Getting Published
I often get asked what the publishing process has been like for me, and I have to admit that it hasn’t been the traditional route. Or at least, I don’t think it has. I didn’t go through a professional agent who then advocated for me with various publishers. Although I did have an agent of a sort. I didn’t have to do a mass send off of my manuscript with a cover letter advertising me and my work hoping for someone to take a liking to it. Although I did email my manuscript to a publisher and hope they liked it. Spoiler alert: since I'm published, they did. And I have had to deal with the marketing side of publishing—social media accounts, maintaining a website, setting up book signings, registering with BookBub and GoodReads and Amazon. Major stress and worst part of the entire process, especially, as I’ve stated in past posts, for an introvert.
Here’s my publishing process. I was having an argument with my daughter as most moms do with their teenage daughters from time to time. I was angry because she was down on herself and coming up with all kinds of reasons why she couldn’t do something—all ridiculous reasons, by the way. In the midst of my truly fabulous mom lecture about why she shouldn’t give up on herself or her dreams, my brilliant and talented daughter looked me dead in the eyes and threw the fact that I was too scared to even try and get my book published. Major slap back! So, later that day in my classroom, I called a dear friend to tell her that I was failing my daughter and teaching her through my own lack of action that dreams aren’t attainable. I admitted that I was being a horrible role model for my own daughter and I needed help. I was supposed to show my daughter how to be strong, independent, and confident in myself and my talents and I was not doing that.
Somethings to mention about my friend: 1. She’s family. The kind you choose. My daughter has always called her “Aunt.” 2. She’s fierce. Like don’t make her angry fierce. (So, the basic opposite of docile me.) 3. She had been working in the book world for 20+ years and knew about books and publishing, which is why I thought she could give me good advice about how to start the process.
Well, when I finished explaining my situation, she told me to hang on and after hearing a few beeps on the line, another voice I didn’t know was speaking. My friend had done two miraculous things: a three way call without hanging up on me (I still have no idea how that works) and gotten me in touch with the owner of a local publisher. After introducing us and giving a brief synopsis of how I was a teacher and had written a fantasy book I was looking to get published, the publisher asked me to email her the first three chapters of my book, which I did as soon as I got off the phone. I received notification that she liked what I had sent and would like to see the rest; so, I emailed the entire manuscript to her. Several days later, she let me know that her company would like to publish my book as a trilogy, instead of just one book.
So, not the normal publishing experience, I admit; but I’m proud of my work and honored she liked it enough to go through this with me. I guess my approach wasn’t the norm, but really, who’s to say what that norm actually is? I mean, everyone’s normal until you get to know them. Anyway, I’ve learned to take a risk, to share with strangers things that so intensely private and “sacred” to me, and I’ve grown from the experience. And I feel more like the role model I want to be for my daughter. All good things.
Now if I could just get someone to take over the social media aspect, I would be golden.