Road to being published.
1. Read my brains out for over 40 years in a ton of different genre.
2. Took part in Nanowrimo 2007. Wrote a fantasy novel that topped out at 120K. It was a lot of fun and rereading my work now, only moderately horrible. Chapter 12 was better than Chapter 2. Chapter 22 was even better.
3. Found out about ebooks in January. Read a whole bunch. Found some Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feeham novels. Decided I could write something like that if I tried. Wrote a werewolf novel -Hidden Away- in March and gave it to a friend to read. She didn’t laugh out loud at me so I figured that was a good sign (love you, Sunshine!)
4. Saw the call for a humourous shifter anthology at Samhain due May 30. It was April 15. Decided to go for it anyway and using the world rules from -Hidden Away- I wrote -Taken for Granite-. There was no time between packing up the house to move to write the story and have anyone read it. Wrote a quick synopsis, having no idea what it was supposed to look like. Submitted on the deadline. My cover letter was embarrassing when I look at it now!!
5. June 16th Laurie said no but gave the story to Anne who gave me feedback June 23 (have I said recently how much I love your skills, Anne?) I revised while on holidays with the family in the Maritimes ? and resubmitted July 18th. August 21st Anne got back to me. She wanted to buy the story. But we needed to change the name.
6. August 23 I received contract info in the mail. Printed it out, filled it all in and returned it. Things like name/address etc as well as tax forms (damn Canadian/US tax laws anyway…) Started brainstorming for a new title.
7. August 27 sent a list of new titles to Anne with a bunch of questions about the process. We picked out –Wolf Signs- as a new title and –Granite Lake Wolves- for a series.
8. Sept 11 I received an email asking for information on cover art. I had to go BACK to the story to find out some of the info since I’ve been busy writing other things! This including writing a short novel summary for the artists to help them when they plan the cover.
9. Sept 27 my snail mail contract info was finally in at Samhain. I got the information I needed to join the Samhain Authors group, information about writing a bio and I had to write up a blurb, a tagline and a warning label. Someone will edit these but it gives them a place to start. Oh, and I also had to update the synopsis for the story since the original synopsis was for a 20K submission and the actual story is now 28K+
10. Oct 4 I sent Anne my most recent version of the manuscript. Then I found out through a writer friend about some writing no-no’s. Contacted Anne to see if she wanted me to clean up the ms more. Nope. Oct 6 she sent it back to me ready for first edits.
I had eight different areas to clean up including making the cabin where the story takes place clearer, and watching that I stayed consistent in a point of view. That was an eye opener- because my heroine is deaf I had occasions that I had to remove dialogue because she wouldn’t have been able to see it. Great exercise, I loved doing edits. The story is feeling tighter and cleaner all the time.
It was the first time that I used Words ‘Track Changes’. Great program!
11. Returned finished first edits Oct 10 and returned them. The pages where bright red with colour by the time I was done and the only way to read it properly was to save it as a PDF.
Anne gave me three weeks to do edits so she won’t be ready to do second edits for a bit. So now I wait. And I have to write up an author bio still. I image the edits will come right in the middle of Nanowrimo, but, hey, I love a challenge!!
The Adventure Continues…
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Is it just me or did you not take a breath while writing all that?
I’m exhausted just reading it.
Yay! on the contract and the edits and the… everything!
Now get back to those cowboys! LOL
RC
LOL!
It is quite the mouthful, isn’t it? And I didn’t even add in the writing of 3 other stories. Including Rocky Mountain Heat.
Speaking of which, you’re getting a little obsessive about the cowboys, Rhian.
I may have to tease you on Tuesday…
🙂
Wow! What a fascinating timeline. I don’t know ANYTHING about eBooks, so it’s interesting to discover more.
I’m fascinated by the idea of a deaf heroine – and the difficulties of fitting dialogue she (obviously) couldn’t have overheard in.
I just wrote about going towards mainstream publishing and mentioned to steer clear of werewolves and vampires (I think they’ve been done to death a bit) but it’s interesting to discover that there’s a thriving ebook corner for them.
Great stuff. We will expect great things from you!
Thanks Roland. I’ve been told the process goes MUCH quicker in ebook than in print publishing.
I would agree with you on avoiding writing about weres and vamps and might I add to the list Navy Seals and immortal Greek gods who now live in New Orleans and schools of wizardry and pregnant mistresses to sultans…
Except some people love them. Love them to bits. So while the overall market and the wow factor may be down there are still people who want just one more.
And if what you write is from a slightly different angle you might have a chance with it. If your writers voice makes people sit up and take notice, then the story will sell.
I hope.
🙂