Valerie Harms

If you want to write and publish fiction, nonfiction (including memoir or a revised thesis), or a family history, I can help you. Author of  10 books, teacher, and editor, I offer the wisdom of my experience on YOUR writing ideas/projects.  Together we can make the process delightful.
 
We will gather on Zoom for four 30-minute sessions at your convenience.at 7 p.m Mountain Time. There will be time for questions and comments. If desired, we'll add a session.
 
Topics I cover:
·      Deciding genre: memoir, fiction, or nonfiction
·      Editing & proofreading your manuscript
·      Assembling a book proposal or article query
·      Selling a book with or without an agent
·      Targeting publishers
·      Self-publishing for devices, such as Kindle & iPad
·       Print-on-Demand services for books
·      Building buzz with the best  publicity options
·      Using social media and Google analytics 

I  am the author of:
Your Soul at a Crossroads
Dreaming of Animals
The Inner Lover
 The Ecology of Everyday Life
Frolic's Dance
Tryin' To Get To You/ The Story of Elvis Presley
Stars In My Sky/ Nin, Montessori, Steloff
UNMASKING: Ten Women in Metamorphosis
Celebration with Anais Nin
The Beezus & Ramona Diary
 I have produced 25+ books for others and consulted on numerous projects. A graduate of Smith College, I've been an instructor for the Long Ridge Writers Group and leader of workshops for years.  I was Project Editor at National Audubon Society in NYC and for 15 years I edited Distinctly Montana magazine. For more info see my Web site at www.valerieharms.com

 

Fee: $125. Payable by check or via PayPal.
To register, call 587-3356 or email Valerie@valerieharms.com
 

I am offering counseling that addresses emotional conditions. Through short sessions on Zoom or by phone we'll talk, discuss meditation, sleep problems, using Tarot cards or the I Ching. We'll celebrate birthdays or goals reached. We'll advise each other on staying well.

Contents copyright 2020 by Valerie Harms

Friends,

Maybe like me during this time of confinement you are looking for ways to use your time productively. There are exercises classes for your body but what about your soul?

I offer this course for a deep examination of your life. I can promise you that you will find new direction and even joy in working the exercises. (I advise you to finish the course for best results.)

I will send you instructions and manage the timing but you may work on it at your own convenience. There is no critique. It's about you expanding your sense of your unique life.

 

This course is about enabling you to make transitions in relationships, work, and health which resonate with your core values.  Getting in touch with your inner intelligence depends on your exploring the challenges in depth.  You will be shown how personal writing leads to psychological and spiritual gold.
 
You can work on this course on your own time—setting aside a few hours weekly or monthly.  It is divided into three parts, each building on the other.  The exercises will start with where you are in your life now and tap into the wisdom of your body, significant memories, and move into dreams and dialogues. You will find new purpose and ideas for action.  Plus you may learn what this pandemic means to you. You can repeat the exercises again and again when you need to.
 
I am available at any time via email.  I want to stay in close touch with you. Valerie@valerieharms.com.  Call or email me now to get started.
 
Fee: $150 in advance; or in three installments of $50 each; payable by check or PayPal

Most sincerely,
Valerie

 

 

1.  Writing for Publication:

If you want to take your work to the next level and get it published, I'd like to help you succeed.  I offer one-on-one consultations because I believe that approach suits you best.  Every project is unique in its own way.  My goal is to help you bring it to fruition.  I want to be your coach, your time-keeper, your inspirer.
 
In the consultations you will learn how to:
·      Select your project's genre & length
·      Write a proposal for editors/agents
·      Build a platform with social media
·      Find the right publishers
·      Or, if desired, navigate self-publishing options
 
Together we will craft a pitch for your book as well as the other materials typically asked for under "Submissions."
 

Where:  Sessions in my home, a public space, or on the phone.
Format: 1-2 hours as needed at a time convenient for both of us
Fee: $100 a session; $300 for four sessions; pay by PayPal or check
 
 Contact: 406-587-3356, valerie@valerieharms.com.

 

2. Are You at a Crossroads?
Take this Online Journal  Workshop

 
As a rule, the individual is so unconscious that he fails to see his own potentialities for decision.  Instead he is constantly and anxiously looking around for external rules and regulations, which can guide him in his perplexity. ~ C. G. Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections
 
In our relationships, work, and health we struggle to make transitions that resonate with our core values.  Relying on our inner intelligence depends on our willingness to explore the issues in depth. I offer you a self-paced course in which you will be shown ways personal writing leads to psychological and spiritual gold. The exercises will start with where you are in your life now and tap into the wisdom of your body, significant memories, and move into dreams and dialogues. You discover the places where you find deep meaning and purpose.  You should emerge from this workshop with a sense of the uniqueness of your life journey and newfound joy and inspiration.
 
I am the author of 10 books and a creativity counselor. I have led writing and Intensive Journal workshops at centers around the country, plus Canada and Greece.  I worked on several projects with Anais Nin and Elvis Presley.  A graduate of Smith College, for seven years I was a project editor at the National Audubon Society. Currently I edit Distinctly Montanamagazine. (Find me on Facebook & Twitter)

 

I have known the highs and lows of life.
 
Fee:$150 in advance; or in two installments of $80 each; payable through PayPal
Valerie@valerieharms.com

 

Bonus: Free book to U.S. addresses, Your Soul at a Crossroads

 

 

 

 

WRITING FOR PUBLICATION

(ongoing)
Animal Wisdom Figures
Techniques for Working with Animals in order
To Live More Powerfully

Dreams are like Fed-Ex Messages from Your Soul
Tips for Understanding Them

Rebirth & Renewal Symbols
“I found myself in a dark wood” ~ Dante before the journey that led him to envision
The Divine Comedy.

Anytime. Courses tailored just for your wants/needs on writing: articles, publishing, children's lit. Number of sessions & fee to be determined privately.

YOUR "BUCKET LIST". For you wise men and women over 60, let's discuss how you can make happen those things left undone so far. Also, I will support you in leaving a written and visual legacy for future generations.

I'd like to know what are your biggest concerns as you move into the future.

"Where the Good Road and the Road of Difficulties meet is holy."

INFORMATION
I have taught in major centers in the Northeast, on the West Coast, as well as Canada and Greece. The United Nations named me a "most remarkable woman" for my work.

TO REGISTER: Advance registration with payment is required. Via Paypal or check. For questions and details, call 587-3356 or email: Valerie@valerieharms.com

What others have said about my workshops...
"I found Valerie's Intensive Journaling class to be very instructive and
evocative. Valerie's caring and sensitivity to the class encouraged
self-exploration. She provided strategies for us to continue gaining
insights into ourselves." ~ Barbara Labovitz Boik, Bozeman, MT

"I have benefitted in many ways from the introspective Journal Workshops offered by Valerie Harms--and always in ways that are new and unexpected. I wholeheartedly recommend the work to everyone, no matter how seasoned at journaling or accustomed to self-reflection. I always leave with a new perspective and a thankful heart." ~ Gena Funk

***
"The personal life deeply lived always extends into truths beyond itself." - Anais Nin

"It is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow."
- Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

"We are partners in this land/co-signers of a covenant." - Stanley Kunitz