Hey, congratulations! The book sounds good. Here’s to staying published!
I think maybe “whimsical” is more the word I was looking for…or “droll.” It’s lightly humorous but not farcical.
What did you have to do to get the agent? What did s/he have to do to get your book published?
Did you contact agents/publishers before you had completed the book? Or did you get everything done and dusted before you approached anyone? Also what was the process like from completeing the book to getting and agent and publisher?
Congratulations by the way.
How cool! You know you’re living our dream, right? Everyone else has asked my questions, of course…
Thanks to everyone for your congratulations and compliments. I’m not worried about anonymity… this is the only website I even post on where I don’t use my real name and link to my personal wesbite, actually. I just try not to tell people my PIN# or passwords.
So for questions…
Are you thinking about Book No. Three yet? Yes, I’ve got a synopsis of it written and will begin writing it when I’ve got the final ms. approved for book no. two.
Do you need quiet to write? Not absolute quiet. I often have the TV going, or my wife will be on the phone, or a cat will be meowing at me, but when there’s people shouting outside or something it gets difficult to concentrate.
Do you work on only one piece of fiction at a time, or do you pick up and put down other bits as the mood strikes? One of the big changes that helped me go from writer to author was to focus on one project and see it through rather than dally around at twelve different things. The most I’ll do is planning ahead when my WIP is off with my crit group or editor.
Is YA a term or the old title?
… is there such a thing as non-quirky magical realism? It’s funny because a lot of people do use that term (magical realism) to describe this book and the next one, but I never would – I don’t think for one second I’m in the same class as Calvino and Marquez. I just like to say they are tall tales.
Cricetus, do you also write short stuff? If you write short items as well, have you tried to sell those as well as the novels? I’ve sold three short stories (and written dozens), but have generally too busy with novels to write stories anymore. There’s not much market for them, anyway. I’ve been thinking about turning some of the scenes I cut from the first book into short stories, though.
What did you have to do to get the agent? What did s/he have to do to get your book published?
I researched and queried ten agents and got two offers, and picked the one I liked best (who was actually my top choice of the ten anyway). I had a lot of help from an author friend of mine on the querying part and on getting the short list of agents. Agents have a lot of intimate knowledge of the industry-- they know editors and they know what those editors are looking for. It’s nice having an agent anyway so you don’t have to do any actual negotiating or pleading yourself, at least not once you have an agent.
Is YA a term or the old title?
Oh, sorry. It’s “young adult,” for books targeted at teens. I sold the book as teen fiction and it ended up being “middle grade,” so it’ll be sold in the children’s section of bookstores instead of the teen section.
Heartfelt congratulations on this wonderful success!!!11!!!
I am very excited for you and think you should shamelessly self promote your work!
Congratulations!
I talk to a lot of authors and read a lot of press releases. How much input have you had on your own publicity and activities, and how much is your own initiative? Are you lining up your own appearances and signings, or is the publisher’s PR office doing it for you, or a combination? Will you be entering contests?
So is your day job writing/editing-related, somewhat writing-oriented (marketing or something, maybe), or completely unrelated (programming or accountancy or whatever)?
How much input have you had on your own publicity and activities, and how much is your own initiative? Are you lining up your own appearances and signings, or is the publisher’s PR office doing it for you, or a combination? Will you be entering contests?
Good questions, all. I do have a publicist who has sent out press releases, and this has led to a couple of good opportunities (the biggest being the television appearance.) I set up about half my readings on my own, though – I have four lined up. So it’s definitely mutual. I have three bookstore appearances and three other appearances at libraries, on TV, and at a bookseller’s convention lined up, and also went to a librarians’ conference with some other authors. I believe the publisher will enter me in any contest I’m eligible for, though I’ll make sure I’m entered for local ones they might not be aware of.
My day job is not related to writing or editing (at least not writing or editing fiction. I do write some work-related articles, documentation, etc.)
No question, but I wanted to congratulate you and wish you luck!
Your book has a 2009 copyright date, yes? So you will be eligible for next year’s Midwest Book Awards; don’t forget to enter.
ETA: And don’t overlook kids’ baseball events; now’s a good time for that. Don’t have to be bookstores – how about toy stores?
Neato! My kids are roughly in the target age, so I may be forced to pick up a copy.
Do you do the autographed bookplate thing? (a friend who wrote a book sent me one such when I gave her book as a gift).
That’s pretty much my experience - and Yolen was talking to a bunch of SF/Fantasy Fans who all wanted to be writers - I don’t think she was trying to encourage them to believe they might be Harper Lee. The writers I know personally have mostly been in similar situations to the ones you know - some teach a little as well. There also seems to be a nothing to plenty to nothing cycle - you get an advance and it seems like a lot of money - but it represents a year of work that you still need to do. Without discipline, you can publish a lot, stay in print, and yet manage to still be poor because that big advance check seems like limitless money when it first arrives.
I looked for an excerpt on your website and didn’t see anything. The Look Inside feature isn’t enabled at Amazon. I like samples from authors who are new to me. Where’s my taste? 