press brings an approachable perspective to publishing books. For more information about the Press and its books, please visit: www.pownalstreetpress.com.