Initiation

When I started thinking about writing, I hadn’t a clue about publishing reality. That was probably a good thing. After spending over thirty years in a mega-bureaucracy, I didn’t want to repeat the experience. Surely practicing a craft would be different…

So wrong!

My illusion was that a writer developed a plan for a series, preferably long, and slowly paced the development of characters to match those many books. Then said writer crafted each book like a poem, struggling to find the ideal word, telling a perfect tale, and presenting a unique variation on the chosen theme in the fine classical tradition. If the author took a couple of years to produce a work, that was fine. Perfection was the goal. Right?

So nineteenth century…

With all those fantasies in mind, I wrote my first medieval mystery, Wine of Violence. After gasping in amazement that I had actually written a novel, I cast the query net to a list of agents and began my second book, Tyrant of the Mind, while I awaited some show of interest. I did expect a couple of nibbles. Although not the Muse’s favored darling, I did think the book itself was a notch above chopped liver.

Not only did no agent bite, one kindly took the time to tell me my characters were boring. Even if they are not perfect, I knew that Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas, although not to everyone’s taste, ain’t dull. I started looking for presses that didn’t require an agent. Fortunately I found Poisoned Pen Press and got a starred review from Publishers Weekly for that first book with all those boring people in it. Take that, agent-who-shall-not-be-named!

Calm down. Lower blood pressure...

I have since learned more about the publishing business but, more importantly, something about myself. What if I had gotten an agent? What if I had awakened back in a world much like the one so happily left? The world of big publishing would have been fine at age twenty, not at sixty. I want to enjoy myself, even at a cost. For one thing, were the books selling well enough for a tour, I might have to fly.

God forbid!

I have no wish to rant against publishing today, nor am I declaring that Big is Bad and Small is Swell. All I am saying is that there are many routes to publication, each with its merits and problems. That is joy of publishing today. The main thing is to never give up and to also seek what works best for you. Then your initiation into publishing will be as much fun for you as it has for me.

Comments

[Staci]

You've really hit on a key point, Priscilla. With so many roads to publication these days, writers have to figure out which method is best for them. It sounds like you've definitely had a great experience!

[Priscilla Royal]

For me, it has been perfect, but what I love most today are the many ways talented writers can get in print.

[Susan Shea]

Thanks for the wise words, Priscilla. These may be difficult times in some regards, but there are interesting new opportunities as well.

[Camille Minichino]

I've always thought there ought to be a "take-that" list, one that would include the agent who told me that Revere, MA was too small a town to support a series.

And I agree wholeheartedly that Big is neither Better nor Worse, simply one path. I've had experience with 3 Bigs and 2 Smalls, and if you put them in a lineup, I couldn't tell the difference!

[Ann]

Wise words, Priscilla! :-) A writer can even step outside the box entirely, and put an eBook out there without a publisher, and it doesn't raise the hue and cry that "self-publishing" used to entail. Times have certainly changed.

[Mysti Berry]

Seomtimes it seems like the only real translation for a firm no is "I don't know how to sell it," regardless of what they say...anyway, that's my current theory.

Looking forward to my first mystery novel rejections in near future. Will remember your story!!!!

Keep writing!!!!!

[Priscilla Royal]

Absolutely keep writing! One writing teacher said that publication is 5% talent and 95% perserverence. The point is a good one even if I'd prefer the talent bit to be higher! Go Mysti!