Meet a Journalist

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December 9, 1999
Ann Douglas
Author & Writer
pageone@kawartha.com
http://www.sanitysavers.com

I've been interested in writing for as long as I can remember. In Grade 3, I wrote my first epic novel-a mammoth piece of work that consisted of 50 sheets of foolscap tied together with a piece of rope! I sold my first article for money when I was in Grade 10. I can still remember the thrill of discovering that I was getting paid three cents a word for my efforts. ($30 for an hour or two's work? It hardly seemed possible!)

My daily rate may have gone up a little since then, but my passion for writing hasn't changed. These days, I make my living by writing for the big consumer glossies here in Canada-Canadian Living, Chatelaine, Homemaker's, and Cottage Life-and by writing for CNN, WebMD, and Crayola Family Play's web sites in the U.S.

I also do a fair bit of book writing. I'm now finishing work on my thirteenth book. I've written on a variety of topics-everything from Canadian history to curling to pregnancy to financial planning! (You can find a list of my books at the bottom of this piece.) My first book, Baby Science: How Babies Really Work, was chosen as a Book of the Month Club selection for both Canada and the U.S. and almost landed me a guest spot on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Almost. (Sigh.) One of my most recent books, The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby, is one of the bestselling pregnancy books at Amazon.com and has been described by at least one critic as "the best pregnancy reference book on the market today."

The smartest thing I ever did for my writing career was to join the Periodical Writers Association of Canada. In 1998 alone, I got $20,000 worth of work as a result of my PWAC affiliation. I also benefited by participating in PWAC's mentoring programme back in 1995. My goal was to make the move from periodical writing to books. With some help from my mentor, Ottawa writer Barbara Florio Graham, I managed to land contracts for thirteen books in a little over three years. (I just signed a deal for book number fourteen.)

My life is a perpetual juggling act. I've got three new books to promote this fall, three more in the works (see below), and four kids to chase after. (The kids range in age from two through eleven.) Is it crazy at my place? You bet. Would I trade places with anyone else on earth? Not on your life. I'm fortunate enough to be doing what I've always wanted to do-making a living as a writer.

Books by Ann Douglas

Published:

Sanity Savers: The Canadian Working Woman's Guide to Almost Having It All. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1999. www.sanitysavers.com

Family Finance: The Essential Guide for Canadian Parents. Prentice Hall Canada. 1999. www.sanitysavers.com/familyfinance.htm

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canada in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Prentice Hall Canada, 1999. www.sanitysavers.com/more.htm

The Family Tree Detective Book: Cracking the Case of Your Family's Story. Owl Books, 1999.

The Unofficial Guide to Having A Baby. IDG Books, 1999. (Co-author: John R. Sussman, M.D.) www.having-a-baby.com

The Unofficial Guide to Childcare. IDG Books, 1998. www.childcare-guide.com

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Curling. Prentice Hall Canada, 1998. (Co-author: Rod Bolton.)

Baby Science: How Babies Really Work. Owl Books, 1998. www.babyscience.com

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canadian History. Prentice Hall Canada, 1997.

Forthcoming:

The Incredible Shrinking Woman. Prentice Hall Canada, Spring 2000.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Raising Money-Smart Canadian Kids. (With Barbara Weltman.) Prentice Hall Canada, Spring 2000.