After nearly three decades spent polishing other writers’ manuscripts, Marisa Solis decided it was her turn. The Pasadena-raised editor, who has worked on more than 500 nonfiction books, will read from and sign her first book, “The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide: Plan, Write, and Publish Your Nonfiction Book,” on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, alongside co-author Elizabeth Dougherty.
The two are longtime developmental editors and book coaches who cofounded Book Structure Pros, a firm that helps subject-matter experts — consultants, coaches, educators, healthcare providers — turn their expertise into publishable books. Their guide lays out a step-by-step framework with 25 exercises and templates meant to carry a writer from a rough idea to a finished manuscript without stalling along the way. Kirkus Reviews called it “a smart and stylish guide.”
Solis’s path started early. At John Muir High School in Pasadena, she was editor-in-chief of both the student newspaper and the literary magazine, having decided as a child that writing was, as she put it, “my calling in life.” She went on to a career editing everything from travel guidebooks to self-help and wellness titles.
At Vroman’s, Solis and Dougherty are expected to read from the first part of the book and explain the steps that new authors most often skip, then open the floor for at least 20 minutes of questions. The book was published in June by the Collective Book Studio. A purchase from Vroman’s helps make such events possible.
Marisa Solis and Elizabeth Dougherty will discuss and sign “The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide” on Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-5320 or visit vromansbookstore.com. Admission is free.
