Creatives Chat: Writing – Marianne De Pierres
Marianne de Pierres is the author of the acclaimed Parrish Plessis and award-winning Sentients of Orion science fiction series. The Parrish Plessis series has been translated into eight languages and adapted into a roleplaying game. She’s also the author of the Night Creatures teen dark fantasy series.
Marianne is an active supporter of genre fiction and has mentored many writers. She lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, three sons and three galahs. Marianne writes award-winning crime under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt. Visit her websites at www.mariannedepierres.com, www.tarasharp.com and www.burnbright.com.au.
Marianne De Pierres chats writing:
1. How long have you been involved in the creative industries, and how did you become a professional writer?
I suppose getting on for twenty years now. I learned my trade the normal way, through lots of rejections! It took me around seven years from when I began writing seriously to when my first novel was published.
2. Do people offer you work, or do you have to chase it down yourself?
A little of both. Sometimes one thing leads to another, but a lot of the time, you have to make your own opportunities. Sitting at home, hoping for work, certainly doesn’t serve you well. I find the key is to keep writing new material all the time. That way you’re opening the door to options. Some writers tend to sit on one project for a long time, re-hashing possibilities. I’m a big believer in moving on.
Some of my most interesting projects have been born from conversations with other Creatives. So getting out and talking to people is important.
3. Have you ever worked on a self-publishing project? What was the experience like – any traps or unexpected perks?
Indeed. I’ve self-published a comic and three novels. I’m not sure that you’d call it a trap exactly but anonymity is the devil. It’s is often very difficult to get your work into the hands of the right reader when you self-publish. Anyone who goes that route needs to be aware that just because you put your material out there, doesn’t assure you of an audience.
4. How do you negotiate fees while freelancing for somebody?
I always start with ASA rates and then negotiate from there, depending on the job. You always need to be clear with your employer whether GST is inclusive in the fee or not and be careful you specify payment terms eg 7 days etc.
5. What single piece of advice did you wish you’d known when you were starting out in the industry?
If your books are released overseas, then find a way to get over there and help publicise them. There is no substitute for booksellers and readers meeting you face to face. Other than that … keep your creative options open. Life is full of curve balls, so you need to be flexible. Learn what other talents you have and find a way to meld them with your writing.
Head over to any of Marianne’s social media portals for a chat and to see what she’s up to:
