Mary P. Brooke, B.Sc., Cert.PR

Mary is committed to ushering the creative, insightful and intelligent works of Canadian authors from manuscript to bookshelf (and/or website). Working with an author through all phases of writing, editing, production, printing and marketing (i.e. 'book shepherding') is Mary's primary career focus -- her clients are self-publishing authors and also authors seeking agency among the national and international publishing houses.

As well as supporting authors in various aspects of their self-publishing journey, under Mary's direction Brookeline Publishing House Inc. now publishes and distributes non-fiction books by Canadian authors. The first few titles will be out toward the end of this year.

Mary Brooke holds a B.Sc. in nutrition, consumer and family studies (with a second major in sociology) and a university certificate in public relations. She won the coveted McGeachy Prize in Journalism back in 1981 at the University of Saskatchewan and has not looked back (though she did wander along a few tangents along the way).

During 1993 to 2004, Brookeline was a small operation in Victoria, BC (focussed on newsletter production, website management and e-learning delivery) while Mary single-handedly raised her family of four children. In 2005, with the family almost grown, she restored her focus on larger projects in writing, editing and print publishing. 

In 2007, Mary relocated her Brookeline Publishing House Inc. office to Sooke on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The peaceful quiet of forests by the sea (less than an hour's drive from Victoria) is an ideal setting for writing and creativity.  

Brookeline edits, designs, formats and publishes books that contribute to the health and healing of body, mind, spirit and society. Supporting a knowledge-based economy is part of Brookeline's mission statement: where there is education there is understanding, where there is understanding there is insight, where there is insight there is compassion, where there is compassion there is healing and success.

Mary is a writer and author in her own right.  She regularly writes published articles about astrology, cosmic consciousness and the 'intention movement' and is working on her own book, The Trauma of Decluttering.

She attends new and interesting seminars to keep up on various aspects of health care, sociology and healing the inner self, most recently attending at UVic these seminars:  "Genes: Where it All Begins" and "DeCluttering" (Feb. 2008).

Mary teaches her own course called How to Self Publish (delivered at the Monterey Center, Victoria, BC), designed to de-mystify the process of self-publishing for non-fiction authors.

Mary Brooke is currently designing and formatting the Summer 2008 Program Guide for the SEAPARC Leisure Complex (rec centre) in Sooke, BC.

Mary Brooke is a member of the Editors' Association of Canada (EAC). Brookeline Publishing House Inc. is a member of the Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce.  Mary Brooke (of Brookeline) and Donald C. Mills (author of Giant Cedars, White Sands) are members of Tourism Victoria through their venture Maple Marine Charters.

Learn more about editing and self-publishing

Mary Brooke will be teaching her course How to Self Publish at the Monterey Centre in August 2008.
 
 

Updates to Clients

NEWSLETTER 

Brookeline clients may update their contact information for receiving the BROOKELINE CLIENT UPDATE newsletter, by writing to <words@brookeline.com>.

Tidbits

Mary will soon be launching MapleLine Magazine -- a local newszine as a  celebration of Sooke. (Apr.2008)

Mary recently won a top prize from Canada Post for her short essay about how postal-mailing is supportive to small business (Feb.2008).

Mary coordinates the PAC's Traffic Safety Committee at John Muir Elementary School in Sooke, BC (2008), and co-led the PAC's Traffic Safety Committee at Margaret Jenkins School in Victoria, BC (2007).

Mary's opinion about serial commas mattered enough to the BC chapter of the Editors' Assoc. of Canada (EAC) that they are publishing her commentary in their upcoming April 2008 newsletter.

As a Welcome Wagon sponsor, Mary greets newcomers to Sooke.

Mary edited, formatted and designed the first edition (2006) of Sidestepping the Power Struggle, a successful book about thoughtful and fair-minded parenting by Alison Miller, Ph.D. and Allison Rees, Ph.D.

Mary produces high quality newsletters for Realtors in Greater Victoria, BC (1993 to present).