The first thing I did when I realized how much I
loved writing was make a decision.
I was going to become an author someday. It wasn't
something I thought would be a great hobby,
or something I wanted to do with friends for fun. I was dead set on reaching my
goal and writing for a career.
Starting from eighth grade, I took every writing class imaginable
and eventually majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing in
college. I’d been writing stories since I was in Jr. High, but I’d never
completed a full novel. Once I graduated I knew it was time to get serious. I
quit my job and decided to focus all my energy into writing. I began writing The Shapeshifter’s
Secret (though it had a different title at the time) and after countless late
nights, many tears, and several “aha” moments, the first draft was finished a
year later.
Once it was completed, I started editing, which meant hours and
hours of rewriting. Characters changed, the plot changed, names changed, and it
was a grueling six-month process. That was for the story as a
whole, but I also hired an editor to help with all the grammar and punctuation.
The editing was very difficult for me, but it was absolutely necessary
and helped me grow as a writer.
So after writing The Shapeshifter’s Secret and editing it until I
was happy with the finished product, I knew it was time to learn more about the
publishing industry. I did all the research I could online and started going
to conferences and classes that focused on publishers, agents, and the art of
the query letter. I also started getting involved with social media sites so that I
could show editors how serious I was about getting my work out there, and I began connecting with other writers. Next I created my
query letter (which at times seemed as difficult as writing the actual novel),
and I was ready to start submitting to publishers.
When I got the first offers for my novel I felt like I was in
shock. After years of dreaming, it was finally happening. I reflect back on
this time and feel so grateful for the opportunities I was given. Cedar Fort
published The Shapeshifter’s Secret in 2012 and I’ve absolutely loved working
with them.
The journey to getting published was long and there were plenty of
bumps of discouragement along the way. One of those bumps was when I made a
terrible query and began submitting it to publishers and agents when I was only
halfway through writing my novel. I was overly eager about jumping
into the publishing world and thought it was a good idea. It wasn’t. Never ever
make query letters prematurely; it will only lead to painful rejection letters.
There were several times when I wondered whether I was spending
too much time on my novel. I had plenty of breakdowns when I wanted to give up
and had zero confidence in my writing. However, I always thought back to that
decision that I made so many years ago. I wanted to write, and I’d have to keep
going no matter how difficult it became.
If you’re a writer looking to get published, I wish you the very
best of luck! Know that the ups and downs are part of the experience that every
author and main character has to face in order to grow.
Here are some really fantastic websites for writers:
(Or sign up for his Daily Kick in the Pants emails).
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