Publishing Progress

The publishing world is very different than anything I have ever navigated. There is so much to learn and I am beyond grateful for the other debut authors and of course my agent who helped me get to where I am.

This fall, I completed my manuscript to a point where I felt it ready to submit. I did not get caught up in being a perfectionist. I just edited draft after draft until the story flowed. I also took feedback from my beta readers who were a great resource in which areas needed revision or created confusion.

Soon after, I began the querying process. For those that may not be familiar, a query letter is almost like a cover letter for authors. It's basically trying to show a literary agent why they should be interested in reading your manuscript and possibly representing you. Of course, there were rejections. It's part of the process! I want to stress to any new author attempting to go the traditional publishing route to not give up if a rejection letter finds you! You just need to find your right fit for your story at the right time. Rejections don't mean you don't have talent, it just means you haven't found the right person to champion your work.

I am so lucky that I finally connected with my agent and was able to obtain representation. When I say my agent went to bat for me, he went to BAT for me. He submitted my work to various imprints/publishing houses. Again, the rejections were part of the process. So if you are navigating this, don't get discouraged! Soon offers were coming my way and now, although I cannot reveal details at this time, I can safely say that one day in the future my debut romantasy novel will be on book shelves!