Intro
C.L. Cannon is a USA Today Bestselling Author, publisher, publicist, editor, designer, and lots of other occupations with the -er sound at the end!
She is a woman of many talents who never gives up or stops improving. She enjoys writing about love and friendship. She loves it even more when she can add fantasy and science fiction aspects to those themes!
She’s a self-proclaimed Harry Potter freak (Slytherin Pride people), lover of anything Joss Whedon (Spuffy forever), Tolkien fiend (who enjoys second breakfast), an addict of classic literature (Social class struggles turn me on… literally 😉 yah see what I did there?)
She spends her days trying to #bookstagram (and probably failing), helping other authors grow and succeed (I love my job), and loving on her two babes (velociraptors), Seth and Petey.
She’s also sort of a social media enthusiast! You can find her basically everywhere on the net (man I just aged myself).
How did I get into writing and editing?
From the time I could read, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I always had a firm grasp of grammar and a love of literature. I wrote my first story, which was an alternate ending of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women at the age of nine. It was probably horrible in hindsight, very melodramatic for sure, but at nine with no firm grasp on the real world that seemed to make it exciting! I continued to write and to read penning plays that my little sister and I performed for our parents. In high school, I discovered fanfiction, and the writing flame spread through me like an inferno! I also joined the school literary magazine and wrote poetry and short stories, getting a few works published in anthology volumes. I excelled in my AP English classes and thoroughly enjoyed sitting down with a good book rather than partying my teen years away.
Once I graduated, I went out into the workforce, trying to make ends meet. I still was the person with her nose stuck in a book in the break room or out in her car–the one writing story ideas or lines of dialogue on the back of receipt papers and prep sheets. Eventually, I became a preschool teacher, which was one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. I love and adore kids, to be able to make a positive influence in their lives and watch them grow into their personalities was a blessing! Unfortunately, it did not pay enough to supplement my husband’s income or support the both of us as well as our newborn son. I turned to the internet and started freelancing. I began by giving parenting and early childhood development advice. Then, I added audio transcription to my list of services. Finally, I got up the courage to do article writing, which I did with a lot of success for many years. I had built and managed fan sites for close to a decade by 2014, which got me into making my graphics, so I offered those services next. Fandom life had also introduced me to podcasts as both a listener and a producer. I noticed that voice-over skills were in demand, so I taught myself the ins and outs of that and began offering my services, which became my top-ordered freelance gig! All of these things were well and good, and I taught myself many other skills like audio mixing, Kindle conversion, and online marketing. Still, I didn’t get to my true passion until my friend Janae decided she was going to participate in NaNoWriMo.
I was forced to take up a more physical factory job in 2011. In October 2014, my second child was born, and after complications with the epidural, I was left unable to return to work. When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, which is an S-shaped curve of the spine. I wore a back brace for five years to correct it, and though I did have some back pain, I was never really chronically suffering until after my second child was born. I was stuck seven times with an epidural needle, and none of them worked. I had natural childbirth because they could not get into the epidural space to relieve the pain. This blind poking around combined with the fact that my curvatures had significantly progressed in pregnancy, caused nerve damage and sciatica. I had also developed ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis that stiffens the joints. The combination of these disabilities causes me to be unable to sit, stand, or stay in one position for more than a few moments. I often go numb in my extremities, and it makes life a little difficult for me. I was out of a job and trying every work-at-home position I could think of to keep our lights on, our house out of foreclosure, and food in our bellies!
This is where we get back to Janae! She had gotten a book completed during NaNoWriMo and was needing a cover designed. She had ordered one from another freelancer but was unhappy with the end result, so I told her I would give it a shot. I had never designed a book cover before, but I had certainly seen enough of them over the years. I designed her cover, and she loved it… and I loved it too. She then went on to beta reading and had a group of her friends help edit and beta the book. I was one of these lucky people. She liked my comments and corrections so much that she hired me as an editor for her next book. From there, I began my own business, started a Facebook page, and eventually a website for my services. I started getting orders from new clients, and they all loved and recommended my services, expanding my business even more!
In 2016, I incorporated my company Fiction-Atlas Press and began publishing other authors in my yearly anthologies. I also expanded my author services to include editing, formatting, cover design, marketing, book trailers, animations, and much more! Today, my business is booming, and it has become an integral part of my life. I get to read books, write books, and help my fellow authors succeed! So dreams really do come true if you’re willing to keep reaching for them. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of set-backs, and a whole lot of determination, but I promise it is possible.
What are some of my favorite books?
Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Great Gatsby, Persuasion, Wuthering Heights, The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, About a Boy, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hunger Games, Great Expectations, Sense and Sensibility, Washington Square, Little Women, Atonement, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Sword of Truth, Northanger Abbey, Night, Little Dorrit, Daniel Deronda, Bleak House, North and South, Anna Karenina, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Rebecca, The Count of Monte Cristo, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Inkheart, Timeline, Peter Pan… There are really too many to list! The point is I love books!
Where do I hope to be in the next few years?
I sincerely hope to still be helping other authors, but to also have a few series of my own out there and completed!