DECATUR - I must confess when I first heard from Joanna Campbell Slan, I almost dismissed the email with, "Thanks, but why don't you contact the Herald & Review when you book is published?"

But then, it occurred to me that the story might be in the waiting for a book's publication, even including the possibilities there might be some advice for other writers which could be shared.

And Slan was game.

Q: Since Bookmark authors all have some Central Illinois connection, what is yours?

Slan actually worked at the Herald & Review in the advertising department, doing special projects. However, don't ask her to come up with too many date-specific events.

"I live in my head; I make things up," she confessed.

But returning to the Decatur connection conversation, she said, "I was always thinking up projects," something that would help sell advertising.

In fact, she met her husband, David, when he was one of her advertising clients. The couple was married by a rabbi in Decatur, in Scovill Park's gazebo, where, she remembers, her future grandmother-in-law fell into the bushes surrounding the gazebo.

That was 25 years ago - "I should start lobbying for that big gift now, don't you think?"

Q: Even though you are awaiting publication of "Paper, Scissors, Death: A Scrapbooking Mystery," you are already a published author?

"I started writing when I was eight years old. Early on, I was going to write.

"I hoped to have a best seller by the time I was 13."

Well, best seller or no, she's a motivational speaker who has 10 non-fiction books to her credit.

"Before that, I was a 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' contributor."

The motivational speaker found she was not only accumulating stories to tell, she was accumulating information to pass along.

"Every time I did a handout, it was a miniature book."

So, she thought, "You know, I can do this."

She then wrote a series of books for speakers through a contract with a major publisher, one of them being "Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience."

Q: Any advice for budding authors?

First, Slan suggested, you need to decide: fiction or nonfiction.

With nonfiction, she said the first step is submitting a proposal to a publisher. If the idea flies, then it may be accepted, though it may also be modified. It may even depend upon the publisher's current catalogue: does the idea fit into it or into a hole in the market place?

"It's a collaborative effort with the publisher," Slan said.

And, "It pays a lot more than fiction."

Think about it, she said. There are always people who need information, especially if it's solidly written.

"Really the truth is, who needs another fiction book?"

But, if fiction is your desire, Slan said to have at least the first draft readied before approaching a publisher.

"Most never finish (their books). There is a huge gap between starting a book, creating these mythical characters, reaching a climax and resolution of that climax to a satisfying ending."

Q: How do you get your work to a publisher?

Probably the best way to sell a fiction book is to attend a writer's conference and establish contact with an agent, said Slan.

"They'll ask to see 50 pages of the book. They'll say to you: 'Is this done?'"

If it's not, it will be entirely possible it will never be finished.

If you can say, yes, it's finished and you know the number of words, then you have a better chance of catching the agent's attention.

"If you know the word count, that's even better. Word count translates into pages, costs."

And the agent asks for 50 pages for a reason.

"For the typical author, the first 10 (pages) may be a collaborative effort, but by 50, you are writing it yourself.

"For a lot of people, the deal breaker is the ability to take criticism."

And one other hint: sending a manuscript to an editor isn't a good idea, especially after Sept. 11 when publishing houses became nervous about big packages.

In the case of her own work of fiction, it was two years from when they bought her book to when the publication will be.

"Thank God for that two years. I re-wrote the book two times.

"The book will be a better book than the one they bought."

Q: How do you allot your writing time? And why do you do it?

"What I do, I get down here (to her office) from about 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. six days a week."

She takes time out to exercise, either through a class or a walk daily, sometimes with her office mate dogs.

She suggested there's a certain amount of discipline in establishing a schedule because there are days when it's a struggle to write. To paraphrase Garrison Keillor, she said, the professional is one who manages to write even if you are having a bad day.

And a degree in journalism can't hurt.

As for why, Slan said, "Because I can't not write. It's the way I live my life.

"It's who I am."

Arlene Mannlein can be reached at amannlein@herald-review.com or 421-6976.

About the book

TITLE: "Paper, Scissors, Death: A Scrapbooking Mystery" by Joanna Campbell Slan, due for publication in September

ISBN-10: 0-7387-1250-7

PUBLISHER: Midnight Ink, Woodbury, Minn., http://www.midnightinkbooks.com/

AVAILABLE: http://joannacampbellslan.com/