Authors Advising Authors #5 - Marie Treanor

Marie Treanor was born and brought up in Scotland, but for some years moved around the UK, working and studying. Now she is back home and happily married with three young children. Having grown bored with city life, she lives these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing stories of romance and fantasy.

Email: marie@marietreanor.com
Website: http://www.marietreanor.com/

How many books did you write, and how long were you writing, before your first acceptance?
I’m happy to say that the first story Marie Treanor wrote was accepted by the first publisher she submitted it to. But that’s slightly misleading! I had been writing seriously for maybe seven or eight years before that, under a different name, and had hawked two historical novels around traditional British publishers without more success than a few encouragingly kind rejections. I then discovered ebooks and sold my novels to an epublisher. Not long afterwards, my third child was born and my writing time severely curtailed. I was also getting into ebook romances and being blown away particularly by the wealth of imagination I found in the genre. So, with time constraints in mind, I tried my hand at a short, paranormal romance as Marie Treanor (instead of a long, research-heavy historical) and was fortunate enough to have it accepted.

What is the most important piece of advice you would give an aspiring (not yet published) author?
I think I'd tell them not to give up. Which doesn’t mean not taking advice, but learning from other writers and readers and from the comments of publishers and editors, and always to keep writing.

Is there a “warning” you would give an aspiring or new author about the writing profession or the publishing industry, something to watch out for?
I would say, research the publishers you’re considering submitting to. Find out if you can how long they’ve been in business and if other writers are happy there. Also, although it’s good to build up a reader base at one publisher, it’s also good to spread your favours, just in case one of your publishers (God forbid!) goes out of business. Despite the bankruptcy clause in most contracts, such an event could tie your books in legal limbo for several months while the courts decide what to do with your rights, and you don’t want to have nothing out there!

What was the most surprising thing you learned after you became published?
That I wasn’t immediately rich. :)

What is your best advice or enlightening story about dealing with revisions and working with editors?
I’ve learned from all the editors I’ve worked with, especially when I’ve grasped how the changes they ask for actually make my writing stronger. I don’t always agree with their suggestions--though more often than not, I do--but it always helps to discuss any points of difference so that we understand each other. After all, we’re both trying to make the book as good as it can be.

What is your favorite promo tip?
I don’t have one--I stink at promo :(

Did you have an agent when you sold your first story? Do you have one now? At what types of houses are you published: e-publisher, small print press, traditional (NY) publisher, Harlequin/Silhouette category lines?
No, I didn’t have an agent when I sold my first story. I do have one now :) And the inspiring part of this story is that he actually contacted me after reading one of my ebooks on Amazon Kindle. I’m currently published with several e-publishers and next year, thanks to the aforementioned agent, I will also be published with a NY house.


Marie Treanor writes steamy paranormal and futuristic romance. She currently has over twenty-five titles published with four different publishers. Her first vampire story for Ellora’s Cave, Hunting Karoly, was released in June 2009. Two sequels, Guitar Man and Freeing Al, will be published in 2010.