Off to Paradise

Today's the day!

The airport shuttle picked me up just shy of 4:00am Saturday and I was through security and at the gate by 4:45 for a 6am flight. The obvious thing to do while I wait is read… or write. I brought along The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells to read. Somehow, I couldn’t relax enough; I’m going to my first writer’s workshop! First in-person workshop, that is.

I lucked into a first-class upgrade on the longest leg of the journey (Phx to Pittsburgh) for a mere $150, and I was glad I did. It was nice. Really nice. I connected in Pitts to Providence, RI, where I ate lunch and waited 3 hours for my flight to the island. There were only seven passengers and one captain in a tiny propeller plane that seated ten. I really enjoyed that part – but we were only in the air for 20 minutes. One of the VP staffers, Carol met me at the airport, and she and her husband, Bill, drove me to the Island Inn. It was already starting to get dark, so I didn’t get to see a lot, so I look forward to doing a little exploring tomorrow.

It turns out that one of the students had to cancel because her son had a terrible weight-lifting accident that tore his femoral artery! So her roommate, Kate, was without a roommate, and seeing as how my two roommates were both men, Carol asked if I’d be interested in rooming with Kate and perhaps another lady, Pat, who would like to share if someone needed a roomie. So the three of us are piling into a townhouse unit. It took a while to get ahold of Dick and Leo to find out if they were cool with splitting the condo two ways rather than 3, but it all works out great.

The rooms are charming. The townhouse has a bedroom upstairs with a king-sized bed, and a bedroom downstairs with two twin beds, plus a queen sofa sleeper. I don’t mind sharing a bedroom, and neither does Pat, so Kate will probably get the upstairs bedroom. My knees don’t like those stairs. No siree.

Kate – a different Kate, of VP Staff fame – kindly invited me to join the instructors and staff for a meal in the staff room, seeing as how I arrived early and didn’t get a chance to get to the store for food. I, being shy when outnumbered by strangers, was happy to observe from the shadows and get a feel for the incredibly quick minds and creativity of the people I’ll be spending the next week with. Jim Macdonald, aka Yog, is as friendly as he is helpful, with a nice, firm handshake. Teresa Nielsen Hayden is an amazing person, so witty and sharp, and with a personality you can’t help but like. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about everyone as I get to know them, but so far, I’m overwhelmed and excited and deeply thrilled to be here.

Web site is up!

I bought the domain name kinshieldlegacy.com so I could promote my book, The Kinshield Legacy. This was my first Flash MX project, so it's not fancy or anything, but take a look and tell me what you think. Once the book's cover is designed, I'll see about pulling in some images from that.

Oh and one more thing: only 1 week and 2 days until I leave for Viable Paradise! Woo HOOOOO!!

Turned in the manuscript

Late last night, I emailed the most up-do-date version of my manuscript to my editor, along with the dreaded, uh, I mean requested author's photo. From the production schedule, it looks like there are three books ahead of me to be edited, but I'm sure he'll get to mine fairly quickly.

Now comes the exciting part (as if the stuff up to now hasn't been exciting!): going through the editing phase! I guess it can be scary too, really; the book is my baby. I've worked hard to get it to where it is now, and I know the editor is going to want changes. But what kind of changes? Will he want me to remove whole subplots? We don't have time for me to rewrite the whole thing :) but I'm not going to try to fool myself into thinking it's perfect as is. I already know it's not.

Calling Dick Tracy

You know how it is when you have all these stories in your head and not enough time to write them all down? So you decide which one is calling to you the loudest and concentrate on that one. Then, when that's done, you can check your list and decide on the next novel to write.

Once I finished The Kinshield Legacy, I started on the sequel, The Wayfarer King. I realized that TKL might not make it, in which case writing the sequel would be pointless (except for practice and my own satisfaction). Seeing as I'm writing for publication, I developed a strategy: set TWK aside until TKL sold, and work on something else in the mean time. So I started on two novels, one a fantasy and one a science fiction. I'd even started workshopping them through the private critique group to which I belong, The Prose Nest, and on the OWW (sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com).

Hold everything!

Now that TKL has sold, do I pick up where I left off on TWK? Or do I come back to it later? For the answer, I turn to my publishing contract and read the option clause. My publisher has first right of publication on my next completed novel. Hmmm. It would make more sense to present the sequel to the book they're actually publishing, right? And if they decide not to publish it, I get back to the two others while I try to sell TWK elsewhere.

Artwork Schmartwork

Well, I knew I'd hit a snag sooner or later. Things can't go perfectly all the time, can they? It looks like I'll have to use the in-house artwork after all. The publisher needs the finished piece by the end of September and wants to retain copyright on the finished art, and it doesn't make sense from the artist's standpoint to take a measely few hundred bucks to do a painting he/she cannot sell prints of or otherwise display for his/her own promotion purposes. An artist willing to relinquish copyright is going to want a heckuvalot more money for it than what I can afford.

I can't say I'm not disappointed. The artist I'd chosen is very talented. Take a look at her online gallery at www.ldiehl.com and I'm sure you'll agree. Maybe my next book.

Signed, sealed and on its way

Agent Jeff hammered out the details on a couple minor issues on the publication contract with my publisher, and we received the updated contract. Last night, I signed a copy for ArcheBooks and a copy for Jeff, and dropped them in today's mail. Woot!

Next step: find an artist for my cover work. I have someone in mind, so it's now just a matter of convincing her to do it :o). True, the publisher is normally responsible for this, but I'm being anal about it, and ArcheBooks has agreed to give serious consideration to any artwork I submit.

And... guess what! My Writer's Digest School instructor, mystery novelist Carol Davis Luce, has graciously agreed to write a cover blurb for my book! Yipeeeee! I'm absolutely thrilled about that.

Everything is coming together so well, I'm almost afraid to write blog updates. Knock on wood...

It's Over

My search, that is. After querying a few agents, the one at the top of my list wrote back and set up a date & time we could talk by phone. We exchanged information (rather, I gave him info about my situation -- I'd already done my homework and knew enough about him to know I'd love to have him on my team), and he offered to represent me! Yay! I now have an agent.

Next step: Jeff will review the publishing contract and make sure it's fair and equitable to both parties. It's a well-established fact that (in general) publishing contracts are written to benefit the publisher. He'll let me know what changes he'd like to suggest, and with my thumbs up, he'll contact the publisher directly.

The search for an agent continues

Now I really need an agent! Having never had one before, I only know from my reading what they do for writers, but one of the most important things, apparently, is to help with the publishing contract. There may be a few things the author would like to have happen (or not happen) which the agent can help negotiate. But without an agent to tell me what those things are, how would I know?

Breathe. In, out, steady now...

Now that I've caught my breath, I can start thinking about my next steps. The publisher, ArcheBooks Publishing Co., has emailed me a PDF version of my contract. I've skimmed it (to find out the scoop on royalty payments!), but haven't thoroughly read it yet.

At this point, probably the best move I can make is to get an agent. Of the ones who haven't rejected me on the basis of my query letter, I'll write (again) to ask for representation on the basis of an offered contract. Granted, the agent won't have to shop the novel around, but I suspect that's one of the funnest parts of their job -- getting that Yes from a publisher. Still, I'd like to have someone in-the-know sitting in my court, whispering advice into my ear on all the mysterious details of getting a book to press.

It's all so overwhelming. I can't describe the incredible feeling of elation and stark terror I'm feeling. Elation because, gosh -- my book is going to be published by a real publisher (in hardcover, no less)! Those three years of work are paying off. Terror because the first novel is so important to the future of my writing career. (If this one bombs, it's not likely another publisher will give me the time of day when I'm done with the next book.)

Stay tuned as I continue to share my experiences and adventures in publishing. Oh, and you'd better believe I have more novels in progress.

It happened!

The contest winners were announced this morning, and my novel was one of the three winners!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!

I'm still on cloud nine, unable to fully grasp that I'm not dreaming. More later. I just can't sit still long enough to type out what's going to happen next.

Contest, Part II

My stomach has been in knots for the last two weeks, waiting for the moment I would find out whether my novel was among the finalists in the ArcheBooks Publishing 2005 Novel Contest. I was sitting on the couch, reading A Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin) when my computer informed me, "Karen, you have new mail." Somehow I knew. It was the publisher, emailing the notice of finalists. Did I want to get up and find out? I tried to read to the end of the chapter, but my eyes kept flicking back to the computer screen. With a sigh, I thought I'd better get this over with. The time had come.

I moved the mouse to turn off the screensaver, and there in my inbox was a letter from the publisher. I took a deep breath and clicked.

Congratulations to all of our 2005 Novel Writing Contest Finalists! Your novel has been chosen as one of the best three submitted in our three competing categories this year. Over the next three weeks your novel will be read in its entirety and scored by the judging committees at My Writer Buddy online writers' group and the Editorial Staff of ArcheBooks Publishing. On the 22nd of August, the individual winners of each category will be publicly announced, along with a formal Press Release.

Good Luck to all the remaining contestants. Only three more weeks to wait!

OH. MY. GOD! I made it! I made the finals! Now, if I thought these last two weeks were hard, I can only imagine the next three. Even if I don't win (and I hope I do! I hope I hope I hope hope hope), the fact that I made the finalists is a huge boost to my confidence.

I feel very fortunate and very, very thankful!

Closer Than Ever Before

At the end of June, I submitted my novel, The Kinshield Legacy, to the 2005 ArcheBooks Novel Contest for the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror category. The contest was open to a maximum of 500 entrants divided across three categories (SFH, Mystery/Suspense and Women's Fiction). Interestingly, this year most of the entries were for SFH and MS.

Anyway... I am very pleased (pleased? PLEASED?! How about ecstatic?!) to say that my novel has made it to the semi-finals! It currently has a 1 in 10 chance of winning the cash prize and hardcover publishing contract.

The next phase of judging has begun, and on July 30, they will announce the three finalists for each category. On Aug 22, one winning novel from each category will be selected from the finalists.

This is going to be a long next few weeks. Stay tuned!

I'm In, Blog - Neato!

After a long, painful wait, I finally received word from Kate at Viable Paradise: I've been accepted! Hoooraaaaay! This workshop is just what I need.

With my application, I sent part of a novelette called Sole Sacrifice. It's the story of how and why one of the villains in my novel, Sithral Tyr, became evil. My plan is to work on the story until mid-August, then turn in what I consider to be the best job I can do on it as my workshop piece. I'm eager to take it from 'the best I can do' to 'good enough to publish.'

It's true that publication options for novelettes aren't many, but I plan to submit it to the Writers of the Future contest. Of all the contests in the writing world, this one probably has the greatest impact on the career of a new writer. Perhaps with a placement (or win) in that contest, I'll get an agent or editor to read my novel, The Kinshield Legacy.

That's the plan, anyway.

And I'm happy to say, I've started submitting a couple of my short stories to magazines -- and I've received my first rejection! Hooray! Those who write with an eye toward publication know why I say that. For those who don't: 'tis better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

Viable Alternatives

For some reason, I have this notion in my mind that if I throw enough money at my novel, I'll get the Magic Key which will unlock all the knowledge I need to become a successful writer. A couple months ago I paid a book doctor to review my manuscript to tell me whether I was even close or if I had a long way to go. He told me the book was probably saleable as is, and that I didn't really need his editorial services. Then I flip through the folder containing all the rejections I've gotten so far and say to myself, "Argh!"

Anyway, this time, I've applied to Viable Paradise. It looks like exactly the workshop I need, and the instructors obviously know what they're talking about. Not everyone who applies will get in. I suppose they take people who have promise, who are far enough along in honing their skills and not rank beginners. I could be wrong, of course, but that's the impression I get. It'll be a good 4 weeks before I get a thumbs up or down, and until then, I'll submit some short fiction to the SF/Fantasy online workshop, and finish up my Writer's Digest novel course. If I don't get in this year, I'll apply again next year. But I prefer to think positively: I don't totally suck, and I will get in. :)

Query woes

So far, I've queried a bunch of agents about my novel, The Kinshield Legacy. No takers yet. Not even a nibble. In fact, nobody has seen my manuscript. Must be something wrong with my query letter. Too boring? Too business-like? Hmmmm...

I signed up for a Writer's Digest course on writing query letters. Without going into too much detail, let me just say, for the record, that I wish I hadn't. The course was not worth the money I paid, and the textbook is pretty lousy. I can't recommend this course to anyone, unfortunately. (Now, the Advanced Novel course is another story. I happened to get a really good instructor, and I'm very happy with that course.)

Guess it's time to send out the revamped query.