Today’s post was inspired by Louise Walters, author of Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase (2014) and A Life Between Us (March 2017). Louise was my mentor through the Womentoring Project – which, if you are a new writer struggling to get your book published, you should definitely apply for. Louise was instrumental in guiding me through a revision of my novel, FRIENDS AND OTHER LIARS; the new draft that came forth from her feedback is what landed me my agent!

Earlier this month, Louise posted her 2016 Reading Roundup and I thought – what a cool idea!  So I’m ripping her off ;-).

I have to admit I spent A LOT of time on Goodreads trying to fill in something for every single square. I actually managed to do most of it except for A book written by someone under thirty, the first book by a favorite author, and a book with the number in the title. But after a thorough evaluation (seriously, I probably put way too much thought into this), I decided to report on the column I X’ed out above. So here goes:

A Book Published This Year – Modern Girls, by Jennifer S. Brown

Here’s the blurb:

My take

Right around the time I signed with my agent back in January, I stumbled across The Debutante Ball, a blog by five debut authors in their debut year, (the “cast” rotates every year). At the time, Jennifer S. Brown was on the roster, and the more she talked about her Modern Girls, the more excited I became to read it. The trouble was, I had made this little deal with myself to get through my To Be Read pile before I could buy any more books. But when I was on my vacation at the Jersey Shore I accidentally didn’t pack enough books. 😉 I was not disappointed. Months after finishing it, I still find myself wondering what became of Rose and Dottie, thinking in Yiddish phrases that I am probably woefully misusing, and feverishly anticipating Brown’s next book.

A Book by a Female Author – Tell the Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt

The Blurb:

1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

My Take:

This was a book club selection, and it haunted me for days after finishing it. I was touched by the relationship June had with her uncle and the one she developed with Finn. At a time when HIV and AIDS were so tragically misunderstood, it is a tale of forgiveness and real, unconditional love. And despite the heavy subject matter, I found myself flying through the pages as if it were a beach read.

A Book Set on a Different Continent – Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter

The Blurb:

A Book Based on a True Story – The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Wells

The Blurb:

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town — and the family — Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

My Take:

Oh my God I am obsessed with this book. I was hesitant to read it because it sounds pretty depressing, but I’m so glad I gave it a try. It’s now one of my favorite books, and certainly my favorite memoir. The way Walls was able to write objectively and even affectionately about parents who were quirky and questionable at best, neglectful and abusive at worst, was completely astonishing. It is poignant, addictive, sometimes funny and always profoundly honest.

The Second Book in a Series – Gump & Co, by Winston Groom

The Blurb:

A little older, and wiser in his unique way, Forrest is still running — this time straight into the age of greed and instant gratification known as the 1980s.”Whenever I really get stumped, I go visit Jenny’s grave. She tells me she’s always rooting for me.” The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. has gone bust and now Forrest is flat broke, sweeping floors in a New Orleans strip joint, when a fresh opportunity to play championship football puts him back in the limelight — and in the money. But fate turns fickle again, and he’s soon out on the road selling phony encyclopedias and trying to raise his son, little Forrest, who needs his father more than ever. Forrest’s remarkable, touching, and utterly comic odyssey has just begun: in store for him is an explosive attempt at hog farming; his own dubious recipe for adding life to New Coke; an encounter with Oliver North of the Iran-Contra affair; and a chance yet again to unwittingly twist the nose of history.

My Take

I don’t know if this really counts because it’s a sequel and no books came after it, but nothing else qualified so I’m running with it. The best thing I can say about this book is that I was able to read it in a couple hours. I remember reading that Winston Groom hated the film adaptation, and I can see why. There are a LOT of differences, the major one being that Forrest himself was made to be much less mature and much more innocent than the character in this book. But unfortunately, I had the movie in mind as I read both books, and felt that the movie told a better story. (Sorry Winston Groom). This second book took the whole “what a crazy coincidence that Forrest was not only there but actually caused this iconic moment in history” to such an extreme I actually cringed several times.

My last two posts (here and here) talked about what to expect when you’re “out on submission.” Here’s what happens after you accept an offer (congrats by the way).

1) Accept the offer and CELEBRATE

Okay, so you pick an editor and terms are agreed and you’re SO excited that you can hardly stand it because YOU’RE GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!!!

Eeeeeee!

At this point it’s okay to tell your close friends and family, but resist the urge to shout it at every stranger who passes you by. And don’t say anything on social media yet. Stuff sometimes falls through, and publishers and agents have their own guidelines for announcing sales. Talk with your agent about this.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate! I met another writer for drinks after I got an offer but hadn’t yet signed a contract, so I didn’t tell her that the deal had closed (I probably could have, but I was being extra cautious), and she said how in the entire process of writing and getting published, she was never really sure when the “pop the cork” moment was, and I see what she means now. Your agent, editor, etc. are never going to tell you – Okay, this is when you freak out and dance and skip and squeal. You will expect to feel this moment when you’re sure, and it will never come, and it will take so long between getting an offer and actually announcing it that the rush will have faded. So YOU have to be the one to decide when to celebrate. For me, I celebrated when I got my agent, when I agreed to the book deal, and when I signed my contract, and I’m sure there will be many more celebrations along the way. I say celebrate as much as you can, in whatever way feels great for you, because this is not an easy process and not everyone can do it.

And then hold on to those celebratory feelings, because now they’re going to put together the contract, and it will be at the very least weeks but in all likelihood MONTHS before you see it.

2) Back and forth with the contract

When you get your contract, again have your agent explain anything you don’t understand. This is more extensive than just how much you’re getting paid for what. It has to do with some serious legal stuff that you should understand, like what happens if you don’t end up wanting to publish the finished product, what they are and are not allowed to change without your consent, what happens if (God forbid) your book doesn’t sell, and whether or not they have First Look rights for your next project.

Contracts are pretty standard and as a debut author you don’t have much negotiating power, but discuss anything that makes you feel uncomfortable with your agent. Your agent or the agency lawyer know the language of Legalese extremely well, and if they might pick up on some stuff that you don’t. In that case, they’ll probably go back and forth with the publishing house’s lawyer. This is normal but time consuming.

The pub date is not part of the contract. For some people this is known before you sign the contract but I didn’t know until much later.

While you wait for the contract, you’ll also be asked to do some boring tax stuff and provide biographical information about yourself. Ask your agent and their team for help on things you don’t understand, as they’re quite familiar with all this.

3) Sign the contract, more partying like it’s 1999.

Again, I’m a huge advocate of celebrating at every step in this process that moves you closer to that book being out on the shelf. There’s always going to be something else that you’re waiting for, and it’s never going to feel quite real, so just celebrate everything. This is not something that everyone in the world can and will experience, so be grateful for it!

Me signing my contract. In my pajamas. With champagne. Don’t judge.

4) Wait some more

Even though you’ve signed your contract, still wait for the okay from your agent/editor to announce it to the world (social media). You’ve already told the people closest to you, because even people who have never done this before suspect that if your agent hasn’t sold your book like eight months after you’ve signed with her, it’s probably  not going to sell, and you don’t want them to think you’re a loser. Expand your circle a little bit but don’t do a whole social media blitz about it until you’re given the okay. Normally you’ll be waiting on the actual publication date so you can include all the facts, and they will want to time it so it appears in Publisher’s Marketplace around the same time.

At this point you’ll probably be waiting a bit for a formalized editorial letter for changes you will have to make (again, not copyediting, that comes after). Refer back to the last post, where I sermonize about the importance of working on your next book during this period of waiting. It’s literally the only thing that will keep you sane.

5) Announce!

Finally you get the okay – tell everyone you know and everyone you meet and everyone that scoffed when you told them you wanted to be a published author that you’re going to be published!!! Congrats to you!

Last week I started to tell you about what to expect in the magical and terrifying time between signing with an agent and (hopefully) selling your book. Read Part 1 here.

4) You Wait

So we left off on a climax – your book is out on submission with editors! A carefully curated list of editors that are sure to love your book! It’s so exciting, right?

Sure. It also makes you want to vomit and cry and eat a lot.

Steph told me she would probably have news in the first two weeks. In my mind, I doubled that. I’ve learned this is a good formula for anything publishing related. Any timeline you’re given, double or triple it and don’t expect anything until that deadline passes. (Except when you’re given deadlines. Follow those.) I am really saying that without even a hint of sarcasm or bitterness. Everything takes much longer than you would expect and/or what you are told and it’s better to just figure that into your mental calculations so you don’t go crazy. It’s a lot easier if you just accept it instead of spending your time railing against the unfairness of it all.

Luckily, I was “out on submission” two months before my wedding, so between that and working on my second book, I was actually able to pretend it wasn’t happening. If you only listen to one thing I’m saying in this entire post, let it be this: Work on something else while you’re out on submission. You’ve heard it a million times – you should be working on your next book as you query agents, and the same goes for when you’re out on submission, and all the times after you sell the book when you have down time (i.e., you’re not actively editing the book that’s coming out first). There’s a reason you’ve heard this a million times, so don’t discard this advice. You may think you couldn’t possibly concentrate on something else, but you can, and you should. You need to focus on your next project to tamp down all that “What if it doesn’t sell?” anxiety. Writing another book proves that all your eggs don’t rest in one basket, it shows agents and editors that you aren’t just a one-hit wonder, and it will stop you from checking your email 100 times an hour.Worst case: your book doesn’t sell, but then hey, you’re already working on your next so that will cushion the blow. Best case: your book sells and you still have something in the works way before all those deadlines start looming over your head and all the pressure kicks in.

Okay, sermon over.

After about three weeks my agent told me she had a couple nibbles but many passes as well, and that she had extended her search to more editors to give me a better chance. Me, being me, took this as a sign that no one was going to buy it, so I asked her not to inform me of anything (unless there was an offer) until after the wedding, which was five weeks away at that point. I didn’t want such an important day in my life to be sullied by the disappointment that my dream was not coming true. And then I went back to pretending it wasn’t happening.

5) If you’re lucky, you get an offer

Literally the day after my wedding, I got an email from Steph that with an offer from Corvus. I was still in the wedding haze and confused about what it meant to have a UK offer and not a US one, so I didn’t really know what to make of it. When I returned from my honeymoon, Steph and I talked on the phone and slowly I realized that someone was actually going to pay me money to print my book and sell it in stores, and I started to get excited. I was still a little freaked that we hadn’t gotten a US offer – after all, isn’t part of the fun of publishing the idea of walking into a store and seeing your book on display? And if my book was only going to be published in the UK, well, there’s just a much smaller chance of that happening.

Almost two months later, I got the US offer from Sourcebooks Landmark, and then the tears came, just like when Steph said she wanted to represent me. All the feels.

6) Back and forth

Once you get an offer they send the terms of the deal to your agent, who passes it along to you. This is different than a contract. The contract comes (much) later. You should just go ahead and schedule a call with your agent for them to walk you through what all this means. You’re going to need it. Looking back at it, even though Steph so patiently and thoroughly explained every term to me, I still don’t remember everything. So take notes. The offer will include, of course, the terms of your advance – how much and what the milestones are for your installments. Mine were different for the two different deals – for Sourcebooks I receive 50% after signing the contract and 50% after turning in the final draft. For Corvus it was broken into thirds – 1/3 at signing, 1/3 after turning in final draft, and 1/3 upon publication.

The deal will also have your royalty percentage on all different kinds of things beyond just the book sales (you have no idea how many different rates there will be depending on if it’s hard cover, paperback, trade, discount, audio, etc.) It can be pretty hard to keep straight.

You should talk to your agent about the publishing house and the specific editor(s) you’ll be working with. There is a reason your agent sent your work to that person, and she will already either have a relationship with her or at least more detailed knowledge about their experience and working style than you could find yourself on the internet.

This works differently for everyone, but there should also be some discussion before accepting your offer about what changes the editor wants to make. If it’s important to you to have a phone call with the editor before accepting, ask for that. I corresponded all through email and felt fine with some of the proposals for changes to the book, so I didn’t ask for this. I could tell just by her suggestions that she “got” the book and my style so I felt very comfortable saying yes. If you have multiple offers (good for you, btw, this is a pretty sweet posish), a phone conversation to see which one you clique with better is a good way of determining which you want to work with. Don’t let it be all about money. You have to work with this person on what is no less than a piece of your heart. That sounds cheesy, but come on – you’ve poured yourself into this work and it isn’t just coming from your brain.

7) ACCEPT YOUR OFFER AND CELEBRATE!

I’ll talk more about what happens next in my next post. Stay tuned!

Two weeks ago I announced to you all that I signed a deal with Sourcebooks Landmark as well as selling UK rights to Corvus/Atlantic, and that was a really big fucking deal, pardon my french. So I thought today I would tell you a little bit about the process that happens between getting an agent and getting a book deal (SPOILER ALERT: it’s not a sure thing, and it takes time).

1) Partying like it’s 1999

Getting an agent is not easy. See here and here where I show my work. So the first step between getting an agent and getting a book deal is to CELEBRATE that someone with actual industry knowledge and experience and connections thinks your book is worth reading, let alone worth his/her efforts to try to sell. (Note: agents work on commission. They don’t take on charity cases).

2) Preparing the MS for submission:

Maybe your book is so perfect and shiny and polished that you won’t have any work to do before submitting. If so, raise your hand and I will come to your house and pat you on the back before I punch you in the face.

Just kidding.

I’m guessing that for 100% of authors, at least a final polish won’t hurt before having editor eyes on it. In my case, my agent read my manuscript a second time  and gave me a short list of editorial notes to trim down sections where the pacing was slow, clean up areas that might be confusing to readers (since they’re not living inside my head) or where I spelled out TOO much for the readers, etc. She didn’t worry about doing a copy edit as I had already been pretty thorough about that in the eight drafts it went through prior to Stephanie even reading it. Your agent might be different, but if your MS is chock full of spelling errors and atrocious grammar, chances are you haven’t made it this far.

You should feel comfortable enough to push back on changes you don’t feel are right for the story, but remember you are just starting a relationship with your agent so be professional and respectful and try to keep emotions out of it. Your agent, like you, loves your book and wants it to be successful. And they know more than you, so you should probably just listen to them. Truth.

A note here elaborating on relationship: Always remember that this is a business relationship. He/she is not your boss (in fact since they are taking a commission on selling your work, technically it is the other way around), but remember that they have the choice to work with you or not. They are not your assistant, your mother, your spouse, or your best friend. If you are really struggling with something writing related talk to them, but they don’t need to hear about every problem you have in life. Try not to whine.

We also brainstormed new titles. (Spoiler: You’ll probably have to change your title, no matter how much you/your friends/your family loves it). Often once it gets to an editor it gets changed again, but make sure you can live with whatever you submit it as, because if the editor does really like it that’s what it will probably end up being.

3) The agent takes over

Stephanie developed a list on her own (because really, what input would I have about what editors I wanted to work with beyond “Derrrh…any of them?”) There were about 10 or so editors on the list from all different houses – from large to mid-level – many of which she has worked with or networked with before so she knows their interests and already has positive relationships with them. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before because I haven’t wanted to seem braggy, but my agent also represents Gillian Flynn, (yes, the author of mega-hit Gone Girl). So I think it’s safe to assume that editors trust her taste. If your agent is a little bit more green, you may want to do a bunch of research on your own about what you think will be a good fit.

We had a quick discussion about what name to submit under because I was engaged at the time and planning on publishing under my married name because I liked the sound of it better. We ended up submitting under Kaela Coble to keep it neater (even though I had a mini superstitious freak out about it). So this is the time to discuss a pen name with your agent if you plan on using one.

At this point you should also discuss with your agent how often you want to be updated.  Some people want to know every single comment that passes between editor and agent, including the rejections. I know that this would stress me out to no end, so I opted to trust Steph to update me “as meaningful feedback came in.” Meaning, I didn’t want to know about individual rejections, or even a “Sounds great, I’ll be reading it soon.” If someone was really expressing interest and/or if every agent rejected, then I would want to know. I highly recommend this approach unless you are the most laidback person in the universe, because being informed of every response sounds like too much of a rollercoaster to me.

My agent worked with copy from my query letter to prepare her pitch to the editors and then  sent that off to the list with my full manuscript. The days of “first five pages” and “first three chapters only” are behind you at this point – at least for now.

So now your MS is out in the world – congratulations, and I’m sorry.

Note: I just realized how very long this post is, so I’m splitting it into two. Stayed tuned for Part 2 next week!

I am so excited to announce that I have officially signed a publishing deal with Sourcebooks Landmark! I am fortunate to be working with Shana Drehs, Landmark’s Editorial Director. A February 2018 publication is planned.

Rights have also been sold in the UK to the Corvus imprint of Atlantic Books, and I have been working with their editorial director, Sara O’Keefe.

I am one lucky girl to have such an amazing editorial team championing this book. Thank you Shana and Sara for taking a chance on this debut author!

I also want to take a minute to thank my agent, Stephanie Kip Rostan of Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. From the first moment we spoke I knew I was in the right hands. She’s remained calm, cool, and collected in the face of my breathless “Ohmygodwhatifthisandwhatifthatandwhatdoesthismeanand…” You get the point, I’m like an anxious puppy. When I talk to her on the phone, I still kind of can’t believe I’m talking to a real agent, let alone that she’s my agent, and yet she just sold this book like it ain’t no thang.

Beyond Steph, I want to thank everyone who’s stuck with me as I audaciously pursued this dream — my family, my husband, my friends, my beta readers. You cheered me on in the moments when I didn’t think this would happen, and I am forever grateful. It’s been a long road getting here, but so worth it.

Here’s a little bit about Friends and Other Liars:

28-year old Ruby’s hands shake just thinking about returning to Chatwick, Vermont. It’s been ten years since she’s been home, and she tells herself the solitary life she’s built in New York City suits her just fine—at least well enough to avoid slicing open the scars left by her first love, Murphy, or her bipolar, recovering alcoholic mother. But when one of her estranged childhood friends commits suicide and another compels her to attend the funeral, guilt draws her right back into the tumultuous world she escaped from a decade ago.

Her plan—to hightail it out of town the minute the last rose hits Danny’s coffin—is delayed when her former friends are called together for a reading of Danny’s last words. Their hopes to gain some sense of closure are quickly dashed when the note drips with bitterness, accusing them of abandoning both him and the promise they once made to always love and trust each other. As punishment, they are each handed an envelope containing their darkest secret and told they can either reveal them to each other or keep quiet, risking the secrets coming out publicly in a trap Danny left behind.

As the secrets begin to trickle out, Ruby struggles between the pull to reconnect with the friends who once meant so much to her—and rekindle what she once had with Murphy—and the desperate need to keep the secret she left them all behind for.

Sounds good, right? You’ll buy it, right? RIGHT? 🙂

I’m learning that the publishing world moves at a glacial pace, so in the moments I’m not furiously editing this novel to prepare it for publication, or working on my next book, or the book after that, I plan to post about the highs and lows of the publication process from a debut author’s prospective. Any questions you have, send them my way! I’d love to address them in a post.

Last Sunday I was walking my dog through the woods when a tree caught my eye. I’m not sure why this particular tree caught my eye that morning of all mornings. I’ve walked the same wooded trail almost every Sunday since we moved into our house three years ago and I’d never noticed it before. But this time, for whatever reason, my eyes picked out a tree with a vine growing up its trunk all the way to the tippy top of the tree, at least twenty feet into the air. I’d never seen anything like it before. It literally stopped me in my tracks.

“Wow,” I said aloud. Because of how magical and interesting it looked yes, but more because I was struck by how long it must have taken for that vine to wrap itself around and around and around until it reached its highest height. The persistence it must have taken.

Lately I’ve been wondering about this path I’m on, this journey to becoming a published writer. It’s not for the faint of heart, friends. I’ve been wondering if this is truly what I’m meant to be doing, if perhaps I should be pursuing other career paths that I don’t have time to pursue because of my singular focus on the writing of novels that only a handful of friends and writer colleagues have read. This contemplation, of course, comes on the heels of a few rejections and the anticipation of more. It doesn’t get easier hearing that someone doesn’t feel as passionate about your work as you do. It just doesn’t.

I’m not a religious person, but I do believe there are bigger forces at work in our lives. I would not presume to know the rules and processes of said forces, but I figured asking them for what I need can’t hurt. So I asked. Not for an agent, or a six-figure advance, or even some groundbreaking idea for my next book. I admit, I have asked for these things in the past. But this time I asked (very politely, as one thing I’m learning from Ms. Elizabeth Gilbert in her book Big Magic is that you must be very polite when communicating with cosmic forces) for a sign. A definitive sign to answer my question.

Should I be doing this, or should I let go of this dream? 

It hit me when I looked at this vine, entwined so intricately around the tree’s trunk. That vine took months or maybe even years, chipping away at the space left to cover millimeter by millimeter. It can’t have been easy. It had gravity working against it, there must have been some cold and rainy days. But, being a vine, it never stopped. It doesn’t have the capacity to take a day off from its slow climb. It just kept moving, onward an upward, without any regard for the fact that as many people pass by it very few would stop to notice it. It expended all its effort with reckless abandon into growing and reaching and climbing until it fulfilled its ultimate purpose.

Like the vine, I don’t have a choice. I could no sooner give up on writing than the vine could give up its pursuit of the top of tree. It’s been years since I’ve taken more than a week off from writing. Not because I come delightfully to my keyboard each day. In fact, every time I sit down to write I suddenly think of fourteen other things I could be doing that don’t involve the sheer terror that awakens when I sit down to a blank page. It’s because, much like exercising, it simply must be done. Because if I don’t I’ll go (not so) quietly mad. And because it feels so good when I’m done.

I could choose to stop pursuing publishing, true. I could keep my literary babies safely tucked into their bassinets rather than exposing them to a world of rejection. But I can’t stop making those literary babies. Like the vine, I don’t have a choice. I write or I go insane. I climb or I die.

This was my sign.

One could argue that I read way too much into a little insignificant vine, that I was seeing what I wanted to see. But really, what is a sign if not something that shows you what’s already in your heart?

Back to the book now.