With 20 years’ experience as a successful director and publisher of non-fiction, Julia McCutchen is well-placed to tell the inside story of what publishers are looking for. With a track record including UK no. 1 and international bestsellers, it’s easy to see why her role as a writers’ coach and publishing consultant has hit the mark for many aspiring authors. Working with writers, specialists, coaches and speakers who want to add a book to their business portfolio, Julia offers coaching, courses and classes (and free resources and articles) from her website at juliamccutchen.com.
What would be a typical day for you?
In the morning I concentrate on project work and this varies depending on my priorities at the time. I might be writing an article for my ezine: The Writer’s Journey Monthly Journal, or I could be developing ideas for a new programme, package or coaching opportunity. I’m always coming up with new ideas, more than I’ll ever be able to take action on! At least a couple of times per week in the afternoons I coach my clients, either face to face or over the telephone. I love working with people on a one-to-one basis and it’s very rewarding to witness the powerful results that people have, especially the huge increases in clarity and confidence.
What are you doing today?
Today I’ve been following up on a teleseminar interview that I did last night, part of my bi-monthly series called: Ask the Author. In this case, I renamed it: Ask the Agent because my special guest was Literary Agent Simon Trewin of PFD. I interviewed him on: How to Make the Perfect Pitch to Agents. It was a really popular interview, so this morning the link to the audio recording was sent out to all of the participants (many of whom were overseas). And earlier this afternoon I had a telephone coaching session with a new client who is just starting to work with me on my Mentor Scheme … so plenty to keep me busy!
What’s the best thing about your work?
I love the freedom, as well as the incredible variety and creativity of my work. I only work on projects that I’m passionate about and/or with people with whom I feel a resonance, as authenticity and integrity are high priorities for me. That’s not to say that everyone ends up with a commercial publishing deal – this path is not right for everyone. What’s more important is that people enjoy the journey, and along the way, discover the truth of who they are and how to express their creativity in a way that’s right for them.
I also love the writing aspect of my work and have written my own book The Writer’s Journey: From Inspiration to Publication. It hasn’t been easy as I had to make the switch from publisher to author and at first I wasn’t sure if I could do that! And more recently, since sending out a regular ezine, I’ve had to learn a new style of writing which again felt challenging at first but which I love engaging with now.
And the worst thing?
Trying to keep up with everything and moving forwards with ideas without totally exhausting myself in the process. However, it’s a personal challenge I welcome because I believe it’s important to have regular time out – space to ‘be’ as well as to ‘do’.
How did you get into it?
I was working as a Publishing Consultant for Random House, and after many years as a director and publisher of non-fiction in-house, I had reached the point where it was time for me to ‘do my own thing’. I was approached by an events organiser in London who invited me to contribute to an evening seminar called: Publish Your Book. It was so popular that people were standing at the back of the room. I realised that there was (and still is) a huge gap in people’s knowledge of how to take their ideas to the marketplace and that my experience as a publisher could help. As I’d always worked with authors directly, it seemed like a natural next step. So I decided to follow my intuition, which was calling me to start running workshops and offering coaching … and it worked! Then last year I took everything to the next level with the launch of my website (juliamccutchen.com), and this has enabled me to support people at an international level, which is wonderful.
What do you think makes you good at what you do?
I guess I combine expert knowledge and board level experience of publishing with a high degree of intuition and creativity. I offer an extremely professional approach that can really benefit people who want to write for publication. I’m also passionate about the importance of the inner journey of creative self-discovery that is part and parcel of The Writer’s Journey. So people end up finding out about themselves and their true calling in life as well as enjoying the process of expressing themselves in written form. For some this results in commercial publishing deals, which I can advise on because I know that world so well. I can also guide people on whether or not to self-publish, and if so, how to go about it as I also have experience of that route to market.
How do you use your expertise in life coaching to assist others?
When I started training in life coaching, I realised I was already naturally doing with clients what I was being taught to do as a coach! So I combined the way I was already working with the heightened listening and questioning skills that are taught in coaching. I help clients discover what they really want to write about and how to take that message – or that story – out to the world. Also, I guide people to discover the right way forwards for them as individuals and this sometimes ends up being different to what they thought they would be doing originally.
Are the skills achieved through life coaching, transferable to the writing process?
The importance of listening at every level, which is emphasised in coaching, is an invaluable tool for writers. In fact, learning to listen deeply opens up a level of awareness that I would encourage everyone to experience. Listening creates space … and this space is the source of your most powerful ideas and inspiration, as well as a gateway to your true self. Listening is also an important way to access the source of your writer’s voice … but that’s another story!
Who has been the greatest influence on you professionally?
Initially it would have to be a publisher called Michael Mann who gave me my very first job in publishing. He showed me that it’s possible to combine spiritual principles with running a business and successfully publishing books. Today, it’s my current business mentor, Kendall Summerhawk, who is an outstanding example of a woman in her power. She holds fast to her values of integrity in business and how it is possible to ‘marry money with meaning’.
What has been your biggest professional challenge in this role, so far?
In the last year I’ve had to learn about a whole range of new tools and techniques to enable me to take my business onto the next level using the internet. I’m not a technical person and therefore haven’t found this at all easy! But, I’m highly motivated to share my knowledge with people around the world so I continue with these challenges and gradually they are becoming easier.
For more information about Julia and her work, visit juliamccutchen.com.
