Paulette Livers's Blog: Paulette Livers at GoodReads, page 4

Mighty Sword Studio Opens Its Doors

Long before Edward Lytton Bulwer (of “dark and stormy night fame”) wrote “The pen is mightier than the sword,” Rosencrantz told Hamlet that “many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither.” If you are more of a mind to beat your sword into a pen rather than a ploughshare, we may have a lot in common.

Those who know me remember my years as an award-winning art director and designer for book and magazine publishers around the country, and even further back, my long career at the helm of design studios in Atlanta and Boulder. As writing took precedence and graduate school edged out time for much of anything else, art and design occupied a smaller and smaller piece of the life pie. The last few years—thanks to the support and encouragement of my husband, whose generosity is almost embarrassing—one hundred percent of my work time has been devoted to the novels and short stories that now hang in various stages of draft, finish, about to be published, and published. Meanwhile, my other passions—art and design—have crouched in the corners of my studio like orphans waiting for a crust of attention. As CEMENTVILLE’S publication date draws near and I find myself paralyzed with a case of nerves over the coming book tour, what better distraction can I ask for than ruminating on art and design?

SO—It’s official. The shingle is hung, business cards are ordered, and Mighty Sword Studio is ready. Artists, writers, publishers, editors, photographers, illustrators, and anyone else who shares a passion for the page, I am putting myself at your service. Mighty Sword, a boutique design and writing studio in the heart of Chicago, offers turnkey publication services for projects of all sizes. I invite you to take advantage of my decades in the book and magazine industry, ushering manuscripts through the publication process, providing book packaging and print brokerage to clients large and small, hiring illustrators and photographers, and teaching creative writing.

Whether you have a manuscript you’d like to see through publication, a project you are serious about getting off the ground, or a journal or magazine that’s looking tired, I would be happy to talk with you about some options for turning your ideas into reality. I have experience working with national and international publishers as well as individuals who have created projects through non-traditional channels. (As an entertaining aside, check out Steve Almond‘s post on The Rumpus about why he decided to try self-publishing.)

To contact Mighty Sword Studio, please write to PauletteLivers(at)gmail(dot)com, and please put “Mighty Sword” in the subject line, or simply fill out the contact form.

AWP is right around the corner

Annie Proux, 2014 keynote speaker at AWP. Photo from AWP website

In what will be my first trip to Seattle, I will head west for the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs in a few weeks. The place that brought us Nirvana and got us hooked on expensive coffee is hosting upwards of 12,000 writers—yes, all in one place. It will be great to see old friends, catch up with folks I went to graduate school with, mentors from around the country who have led me through workshops, friends I’ve made at writing retreats, and I even get to see my agent. I’m hoping I’ll have a couple of copies of CEMENTVILLE, hot off the press to show off. I’ll definitely be toting some books by the authors who’ll be there, and looking to get some signed. Annie Proulx, Rachel Kushner, Ben Fountain, and so many more.