Thinklings Books Staff

We are Thinklings Books, LLC, and we adore fantasy and science fiction.  As in, seriously adore it.  We got into the book biz because we couldn’t stop reading.  Whole second-hand bookstores have been supported by our passion for good novels.

In fact, we read so much that we started running out of really superb new books to read . . . so we decided we’d better find and publish more.

We have a plan, we have the books, we have websites and social media, we even have startup capital, but what we don't currently have is salaries for our staff.

Who exactly are we?

Thinklings started out when three speculative-fiction-loving professional editors—Jeannie Ingraham, Deborah Natelson, and Sarah Awa—got together and formed a writing group.  We called ourselves the Thinklings, in honor of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s group, the Inklings.

Over time, we found ourselves agonizing more and more about how messed up the publishing industry had become.  Why couldn’t good books get published?  Why were so many bad books published just because their authors had big Twitter followings?  We wished there were something we could do about the problem . . . and then we realized there was.

As a developmental editor, a substantive/line editor, and a proofreader, the three of us knew good writing when we saw it—and we knew how to make it even better.  We had a lot of experience walking our clients through the publishing process—both traditional and self-publish—and we had contacts within not only the publishing industry, but also marketing and design experts.  

We currently have a full staff lineup, who, other than the three founders, and our business manager, Ali Chehab, are funded either through trades, internship scholarships, or grants.

Jeannie Ingraham is a developmental editor, literary consultant, and the founder of The Ghostwriting Agency.  She writes fantasy and memoir, and has worked with many best-selling authors. 

Twitter: @JeannieIngraham

Website: www.jeannieingraham.com

Deborah Natelson is an avid reader and writer of fantasy novels.  Before co-founding Thinklings, she had worked as a substantive/line editor and book formatter for over a decade.  

Website: www.deborahjnatelson.com
 
Sarah Awa is an author, proofreader/editor, and devourer of books.  Her nickname is the Walking Style Guide.  Before co-founding Thinklings, she served as creative director for The Ghostwriting Agency for six years.

Twitter: @AuthorSarahAwa

Blog: sarahmawa.blogspot.com

Ali Chehab loves a good book, but never saw herself working in publishing.  Instead, her interest in stories led her to major in theater management for her BA, and she went on to earn an MBA in project management.  Ali's skills in managing actors, directors, and large business projects have helped streamline the business side of Thinklings. 

Until the books are published, and royalties come in, these four women are working for free.  In publishing, the lead time between getting a book ready to publish and getting royalties is no less than about six months.  So, we're reaching out to the community of readers and writers, and asking you to help these staff members receive basic compensation for their work.

This comes out to $2,000 per month per founder for full-time employment (and we all know that "full time" in entrepreneurship means "all the time") and $500 per month for Ali's part-time salary. 

Funding Thinklings Books in this way will allow the founders to focus on what matters for the business—finding and publishing only the highest-quality books—instead of on how they will buy food for their families or pay their mortgage. 

Thank you again for your support.  Please be sure to check out our website to learn more about us: www.thinklingsbooks.com