Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dianne Pearce. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dianne, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Current Words Publishing came into existence organically. I had long wished to be a published author. While living in a small town on the East Coast, I decided to start a writing group and put out a call locally for other authors who were trying to get to the finish line with their writing. I was blown away by the group of people who bravely showed up at my house on the day of the first meeting. The writing they brought along showed great promise, and I think everyone there that day was surprised by the high quality of the work.

In the months and years that followed, the writing stayed strong, but publication opportunities were slim to none. I’ve always been a problem solver, and I saw this as a problem to solve, so I decided that I would publish all of us. My husband (David Yurkovich) had successfully published graphic novels before parenthood got in the way, so I knew that between the two of us we could do it. I often go into things very optimistically, and I think that trait helps carry me over a lot of rough spots.

Of course there is a learning curve to becoming a publisher, but David and I are fast learners, and as our catalogue of published books expanded, publishing became more and more meaningful to me. I’m still crazy excited about each book we choose. I can be a tireless advocate for something I believe in, and I believed in these books and authors. Through this I learned two things about myself: I am very passionate about helping people bring their books to market, and I am proficient in editing a manuscript in a way that really elevates it, without taking it over from the author. I love being in the service of others’ dreams, corny as it sounds. And yes, I think David and I offer a very unique approach because once we publish an author, we do our best to give opportunities for them to stay involved with their books, and we help them to network with the other authors we publish. We understand that books by unknown authors don’t stand a great chance against the few million new titles that are published each year, but by lifting each other up a little, it makes a large difference. We’ve seen book sales increase, and, in my view, that’s a direct result of the group engagement. I think we’re able to foster collaboration and a real sense of looking at one another as teammates in this endeavor among the authors we publish. It makes a lonely pursuit feel more supported.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Actually I think I’ve been training for this career since childhood. I was a bit of a prodigy reader, as I was reading to myself by age four, and usually read way above my grade level. In sixth grade my English teacher refused to accept a book report I’d written on Camus’ The Stranger and told me I should write on something appropriate for my age. She assigned me Encyclopedia Brown (also a great book, BTW). I often read a book a day because I read very quickly. I studied literature for my BA, and also began writing plays, because I loved theater. Later, I studied creative writing and literature for my MA, and was granted free tuition in exchange for teaching freshman composition. My writing teachers encouraged me to pursue an MFA, because they thought my writing was very unusual, and I won the graduate writing competition all four semesters, while at the same time falling in love with teaching. I entered an MFA program so that I could both write and teach, which lead to a long career in colleges (from 1991 to this day) teaching creative writing, critical thinking, literature, ESL, business writing, and so on. I think these experiences are what makes my editing skills so sharp: I have literally read and analyzed more writing, and a wider variety of styles and skill levels, than most people will ever get to in one lifetime.

In the fields of publishing and editing, experience is seldom viewed as important. It’s one of the few arts I know of where authors with no training think they can write as well as Hemingway on their first try even though the opposite is usually true. It’s problematic when authors don’t know what they don’t know, and have a shallow reading background. I really want to help new writers with captivating imaginations elevate their stories and get them to a more successful place. But with AI and platforms like Kindle Vella, a lot of authors are content to publish what is, essentially, a rough draft. I love DIY and think self-publishing is great, but it does make it tougher for readers to find something from a new author that is really of high quality.

If authors want to make a go of writing in a professional way, then I will give them an enormous amount of coaching and care, and also work with them to grow their brand and audience. You need to spin multiple plates to get a fan base: a good first book, a soon-to-be-released second book, a platform to build interest. Reader interest is the reason an author sells the dreaded second book. Authors must work on it all, as a coordinated plan. Having said that, I feel like I’m most proud of the time I give to each author I edit, and how gently I edit, providing teaching points all the way so that an author learns and becomes a better craftsperson. The book you write could change someone’s life, so I want your readers to be able to follow it, and I want you to feel confident that you’ve created something that will be remembered. It’s important to me that the authors I work with are happy and that they are provided with a book that looks great.
In today’s market, a publisher can bring a book from manuscript to market in 60 days if needed, but that’s not necessarily what’s best for the book or the author. It’s great for a publisher’s catalog if they churn ’em out, but we’d rather schedule our author’s book in a way that’s best for its success and for theirs. I try to make sure I know what our authors want to see happen after the book hits the market. Do they want readers? Do they want awards? Fans? Money? Fame? The moves each author makes with their book will be different based on those goals, and no debut author ever gets all of those, so it’s important to focus on one goal first. If you partner with us, I’m going to help you think that through.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve probably pivoted more than most. I began working in publishing during college, and then moved into a rewarding fifteen years or so working with people who had developmental or physical differences. I did everything from writing IEPs to vocational retraining, and I loved it. But I always had this artsy side that wanted to write, and that lead me back to school, to teaching, and to publishing once again, and it was the best choice. I’ve also moved across the US twice now, so I guess you could say I’m sort of an Etch A Sketch person…. I work and work on a picture, and then, periodically, just shake the whole megillah up and start over. What is life without adventure, as they say. I’ve never been happier in my work than publishing books, and I think that might be because each author and book is a new adventure.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

In general, the best source of clients for us comes in one of two ways: another author recommends us (and so far all of them do), or the author has met us (online or live). I think authors trust another author over a random publisher, and I also think to meet us is to recognize that David and I are genuine, and we really do care. It’s something I don’t think you can fake. I get really excited about good writing, and it’s important to me. Sometimes someone hires me just for an edit, and I’m emailing them asking if I can share it with Dave. We both love creative and unusual writing. We get into it, and we can’t hide our enthusiasm. Of course I sound very upbeat but not everything has been easy for us: we’ve faced some real challenges, and we’re working class. We’re the only people in our families to have attended college. Dave’s mom was a housewife, and his dad worked in the steel industry. My mother was a telephone operator, and my father was a machinist and a gunsmith. We both have a strong work ethic, and our relationship with authors means a lot to us. Frankly, a lot of partner publishers exist, but we’ve made a commitment to be as inexpensive as possible, and to be generous with our time. We continue to run a free literary magazine (Instant Noodles Magazine) and a short-form writing/publishing coop (Old Scratch Press), because we want to give some opportunities that are free for authors. These endeavors consume our time and take effort, but they’re labors of love, just like Current Words Publishing in general. We’re always open to meeting with writers on Zoom just to talk, or do a sample edit. If your readers have a book and are seeking a quality edit or an entire publishing package that includes a professionally designed cover and interior, as well as distribution, they can contact us, or take a look around our site: currentwords.com We offer lots of free resources for authors as well as links to our completed books.
Oh, and if anyone is interested, I now do a weekly reel live on Instgram on Monday mornings where I discuss something about writing or publishing. The photo of me is from a recent reel. I love the outdoors, so I broadcast from my front porch.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://currentwords.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/currentwords/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/currentwords
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/currentwords
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@currentwordspublishing
• Other: https://oldscratchpress.com
  https://instantnoodleslitmag.com

Image Credits

All photos are taken by Dianne Pearce, and all book covers are designed by David Yurkovich.