Freelance Writer – Mandy Eve-Barnett at Tailored and Themed to Suit
My guest today is author Mandy Eve-Barnett, who is not only a ten times published author of children’s, YA and adult novels, but also a freelance writer. Since October 2015, Mandy has utilized her versatility as a prolific blogger, an author and social media enthusiast coupled with a wide-ranging life experience from twenty-six years as a business owner, as a nursing professional, to beginning a new life on another continent to enhance her client’s requirements. Projects range from articles to industry blog posts to ghost writing and more.
Tell us about a special freelance project?
I was approached in 2023 by a large Canadian home builder to write a children’s book. This seemed to be a somewhat unusual request, until the discussions progressed and two things became evident. Firstly, the children’s book was to celebrate and honour a local person, whose contribution to the community was substantial. And secondly, that I personally knew the person in question, which made the project extra special for me.
The idea behind the book was to celebrate a local volunteer titan, Helen Lavender and for the books to be available to all new residents of the development when they moved in. In addition to the book, a park would also bear her name.
What did the project involve?
Apart from my own knowledge of Helen, I attended a couple of online meetings with the home builder project manager and Helen’s adult children. I was given a literal fountain of
accomplishments, including Helen’s volunteerism, family life and hobbies. Furnished with this information, I created a story idea to incorporate everything within a children’s narrative.
As I worked on the story, its characters and how they gain knowledge of Helen’s life, the project manager asked me to find a local illustrator and publisher; I was successful in those recommendations. It was one of the directives of the project that all sources were local.
Once the illustrator was on board, we worked together on what images would best fit the narrative and their placement within the book.
The culmination of the project was an official park opening and book launch in 2024. It was a wonderful way to acknowledge such a remarkable person, and I am honoured to have been part of it.
What are you currently working on?
On the freelance side, I have several regular clients wanting monthly articles, but I am always open to more! Projects can be as small as a new bio, or as large as a ghost written book. As for my creative writing side, I have several manuscripts in progress at various stages of completion.
If you require a writing related project please contact me through my website: https://tailoredthemedtosuit.wordpress.com/
Thanks Mandy, for being my guest here today. You will find Mandy across social media and her author website www.mandyevebarnett.com
