Episode 183: BTS: My Publication Journey for My New Novel
In this episode of the Thriving Authors Podcast, I'm giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the timeline of drafting, editing and submitting (and editing and submitting again) that led to finally getting a publication deal for my newest novel BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME.
It has been quite a long journey filled with ups and downs to get here! And I think it’s really important to hear the real stories behind others' success. In fact, many times books aren’t published in the order in which the writer wrote them (which has certainly been true for me!)
In this episode you’ll hear:
- What inspired the idea for this story 12 years ago.
- How I played around with the structure, setting and POV.
- Ways I took feedback to make my book better while staying true to myself and my vision for the book.
- What I feared would happen if I made any big changes to the book.
- The discouragement after making it to an acquisitions meeting at a big publisher but not getting an offer… and how I was able to learn from that experience and later get a publication deal with my wonderful publisher Owl Hollow Press.
- The process of working with amazing editors to get the book to the next level, which helped me grow so much as a writer.
So even if it’s a long journey to get YOUR book out into the world, who knows what's around the next corner. Just keep moving forward, find that next stepping stone and don't give up on yourself. You never know what opportunities and excitement are waiting for you!
BEFORE & AFTER YOU & ME is available now and it recently won the 2024 Indies Today Book Award for Best Teen Contemporary! I am so thrilled and honored by this news, and am eternally grateful to the team at Owl Hollow Press for bringing the best version of my book to life, and to everyone who has supported and spread the word about this story I poured my heart into for twelve years.
P.S. If you decide you want to take the reins (and timeline) into your own hands and self-publish your book — but you don't want to worry about getting all the moving pieces coordinated and getting your book up on Amazon and Ingram Spark — you’re in luck. I have a Book Publishing Package where I can handle that all for you, in addition to editing and cover/interior design. Just reach out!