Meet an Employee Owner: Brian Cliffen
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Ask any of our 11,000+ authors: it's the people who make publishing with FriesenPress so special. Why? As employee owners, we’re directly invested in you and your story, bringing a rare level of care to the book projects entrusted to us.
In our Meet an Employee Owner series, we’re getting to know some of the amazing individuals behind our authors’ book projects.
In this month’s edition, we’re getting to Brian Cliffen – one of the longtime voices behind this very blog! Brian started at FriesenPress in October 2014 as a Marketing Coordinator; he now leads our internal marketing team on its mission to educate aspiring writers on all things self-publishing and celebrate the successes of our many published authors.
What drew you toward applying to join the FriesenPress team?
When I discovered FriesenPress, I had recently moved to Vancouver Island from Ontario and was doing some job hunting. In addition to having been a few years into my marketing career, I also had a background and keen interest in the arts – both as a musician and as a volunteer with the Niagara Artists Centre after finishing university. I distinctly remember thinking that FriesenPress sounded like a perfect match for my personal and professional interests. Having progressed from marketing coordinator to now manager over the last 12+ years, suffice to say that I was on to something!
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
I love that I’m part of a team that empowers authors’ creativity and helps them find a path for their books. This is doubly true for first time writers who might not have otherwise published their book if it weren’t for our guidance and support. We receive that kind of feedback on a regular basis, and it truly never gets old. I’m not aware of too many marketing roles that allow you to regularly help someone achieve (what is in many cases) a lifelong dream.
Tell us a bit about your life outside of work – what are some activities and/or interests that fill your cup?
Throughout the year, I’m consistently listening to all kinds of music and adventuring with my amazing wife and our dog. With it being springtime at the time of this writing, I’m getting back in the cycling saddle, which is one of my favourite hobbies (especially when a breakfast destination is involved).
In cooler months, I’m devotedly working my way through my never-ending movie watchlist and cheering for my Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Bills. Next year is our year, for sure…
What are some of the best reading experiences you’ve had lately? Why are they so remarkable to you?
Back in 2017 or so, my colleague Chris lent me a copy of A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami because he thought I might enjoy it. Well – he was right! In the ensuing years, I’ve devoured the majority of Murakami’s fiction and nonfiction titles. I can’t say that his offbeat style is for everyone, but there’s something about the typical Murakami narrative that really speaks to me.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been way into the Dune series and hope to finish books 4-6 this summer. Maybe it’s the desert climes of Arrakis, but reading those books just doesn’t hit the same way in winter!
What does being an employee owner of Friesens and FriesenPress mean to you?
I have to hit you with a “back in my day” here, because I’ve been at FriesenPress long enough to remember a time when we weren’t yet employee owners. Since being brought into the fold as owners of Friesens and FriesenPress, things really seem to have taken off for us. Not only do I believe the consistency and quality of our work to have improved, but having a more unified connection and alignment with Friesens has been a huge benefit to our team and our authors.
It’s also gratifying to hear the message of employee ownership resonate so deeply with our current and potential customers, too. It’s a huge point of pride that provides us with a real sense of identity – one that is now deeply woven into the fabric of our company.
Joseph Cassis’ Squire With Fire
Looking back across the books you’ve seen published during your time at FriesenPress, what projects jump out as being particularly noteworthy or special to you?
I don’t directly work with authors on the creation of their books, but one project that instantly springs to mind is Joseph Cassis’ Squire With Fire. I’ll let the back cover content do the talking:
Way back when his daughter Mallory was just two, Joseph Cassis made a promise on the steps of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom to write a book about knights and dragons just for her. But life flew by, and soon Mallory herself was a parent. Joseph wrote [Squire With Fire] to celebrate the birth of Isla, his first granddaughter, and to inspire her to be a lifelong learner so she might achieve great things. Illustrating and writing Squire With Fire makes good on Joseph’s promise at last.
What’s not clear from the blurb is that my guy taught himself how to illustrate in order to make this promise come true. That would be a great story in and of itself, but the fact that Joseph’s book eventually became an award winner makes it even better.
This book crystalizes so many of the qualities that I find impressive about our authors and their work: dedication, creativity, perseverance, and an overflowing amount of heart.
What’s a piece of writing and/or publishing advice that you wish more writers knew (and why)?
This answer is partially inspired by my recent conversation with our author Sherry McMillan, but jumping right into promoting a book after the publishing process isn’t for everyone. Just because your book is available for sale doesn’t necessarily mean you must tell the world immediately. Any slight algorithmic retail advantages you might gain from seeding a wave of early sales as soon as your book goes live can easily be erased (and then some) if that process causes you to burn out 9 days into your launch campaign.
It’s exceedingly likely that your friends, family, and future fans will be just as excited about your release day if it’s a little later down the road, and a short break means you’ll be much more energized for the long game.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your role helping authors at FriesenPress?
One of the more impactful lessons I’ve taken is that it’s never too late to dream a new dream.
We’ve supported many authors well into their 70s and 80s (and beyond) with publishing their first-ever book. Many of these authors came to writing later in life – some pursuing an interest that has laid dormant most of their lives, while others might be trying something new and loving it.
Not only do these projects directly flout outdated stereotypes about seniors and their resistance to learning new things, but there’s a deeper lesson in there for all of us: it’s never too late to listen to follow your bliss and start writing (sometimes literally!) a new chapter.
Asked by our previous respondent, Rebekah: if you were to write a book, what genre would it be?
Making people laugh is one of my favourite things to do. I’ve always thought it would be fun to try my hand at writing something funny – either as a collection of nonfiction essays, or a lighthearted fictional story for adults or even younger readers. That’s the dream!
