Mary Embree is an author, literary consultant, editor, book doctor, and writers' workshop leader. She is the founder of Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network (SPAWN). A former film and television writer and researcher, she became a published author in the 1990s. Her most recent books are The Author's Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Book, a Writer's Digest Book Club selection now in its third edition, and Starting Your Career as a Freelance Editor, both published by Allworth Press.