JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION PART II - GETTING SERIOUS
Spring of 2006 I attended my first writers conference at Mount Hermon in the beautiful mountains outside San Jose, California. There, I was introduced to the craft of writing. In the workshops, I discovered formulas and structure for writing mysteries and for fiction in general about which I previously knew absolutely nothing. I submitted the first three chapters of Cornerstone House---as it was then called---for critique. The marvelous and beautiful author Brandilyn Collins wrote a full page of suggestions "so that your story will emerge--right now it's weighted beneath too many words." Despite her rejection, a desire-for-excellence seed was planted in the fertile ground of Mount Hermon and began to sprout almost at once. I discovered the network of Christian authors--full of compassion and always on the look-out for ways to serve each other. Author Nancy Farrier, my Mount Hermon first-timer buddy, consoled me after my critique with many wise words. I certainly didn't want to attach my name to a book that would prove to be less than my best. Author Sherry Kyle, my first writer friend, became a sounding board for my walk through the revision process.
With my head bulging full of new ideas, I rewrote the entire manuscript, applying all of Brandilyn's suggestions and many of the things I had learned in the workshops. I deleted pages of description and a great deal of whining and complaining about my miserable lot in life. I gave the characters more depth. I listened to the CDs from the workshops and reread my notes. I read books about writing, in particular studying Browne and Kings's Self Editing for Fiction Writers in depth. In great anticipation, I resubmitted the book---now titled Misery's Company--- to the fall Christian Writers Mentoring Clinic at Mount Hermon that same year. I signed up for a group led by Karen Ball, Author/Editor/Publisher. Our group of nine plus Karen critiqued each other's submissions and then spent three days discussing. The group was tactful, insightful, and made many helpful suggestions. Karen Ball was particularly encouraging in her remarks during our private session and even suggested I send her the completed manuscript once I had polished it a bit more. As a publisher with B & H, this possibility was heady praise and a great honor. I returned home thoroughly pumped about writing fiction and rewrote the book again.
When I submitted it to Karen, however, she was unable to place it in her production schedule.
Assuming she rejected it because it still wasn't good enough, I rewrote it again along with the first three chapters of a second cozy mystery with the same setting and characters. This one I named, The Dunn Deal. I took it to the 2007 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Again I signed up for a critique group, this time led by Author/Editor/ Mentor Kathy Ide. The new improved version of Misery's Company was submitted to two publishers. They both turned it down again, although Karen Ball offered to look at it again. Once again, the workshops were incredible and I bought CDs of everything to revisit at home.
That year I met the creative author, Susanne Lakin. After the conference, she read the fourth version of Misery's Company and made right-on suggestions to jump-start my fervor. At that time, I felt overwhelmed by the massive amount of remedial work my manuscript still required and was about to delete the entire file. Since then, every time I feel like quitting, God sends her along with an email, a phone call or a visit, to get me pumped up again. Her friendship has meant a great deal on this journey. Knowing Susanne and seeing how God has used her in my life is one way I'm assured that my calling to write came from God. I have learned much from Susanne's perseverance and dedication to the craft of writing.
At Susanne's urging, I began sending out querry letters and proposals. After several rejections, I took the advice of Techo-thriller author Austin Boyd who counseled us at the conference to invest in our writing. I submitted Misery's Company to Glass Road for professional editing. Jessica Doty performed a content edit on the manuscript and John Leatherman polished the grammar and mechanics in a line edit. They both made sparkly suggestions, which I implemented immediately, rewriting yet again. I even paid Rebeca Seitz to write a proposal. Surely now it must be ready for publication, right God?
But still no one was buying it. Undeterred, I kept on writing. Now starting a third cozy mystery with the same setting and characters titled, Parrish The Thought. In order to create symmetry with the titles, I changed the title of Misery's Company to Payne & Misery. Each of the books in the series of three now has a title with the victim's name in the title and a play on words.
About the seventh time I rewrote the manuscript, the Valley Springs Book Club wanted to read it. I made copies at Kinkos, which the group paid me for. These vivacious women read the book in a month and invited me to their next meeting to discuss it. They were so gracious, even though the book still had many flaws. They made suggestions, most of which I incorporated.
Throughout this process, my daughter Jule has read every single revision. How humbling to receive such a gift of trust and support. She is always my biggest cheering section. She has also made many valuable suggestions as she reads. Many other family members have read one version or another. My Mom and Pop, two of my sisters, Toni and Patty, my husband Bob, my son-in-law Gary, my sister-in-law Merrilee and brother-in-law Jerry. Last Christmas, my son Jason and his wife Angie replaced my worn out computer with a fancy iMac to make writing easier. God's blessings abound throughout this process. The sweet ladies in my Bible Study Fellowship class faithfully pray for God's will and for my writing. I am sure God has led me through every step of this long journey although sometimes I wonder if God never planned to publish this book for public consumption, but instead only intended to use it in my life and in the lives of my family and friends. I must say, it has opened up many interesting conversations.
I attended the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in 2009, and my daughter Jule paid my way to the the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in the fall of that year. They were both wonderful and inspiriting and great places to network but didn't land me an agent or a publishing contract. According to the advice I received over and over that year, no one was buying mysteries from unknown authors. Not encouraging news, nevertheless, I had come so far and loved the process of writing so much, I couldn't give up yet.
Your daughter sounds a lot like you.
Reply to this
Easy to read, and at the same time, many new, important information. Just what you need
Reply to this
I have wished to publicate something like post on my blog and you gave me nice idea. Thank You!
Reply to this
Hello! I simply want to give an enormous thumbs up for the great data you have here on this post. I will probably be coming back to your blog for extra soon. . Выбор свадебного видеооператора
Reply to this
Good post, but much too much.
Reply to this
The bundance of interesting articles on your website amazes me! Author - good luck and new interesting posts!
Reply to this
Interesting. We are waiting for new messages on the same topic
Reply to this
Informative and persuasive.
Reply to this