When the Glass Slipper Runs Small

Forgive us for the archive post. Close to publication dates are crazy times for the authors here.-The Writer's Alley
 

 Okay, forgive me for the obscure title, but I just finished watching Disney’s Cinderella (for the sixth time) and have a wonderful plethora of lizards and pumpkins and glass slippers in my head. However, if the shoe fits…. Why not write about it ;-)

As many of you know, in May my debut novel came out. I’d been pursuing publication for 11 years when ‘the call ‘came from a very different direction than I’d planned. My agent, Julie Gwinn, is fantastic at thinking outside the box, so she decided to market some of my books to smaller houses, since the larger houses didn’t seem to be ‘biting’ for my kind-of-stories.

So, when she met the publisher for Vinspire, who was looking for historical novels, she sent my novel that way. We had a three-book offer within 48 hours. Yep! Shocker! The publisher (who usually didn’t read the submissions) saw the time period for my novel and thought it would be interesting. She read the first chapter and couldn’t stop J

Now, I know people have different ideas about big houses or small houses, so I thought I’d share a little about my experience.

Vinspire has been a wonderful place for me to grow as a writer. The publisher and team have been professional, encouraging, and quick to respond with ideas and support. I have no experience with larger publishing houses (which I hope to have some day), but for my first publishing experience, Vinspire has been perfect fit.

Some positive things I’ve discovered while working with Vinspire:

1.      More individual attention

2.      Focused resources (because of the smaller number of authors, the resources Vinspire has to use can be more focused on their clientele and not as widely dispersed)

3.      Quick responses – I rarely have to wait more than a few days for response to email or text.

4.      Willingness to find new ways for marketing/promotion

5.      Fantastic camaraderie and support

6.      A REALLY pretty cover J

Some limitations I’ve discovered while working with Vinspire:

(Caveat – these limitations are in process of being changed, but it takes longer with a smaller house due to the simple fact that they are smaller J

1.       Smaller initial publication reach (books do not appear in chain bookstores for a while, but have a solid digital outreach)

2.       Smaller funds for marketing/promotion – though, I must say, Vinspire is continuing to grow their outreach, publication opportunities, and marketing strategies. And they continue to make strides to expand publicity opportunities for their authors.

3.       Because Vinspire is a general market publishing house, my books are not in Lifeway Christian Stores. Hopefully, though, as my readership and publications spread, that might change as well.

As the publishing world is changing to include a grand mix of publishing styles, from indie to small and large traditional, there’s plenty of room for authors and publishers to find new ways to invite the whole town to ‘the ball’ for an opportunity of the perfect fit. For me, this journey with Vinspire has been a good one and I’m thankful for the opportunity.

Now…what questions do you have for me about working with a small house? What would you like to add to the discussion?

The Pitfalls of a Self-Imposed Deadline

on FreeDigitalPhotos by Stuart Miles

My family and I drove from Iowa to North Carolina back to Iowa again in a week...so I decided to post an oldie, but one that still applies to me at this very moment! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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From the time we enter a classroom at the early age of five, we begin to set our feet toward goals...goals to learn the alphabet and sightwords, goals to climb across the monkeybars and jump off swings.

As we grow, we make goals for good grades and fitness tests, goals to get the lead in the play or make the team. Some of us made the goal to be an author way way way before we could even read a full-length novel...Goals, goals, goals.

While many of us were given goals by our teachers, our parents, our advisors, as we trek along in the great wide world on our own—without a publishing contract, perhaps without an agent-- we are sole initiators of our goals. During this process, we all have certainly stumbled upon a type of goal that can motivate us or trip us up, or both:

The self-imposed deadline.

Even the mention of it makes me shudder.

Not that it's bad.

No. It's what gives us the edge most of the time. It's the symptom of an inner drive to make ourselves competitive and productive. A self-imposed deadline is usually a stepping stone to reaching that next level on our journey.

It's the polished entry for a contest... x number of days before to be sure you have it just right.

It's the tweaked proposal ready for your agent's eyes when you are ready to reveal your next idea.

It's that date to finish that final sentence of a manuscript you just know will get you a contract.

It's the date YOU'VE committed to in your heart, without the suggestion from anyone else, without the expectation of anyone else. It's YOUR timeline for YOUR journey, crafted on YOUR very own.

on FreeDigitalPhotos by photo stock

So why does it make me shudder? Why? When self-motivation is often key to keep going forward on this rigorous writing journey?

Because, I have landed heart first in the pitfalls of self-imposed deadlines, and know that they are a very tricky and sensitive type of goal-setting. 

• First, there is a chance that a deadline like this might rush you by key points in the writing process. 
• Second, you risk the chance of unreasonable expectations on those who play on the receiving end of your met goal.

Pitfall #1:  Missed Opportunities- When I had a project in college, I would brainstorm quickly and focus in on the first idea that came to mind. I took it and ran. I would get so deep in the project with that focus on my original idea, that I didn't take the time to entertain other options. If I did come up with something else, I was usually too far into the project and too close to the actual deadline to change anything. I'd look around at my classmates projects and remember that even thought they were slow to start, their final products were strong ideas with well-thought out execution...sometimes mine lacked those things.

As a writer, I often catch myself zoning into a self-imposed deadline, trucking along on a story, and feeling the pressure of the deadline pushing me past any idea that might hold me back from my goal a few days, weeks, or even months. When we force ourselves to stick to a self-imposed deadline, we can forget the fluidity of such a goal, and miss the maturing process of newborn ideas and complex building blocks that might slow us down, but give us a more refined (and desirable) product in the end.

Pitfall #2:  Expectations of the Un-expecting- If I finished a project before the deadline, I could hardly expect my professors to set aside time to grade it and critique it ahead of the rest of the class. It just doesn't work that way. Just because I might have reached my goal, doesn't mean that everyone affected by it are waiting on the edge of their seats to pat me on the back.

This is something that can drive me absolutely batty in the writing world. You mean, I spent all this time working on this manuscript or proposal, and have urged my crit partner to abide by my deadline (and she is so great at getting it back to me), and I sent it to my agent (I so appreciate her responsiveness as she is very quick in sending it on when it's ready)...but the receivers aren't anxious to meet me at my next self-imposed goal of a contract by such and such date? WHAT??? 

Crickets...a rejection here and there...and more crickets.

But I wanna, but I said, but I set a...hmph.

on FreeDigitalPhotos by Clare Bloomfield

The risk of weighting these self-imposed deadlines so heavily, is that we expect others to step in line with them and play the game OUR way. And more often than not, we will be sorely disappointed. We are placing undue expectations on people and situations we cannot control.

Self-imposed deadlines drive us, but they can also drive us CRAZY if we let them become the steadfast rule. Remember, a self-imposed deadline should be fluid and adjusted according to your creative process and life circumstance. And always remember, that a self-imposed deadline is only imposed by you, so don't expect everyone else to mark their calendars too!

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Angie Dicken is a full-time mom and lives in the Midwest with her Texas Aggie sweetheart. An ACFW member since 2010, she has written five Historical Romance novels, has a Historical underway, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Angie also spends her time designing one-sheets, selling Jamberry Nail Wraps, and drinking good coffee with great friends. Check out her author page at www.facebook.com/dicken.angie and her personal blog at angiedicken.blogspot.com 

What is the Publishing Process After I Say, "I Do?"

I have successfully completed my manuscript and am ready to take a vacation. Yet while walking down the beach I wondered what would happen next to my story. Dungeons, dragons, and headless horsemen came to mind.

Sitting on the unpublished side of the fence, the greener grasses beyond are as foreboding as the Great Wall of China. But when I sat in the Write to Publish class taught by Nancy Lohr, Acquisitions Editor of Journey Fourth, I felt like a curtain opened letting me see what actually happens next. 

Ignorance, in this case, has not been bliss. Not knowing drives me crazy. I feel like I'm trying to scale a fortress and alligators are leaping up to bite my foot off. You, too? 

Today I am going to share the publication process. The secrets from behind those chilling gray walls where chutes and ladders send our story back to us or up to the next level. Knowing how far my manuscript rose to a certain level is something I find encouraging.



So, thanks to Nancy Lohr, here is the inside scoop-the basic route our manuscript takes after we say, "I do."

1. Submit the manuscript to an agent or directly to a publisher.


     A. If sent to an agent, the agent will then send the        
         manuscript to appropriate publishers.








2. A contract is negotiated.








3. The publishing house will set up a schedule and budget to complete the project.









4. Arranging and acquiring needed artwork. This may include extras like maps, and other drawings.

5.  Editing - developmental editing

                    copy editing

                    proofreading

6. Communication with author for changes and review of proofs. Many of today's busy authors end up combining exercise with corrections.








7. The actual production of the book!

                      
                       Design


                       Page layout


                       Proofing (author may be asked to review)


                       Plating/printing


                       Binding

8. Final Approval Given










9. Marketing/Publicity

                     add this book to the house catalog

                     add to house website

                     book signings

                     author interviews

                                  blog visits

                                 social media parties

                                 and so much more

10. Sales Wouldn't it be nice to have the graph to the left represent our sales? I think so, too. Although there would be the usual dips, the overall is increased sales. This really works best when the author jumps in and helps with marketing with both feet. We know our books better than the publisher. We also know the audience better. Recently I saw a commercial that had these words on the bottom of the screen: actor used to portray symptoms. Seriously? Duh, I knew that. That's why I hit the remote to change the station. For me to buy the product, I would first listen to a friend or someone I knew share their positive experience. Wouldn't you?

Sure this can seem overwhelming. But if you're like me, knowing the mountain is in front of me makes the journey easier. I can set goals. I can understand what is happening at each step.

Do you have questions? I'll be here and some of our published Alley cats and pals can hop in and answer them. Maybe Nancy Lohr will have a chance to pop in!



YOUR TURN: Have you traversed the publication mountain? What was it like?
Are you at the base of the mountain, ready to go? 
Have you packed your bags and heading there? Isn't it exciting?

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If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

If you have questions or would like this topic discussed in greater detail, let me know in the comment section. I'll gladly do the research and write a post...just for you :)

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter