man, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind! things are still pretty busy (chas stayed up until past 3am last night editing) but my days are a bit more mellow this week which means i finally have time to do a real update on my blog!
so let's talk about my book.
i've heard back from both publishers that i submitted it to aaaaannndd...no dice. both were actually SUPER close to accepting it. in fact, i actually received a personal voicemail from one of the publisher's marketing publicists. he was asked to read it after they had discussed my manuscript in a production meeting and as soon as he finished, he called me personally and left the most AMAZINGLY kind, generous, positive voicemail ever. i basically have the whole message memorized, i've listened to it so many times. in it, he tells me again and again how much he loved my manuscript, how he feels like a better person for having read it, and how it made his whole night just reading it. and THEN, a few days later, the acquisitions editor from that same publisher emailed me to let me know they were very interested in publishing it. so you can imagine how utterly disappointed i felt when, later that same week, i was informed that, in the end, they had decided not to publish my book.
both that publisher and the second publisher (who i just heard back from a few days ago) said they ultimately rejected the manuscript because they felt it would be a bit too difficult to market (it being geared towards such a specific niche group). feeling like i was SO close to the finish line only to find out that i'm actually still quiet a ways away from publication has been frustrating and disheartening BUT i'm not quitting. i feel like i've been given a great blessing of peace, comfort, and confidence that the most right answer for my book is still out there, that things are still waiting to happen for it. i just need to keep moving forward and discover what those things are.
so i'm starting to do some research on the possibility of self-publishing an e-book. thus far, it seems like the fastest, easiest, and most cost-efficient means of getting the book out there for people. but since i don't have a publishing company's professional editor combing through my manuscript, helping to perfect it for publication, i'm left to find a great editor myself. so that's where i'm at now. looking for an editor, preferably LDS, who i can hire to help me get my manuscript where it needs to be. i'm also on the hunt for a designer to help me create an awesome book cover design.
so things are definitely in the works and i'm excited to be able to keep working on trying to make this whole book thing really and truly happen.
11 comments:
opps, i think i deleted my last comment by mistake :/ anywhoo, what i was going to say was hang in there! i'm so sorry things didn't work out with the publishing companies, but you have such a good attitude about it. this was the inspiration i needed today, so thank you. keep up the hard work because hard work always leads to profit. i'm excited to see what happens next for you on this journey!
In the writing trenches myself so I totally get it. Keep at it! It sounds trite, but these things take time and honestly, when there's a will there's a way.
I've recently decided to self-publish my own book as well. Good luck with it! I've seen a lot of people do well with self-publishing.
I'm sorry that ultimately the publishing companies haven't worked out thus far, but I'm sure that you will find something/someone that works out for you! I say keep giving it a try, but I know others who have had success with self-publishing. Your work ethic is admirable! Thanks for giving us an update!
HUGE bummer! I have faith that if you decide to self-publish, you'll go far. I would certainly love to read your book and publicize the crap out of it for you and I'm sure you have plenty of devoted family, friends and readers who would gladly do the same.
Here's the thing--it seems like you should be able to get it published because you already have such a fan-base generally--on this blog and instagram etc, that maybe you could do a pre-order sort of deal and see how many copies people would sell and then see if a publisher would be more interested--I'm just throwing out ideas. I know it's easier for people with a gajillion twitter followers to get published because there's that fan base already in place.
But e-books are also super great if you are just wanting to get it into people's hands.
Also, I am not an editor by trade, but I've taken grammar classes and done lots and lots of writing and editing myself so I'd look at if you can't find someone more legit. I sort of love editing and giving feedback, for whatever reason. And I'd do it fo' free because I love reading anyway.
Good luck, girl! It's so great you wrote something that is already changing lives!
Congrats on even getting that far. I bet a lot of manuscript are not paid a lot of attention to/turned down in a sec. :) That's a huge success, I think.
So, did you specifically ask what you could've done better in order to get your book published? I know that a neighbor of mine tried to get her poems published for years and she always received (very nice and personal) rejection letters. However, one day she called the contact given on one of these letters and asked what's wrong with her poems. She made a few adjustments and today her poems are published regularly.
Maybe that's a possibilty, too? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. How exciting!! :)
Have you considered setting up a pre-order on Kickstarter? Might be a way to reach your niche market and ease the financial burden of self publishing. I have a colleague who did just that (in order to show her publisher it was worth printing with eco-friendly materials) and it worked out great.
I feel like Amy Hackworth would be the perfect editor for you. . . and I love the kickstarter idea too. I know your book will get out there Sam because it's just that important. People need it.
I'm a little behind, so you may have already found an editor for your book, but I have more than eight years of editing experience and would love the opportunity to help you with your manuscript. If you're interested, let me know and I can send some writing/editing samples. Good luck on getting this published either way! I have a manuscript that was rejected ,too, so I know the feeling -- but you can do it! :)
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