author

My ARCs have arrived!

When I got home from work Thursday night, there was a box on my front porch. I didn’t think much of it. My husband likes to shop, so I thought, “Wonder what he got this time?”

To my surprise, he started to open it then stopped. “Hey!” he said. “This has your name on it!”

I told him I didn’t remember ordering anything and asked him to open the box.

To my utter surprise and pleasure, the advanced reader copies of my novel (aka, ARC) were inside!

MY ARCS!!

What beauties! To finally hold my book in my hands literally gave me chills of excitement. To open the smooth cover and see my own words on the cream-colored pages inside was unreal.

With these ARCs I will solicit “blurbs” from other authors. Authors already famous. Authors I admire.

I will ask bookstores to carry my book. I will ask bloggers to review my book. Eventually, when I get the final version (not just the ARCs), I will ask readers to read my book. And hope that they enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

It takes courage . . . and no small amount of arrogance to be a writer I think. I have to present this work to the world and say, “Hey! Read this! It will be worth your time, I promise you.”

Hello world. I present to you my novel. My baby. My blood, sweat and tears.

My novel, PROVECTUS, Survival of the Fittest, has arrived.

PROVECTUS_final cover (draft) - trim

 

I’m excited to announce that I’ve signed with She Writes Press! (@shewritespress)

Today I signed a contract with She Writes Press for the publication of my first novel!

It has been a long journey to get to this day. I spent four years writing the novel and almost another year querying agents. Some of the responses I got were:

[An agent at a Writer’s Digest pitch slam] “Sounds really interesting! Send me your first 50 pages.” I sent them, then . . . *crickets.*

“This project does not seem right for our agency.”

“This has a bit of overlap with a novel I recently handled [sold], so I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of representing both.” (Really? Why? Doesn’t that tell you that mine would likely sell as well?)

And the one that hurt the most – from my dream agent (who will remain unnamed): “You clearly have the ability to write, but this didn’t grab me by the ears.”

Sound at all familiar, fellow writers?

Anyway, as I get closer to the publication date (Fall 2016) I’ll speak to why I think they really didn’t want to take a chance on it. But that’s not important anymore.

I decided to approach She Writes Press, a hybrid – or “partnership” – publication model. While it is an author-subsidized press, what you get for your money is a team that is behind you and your book 100%. They help you with the back cover copy, the cover design, and the layout for each of the seemingly endless array of eBook formats. They project manage your book journey. Which is just what I needed.

Brooke Warner, publisher at She Writes Press, has been so patient and supportive through the whole due diligence process (I’m sure she began to dread my emails) as well as extremely flexible throughout contract discussions. She ROCKS. And I’m sure everyone else on my new team will be just as amazing as she is.

And as of 12:54 PM Pacific Standard Time on November 6, 2015 I am a signed author!