Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorin Oberweger.
Hi Lorin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 1995, I hung out my shingle as an independent book editor, one of only a handful of people to work in that capacity at the time. I started small, working with a handful of clients on eclectic projects like short story collections translated from Arabic, a memoir from a former inmate, and a novel about a plague that causes contagious telepathy. In my first year, I probably edited six books. Now, it’s dozens of full-length novels a year, and hundreds of pages for students and participants in my writing programs.
Over the years, I began to teach writing, especially fiction craft, and my company began putting on workshops with a well-known literary agent and author, whose books on writing are considered must-haves for any writer. That has also grown into a half-dozen or so workshops a year, and several dozen webinars, along with an ongoing writing program called Inner Circle, where I work closely with groups of thirty writers at a time to help them hone their craft and create the best possible stories they have in them to write.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think like any business that has been around as long as mine has, there are inevitable bumps along the way. A freelance business selling products and services to a creative audience is not an inevitable home run. It depends on people believing in their dreams, in the possibility of achieving publishing success, and further believing that working toward those things is worth a monetary investment.
So, business can ebb and flow with the economy, with the political and cultural landscape, and with trends in publishing. Sometimes, one aspect of the business, like editing, might keep me hopping, while other aspects–like in-person workshops (when Covid hit) can be laid low. The trick is to remain flexible and attentive to your audience, to try to anticipate and deliver what they need as best as you can.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work caters primarily to authors of fiction in all genres and creative nonfiction. I specialize in helping people develop their stories from the ground up, sometimes from as little as some ideas scrawled on a cocktail napkin or index card, and in editing full manuscripts to help writers maximize their story’s potential to best serve their hoped-for (or actual) readership.
What sets my company apart, and one of the reasons I developed my workshops and webinars in particular, is that I cater to those writers who are a bit under-served by most current offerings: those with some experience, who might be considered intermediate to advanced in their writing abilities and understanding of the craft. It seemed to me that there was an awful lot out there for beginners but much less that was geared toward writers who wanted to continue to push their abilities and grow.
I’m incredibly proud of the hundreds of books I’ve helped shepherd to success, but I’m MOST proud of the writing communities I’ve helped to create and of the long-lasting connections and deep friendships I’ve had a small hand in creating.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It seems like a no-brainer to say this, but first and foremost, really know your audience. Look around at others who do what you do (if they exist), how they reach their clients/customers, what those clients/customers might still be in need of, and how you can position yourself to offer those things. Consider who your ideal customer/client is and more than what they might want to buy or do, consider how they want to FEEL. When you’re marketing to them, speak to those feelings. When you’re creating something for them, ask yourself how you can deliver not only the goods and services but the emotion you want them to come away with, the feeling that will make them return to you for more.
Also, be as flexible and nimble as you can. When COVID hit, my in-person workshops disappeared pretty much overnight, which not only put me in a bind but also put my clients in a bind. The thing they looked forward to–community, support, and learning–was taken away. My job was to figure out how to offer those things in a different medium. I was one of the first to roll out writing webinars and to create a robust online community for writers still looking for accountability, connection, and hope during those tough times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.free-expressions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/free_expressions_lit/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/free.exp
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorin-oberweger-566a205/
Image Credits
Kristin Blythe Photography (for all but headshots).
