Being a writer brings its share of ups and downs, but your ability to face adversity and land on your feet is what will make you last in this industry. Sometimes if Plan A does not work, Plan B could very well turn out to be what was right for you. Katherine Dell tells us about her experience with traditional publishing and how her support system helped her through this dreaded moment by all writers.
Katherine is very excited to see her book coming out soon. She is currently planning out the details of the release of her book – a Young Adult novel called Harmless.
Stay tuned for a sneak peek at the end of the post!
This title alone sums up my writing career to date, not that that’s a bad thing. I’ve had a lot of fun along the way. The key though is when times get a little tough, sometimes it’s time to ‘find another gear’ and keep going.
About a year and a half ago I thought I had this writing and publishing thing all figured out. I had built up my author platform, I had interest from a publisher, and I had a waiting audience, anticipating my upcoming book. And then … it sort of fell apart. The publisher didn’t work out, my blogging went from title waves to a trickle, and my general ‘oomph’ started to fade. After all that hard work to get to that point, I wasn’t sure where to head next.
Thankfully, my writer buddies were there to convince me that this was a minor bump in the road. And that all good writers hit a few (or too many to count) in their careers. So I gathered my insecurities, and I changed gears. I re-polished my manuscript and crafted a top notch query letter. Then I rewrote the query letter … like about a dozen times. It’s difficult to know what approach is the right one when trying to catch an agent eye. With a bit more help from my friends (who never seem to get tired of my writer problems) I finally fashioned a letter to which I thought represented my work well. My goal now was to attract the attention of an agent that could help me get a Big Five contract! Shoot for the moon, right? Fall amongst the stars …
Yeah –– well that didn’t happen either. But I haven’t lost faith!
I queried for almost a year, racking out about twenty-five rejections and about again as many still floating out there in the abyss of undiscovered writers. Many of my Beta Readers told me to query longer … but I think I’ve had enough of that.
I most defiantly had my heart set on getting published the tradition way. Why? I think I felt there was a greater sense of accomplishment to it. Yet, I know many self-published authors who have achieved amazing successes from publishing their own work.
So again, I’m changing gears!
I’m putting my butt in a chair and my fingers to a keyboard to plan out how I can self-publish successfully. I’m being real with myself about where I’d need help and what’s a reasonable goal for me. And I’m finding new found enthusiasm for my stories again.
So here I go again … in a new gear.
I’m setting out a timeline, costing my budget, and figuring out the little details. Here’s to taking the self-publishing plunge!
Stay Tuned for more information on the upcoming release of her YA novel, HARMLESS and connect with her:
Here is a blurb about my novel, HARMLESS, to get you hooked!
Rachel Barnes has suffered a legion of losses: the death of her brother, her parents’ divorce, and now the move from a big city and her trusted therapist to a small town and a new high school. And just when the roller coaster that has become her life should finally be slowing, she’s done the unthinkable. In an effort to impress her new friends, she’s unwittingly releases a malevolent spirit, fabled to grant wishes, that’s been locked away in small box for centuries.
When this mythical Wendigo spirit possesses her friend, Mason, giving him powers to manipulate the world around him, Rachel must decide how far she’ll go in order to cure him.
As wishes asked upon the spirits contained within the small box start coming true, Rachel learns the true, dark source of Mason’s newfound gifts; and her perception about life, death, and reality is tested. Now she must accept the very thing she’s been fighting against – the realization of her own wish, which could turn her into the very monster she tries to stop.
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Being a writer brings its share of ups and downs, but your ability to face adversity and land on your feet is what will make you last in this industry. Sometimes if Plan A does not work, Plan B could very well turn out to be what was right for you. Katherine Dell tells us about her experience with traditional publishing and how her support system helped her through this dreaded moment by all writers.
Rachel Barnes has suffered a legion of losses: the death of her brother, her parents’ divorce, and now the move from a big city and her trusted therapist to a small town and a new high school. And just when the roller coaster that has become her life should finally be slowing, she’s done the unthinkable. In an effort to impress her new friends, she’s unwittingly releases a malevolent spirit, fabled to grant wishes, that’s been locked away in small box for centuries.