A.F.E. Smith
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Adventures in Publishing, vol. 1

24/4/2014

13 Comments

 
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you’re probably already aware that my first novel is being released this summer by Harper Voyager Digital. There’s more information about Darkhaven elsewhere on this website, but in brief, it’s … well, a murder mystery. Except I'm a fantasy writer, so this is a murder mystery that includes shapeshifters, swordfights, carriage chases and a rampaging Wyvern. Be warned.

I was in two minds over whether to write this post, because it does feel a little self-indulgent. OK, a lot self-indulgent. OK, like standing in the street with a megaphone and shouting “Yay, me!” But there are a few pieces of advice I've extracted from my journey up to this point that are probably worth sharing. And I think they’re relevant whatever your publishing dreams and whatever stage of your own journey you’re at. So here goes.

1. Everything takes time …

From the day I submitted Darkhaven to Harper Voyager, during their open call in October 2012, to the day I heard back from them was just over 16 months. And that’s fine. That’s how long it takes. When you’re dealing with a large publisher, it’s what you’d expect.

But sometimes it’s easy to forget that the same principle applies to other aspects of writing too. It takes time to write a book. It takes time to edit it. It takes time to learn how to improve your craft, and write another book, and this time do it better. When you reach the stage when you’re ready to share your work with other people, it takes time to seek feedback and receive feedback and implement that feedback and go through the whole process again. And all that is even before you’ve thought about actually publishing the thing. Then you have copyediting, and proofreading, and formatting, and cover design, and promotion, and …

Sometimes we can lose our patience. Sometimes we can look around at where we’ve got to in our publishing journey and realise it’s pretty much where we were this time last year. And it’s not surprising we can feel discouraged by that. But that’s how writing is. That’s how life is. And in reality, we’re never in exactly the same place we were last year, because we can’t help but learn stuff in the meantime. Even if it’s simply that everything takes time.

2. … and people travel at different speeds.

When I started sharing my writing with other authors, several years ago now, it felt like we were all in the same boat. We were all taking that first terrifying step from I write for fun and my own amusement to I’m serious enough about this writing malarkey that I’m willing to let other people see what I’ve been doing. And we gave each other encouragement, and constructive criticism, and learned how to grow a thicker skin so that when someone ripped apart our best scene we only wanted to cry instead of, you know, actually crying.

After a couple of years, many of those authors began to move on. They found publishers, large or small. They found agents. They decided to go it alone and self-publish. And I increasingly felt as if I’d been left behind. I hadn’t even finished a book I was happy with, yet, and here were my fellow writers putting themselves out there, gaining successes, making themselves known. I started to suspect that I was stuck in the infinite loop of never good enough. That I would never have the confidence in my work that would allow me to embark on the process of submitting in earnest, or make the decision to self-publish; that every time one of my tentative steps forward was met with a rejection, however minor, it would knock me right back to square one. Sometimes we are our own worst critics.

What I should have remembered, of course, is that people travel at different speeds. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to be ready to move on to the next stage of your journey. Someone who’s reached their goal much faster than you hasn’t reached it any better, only differently. It’s your journey. Travel at the speed you find most comfortable.

3. You only need a single open door.

While I was waiting to hear back from my Voyager submission, I didn’t submit Darkhaven to any other publishers; though they’d only asked for a few months’ exclusivity, it didn’t feel right. But I did enter a few pitching contests – the kind where you’re competing with other authors for agents’ attention. I figured that whatever happened with Voyager, finding the right agent in the meantime could only be a good thing.

I didn’t get very far.

Maybe I suck at pitching. Maybe what I had to offer just wasn’t what the agents or the contest organisers were looking for that day. Or maybe, more to the point, every person you approach is only that. One person. And unless you want to get stuck in that never good enough loop, it’s not wise to believe that a single rejection means you don’t have what it takes. Some authors are accepted by the very first agent or publisher they approach. Some authors make fifty attempts before they get their yes. It doesn’t matter. Of all the doors you try in your quest for publication, only one of them has to be unlocked. Because you only need a single open door to make the doors that didn't open irrelevant.

4. You just need to decide what works for you.

After I’d been contacted by Voyager, but before I signed the contract and announced the news, it seemed as if all I saw online were articles about why traditional publishing is dead and self-publishing is the only way to go. Or why ebooks aren’t real books and paper books will always be better. Which wasn’t the most encouraging set of messages for someone about to sign a digital-first deal with one of the Big 5. And so, as always, I began to doubt myself and my choices.

But in the end, I knew this was the right thing for me. I’ve always planned to seek placement with a traditional publisher, if possible. I’ve weighed up the various pros and cons, but I’ve come down each time on the side of experience and support and, yes, validation from the people who publish some of my favourite fantasy authors. Their approval gets me out of the infinite loop, and that's what I need. As for digital first … well, given that I buy 90% of my books as ebooks these days, I can’t claim to be so attached to print that only print will do. I believe that ebooks are the future, and though I’d love to see my work in print, I’d be a hypocrite if I clung to that in the face of my own changed reading habits.

So, you know, this works. For me. And that’s the point. Everyone is different. You just need to decide what works for you, because there’s still room for more than one model out there in the publishing world.

5. Sometimes the universe gives you a gift.

I got the email from Voyager the day before my birthday. In preview I could only see the first line, the one that said “Thank you for sending your submission …” Well, I thought, here it is. After all these months, here comes the rejection.

I opened it. They’d really enjoyed the book and they wanted to talk to me. And so that’s how it was that I ended up having The Talk with a Harper Voyager editor on my birthday.

Sometimes you’re unlucky. Sometimes you work hard and do everything right, and it doesn’t work out. Sometimes things won’t fall into place no matter how hard you try. But sometimes the universe gives you a gift. And when that happens, all you can do is be thankful for it.

13 Comments
Tricia Drammeh link
24/4/2014 06:33:41 pm

All of these are excellent points. There have been many times I've felt left behind, or not good enough, or have doubted my decisions. All we can do is what feels right for us at the time. Even when it seems things don't work out, we still gain something--wisdom, experience, something.

I'm so very happy all your hard work and patience have paid off. You are totally deserving of all the success in the world. So, let's take a moment to celebrate your wonderful news... Woohoo! Darkhaven is being published!!!! Yippee!!!! I can't wait to read the finished product. :)

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
24/4/2014 11:54:38 pm

Thank you so much, Tricia. I didn't want to write a post that was too celebratory, even though I feel like it, because that WOULD be self-indulgent – but it's lovely to have someone come and do it for me :-D

Reply
Jacqueline Pye link
25/4/2014 12:00:57 am

Very nice post, AFE. Excellent points and I totes agree. All the best for Darkhaven to soar in the blue sky of happy readers!

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
25/4/2014 12:37:39 am

Thank you! :-)

Reply
Ted Cross link
25/4/2014 12:47:16 am

I think it's wonderful how it's worked out for you and I hope your book sells well enough to convince them to publish in hardcopy as well.

I'm stuck in the 'not good enough' loop you mention, though I have two novels completed that I am happy with. I'm a lousy query writer apparently, as I queried around 80 agents for The Immortality Game and can't get a single one of them to be willing to even look at my book.

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
25/4/2014 01:39:44 am

Querying is hard! And being good at that, and being a good novel writer, are two different things. (I've read some of The Immortality Game, I know it's good.) I hope you don't give up, Ted, because I'm sure the right door will open for you somewhere.

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M T McGuire link
25/4/2014 11:02:49 am

If it's any consolation, Ted, even with an 'in' I failed to secure an agent. I got a really nice letter back and they also took the time to give me feedback. He had, at least, liked it enough to send to his team of readers for further analysis but they clearly loathed it.

I think I probably am genuinely just not good enough. But I've just put my hands over my ears, gone 'la, la, la, la.' and self published it! Phnark.

Cheers

MTM

Reply
M T McGuire link
25/4/2014 10:55:39 am

This is all excellent advice.

You know what you said about the slow bit. If it helps at all, I, too, feel stuck. Often. However, in my case it's to do with not being able to write fast enough or at least, having to stop, completely, during school holidays. Holidays are some of the happiest and most frustrating times in my life. ;-) Also, I, too, have to tell myself that everyone writes at the speed they can write, while spitting tortoise and snail dust from between my teeth and continuing at my default speed; that of glaciers.

With regards to pitching, you must be good at them because I entered that open thing. You had to do a pitch and a synopsis and ting and I remember thinking that they would, very possibly, use those to choose which books they read. So yeh... it's impressive on all counts. In fact I am... a little bit in awe. And I mean... Harper Collins... bloody hell! Well done. Top top job there!

Cheers

MTM

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
27/4/2014 01:35:12 am

Haha, well, I think I'll be faster now that I'm not stuck in the loop of self-doubt. It has always been the not being convinced it's ready, rather than the writing itself, that's made me slow! And since I'm contracted to write two sequels, that gives me deadlines, which is exactly what I need :-)

I feel your pain over the offspring/writing balance, though. Come September I'll have a two year old and a newborn competing for my time …

Reply
Sophie E Tallis link
28/4/2014 06:27:54 pm

Another brilliant post, AFE. Like you and Tricia and many others I suspect, I've often felt completely left behind by faster writers or those who can afford to write full-time, while my glacial pace lags far far behind. It used to be a real concern for me, but I've stopped castigating myself and have eventually learnt that we are all different and we all write and live at different paces and that that's okay. So thrilled for you honey, well done. Make sure you enjoy and savour the moment. :D

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
29/4/2014 06:43:20 am

Thank you! xx

Reply
Shannon Knight link
11/6/2014 12:59:16 am

Congratulations on getting signed! Summer is almost here--I'm sure you're excited.

Reply
A.F.E. Smith link
11/6/2014 01:58:02 am

Thank you! The release date hasn't been finalised yet, so it may be later in the year, but I think the excitement will last for as long as it takes ;-)

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    • Marked series >
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      • Darkhaven
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