Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Howe.
Hi Michele, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I first took an interest in writing when I was employed as an assistant to the owner of a PR agency in Toledo. My employer was the PR manager for the largest trucking industries in the country and he also was the editor of several trucking magazines which he allowed me to proofread. Although I had no interest in the trucking, I learned so much about writing and effective communication from him.
After I left that position, I had my first daughter and began to write articles and review books from home. Some forty years later, I’m still working from home writing articles, reviewing books, authoring books and writing columns. I now have written 31 traditionally published books and have published over 3000 articles, reviews, and curricula.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like most industries, there are numerous ups and downs. Publishing is exactly that and the industry has changed many times over the years. For every writer, however, you need to accept the struggles as a regular part of freelance writing. Rejection from editors and publishers is most definitely a part of the publishing experience but one that a writer can learn from and grow into a better writer.
From the very beginning, I realized that the best editors are also teachers and when they say no to an article idea or a book proposal, they have good reasons. When they take the time to share those reasons, we writers can glean helpful information. Yes, it is still a disappointment when an idea you are excited about gets turned down over and over again. However, I’ve had ideas turned down which I then tweaked which were later accepted.
Publishing is a wonderful industry with many terrific people who are happy to lend encouragement and help to one another. Still, one must have a tough skin and not get waylaid by the inevitable rejection, season of little work, or the long wait times in between pitching ideas and hearing responses. But the very idea of being able to bring help and hope to readers makes all the difficulties well worth the effort.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a freelance writer and author of 31 books, I’ve also been known in the industry as a book reviewer for the main trade magazines. I have loved reading since I was a young child and recall reading a short article in a magazine written by a teen and thinking to myself…I could do that!
Years later, while working for the PR firm, I began to take a strong interest in marketing/writing/editing and publishing in general. So, it was a quick mental transition to freelance writing and reviewing. I have been a reviewer for over 35 years for numerous daily, weekly, monthly newspapers and magazines. In between writing articles and developing curriculum, I was reading 3-5 books per week and reviewing them. Then, in 1999, my first book was published, and from then on, I started writing more books than articles while continuing to review.
As time went on, publishing morphed yet again and reviewing opportunities began to shrink in 2008-2009, so I turned my focus to writing primarily books alone.
I’m known for writing books that meld my Christian faith into the daily life challenges and difficulties we all face. I always want to help readers learn how to unpack scriptural principles that change and bring help and hope to their daily lives. I’m a storyteller…because I believe that as we read about someone else’s struggle, we then have insight as to how they overcame their suffering and sorrow. Writers of books make very little money, but we continue to write and love it because of the promise of making a real difference in someone else’s life.
What’s next?
My hope is to continue writing books and offering helpful articles to several magazines which I’m currently writing for on a regular basis. Like publishing, my personal life continues to morph and change as well. My husband and I have four adult children and seven grandchildren of whom we love spending time with each week. My writing is all about investing in people’s lives…thus my life’s mission is the same. I try to balance my writing with my real-life daily commitments to others.
Life is never stagnant, it is always in forward motion, so I am always looking forward and wondering, what’s next?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michelehowe.wordpress.com
- Instagram: michelehowereviews
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelehoweauthor/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-howe-6104b17
- Twitter: @reviewermom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uozurrcmvs10
