Fabulous Other Writers and De-Suckification

So I am finding this incredible community of writers. And I am cyberstalking them (just a little bit and in a very complimentary way). This is because I love the stories of their journey. I have met and corresponded with these fabulous sisters named Lisa and Laura Roecker who have a YA book coming out in March called the Liar Society that everyone should buy. And through them, I have found Elana Johnson who I think is formidable and I wish that she were my next door neighbor so that I could bake her cookies while she read my book and told me how to make it not suck. She also has a book coming out in June of 2011 called Possession. Everyone should buy this book.

MID-BLOG NON-SEQUITIR: I would like to take a moment to thank my lucky stars for the existence of my Amazon credit card which has now provided me $175 in gift certificates with which to buy more books. (Please don't ask how much money I had to spend on books to get these certificates because the answer is too embarrassing to mention).

Now back to the business at hand. I found this article that Elana wrote that was incredible in its truth (if not a little daunting) and it made me turn back to my book AGAIN this morning to work on further de-suckification. Here is the article with a picture of her upcoming book so that you remember to buy it:

Publishing: A Journey of Many Steps

by Elana Johnson

Okay, so I was asked to share a little bit of my journey toward publication. Dude, I could go on and on about this, but I won’t. And hopefully, you’ll read something to help you take the next step, whatever it may be.

Step 1: Write a book. Or if you’re me, you write 12. That’s right. I’ve written 12 novels. Only 2 of them don’t suck. And even that’s debatable.

Step 2: Query a book. Realize it’s a lot of waiting and frantically checking email. Who knew?

Step 2A: Repeat step 2 for 6 months. Too many queries to name. Want to die.

Step 2B: Shelve book. Ouch. Yes, it hurts. No, it won’t kill you.

Step 3: Pick another novel to de-suckify.

Step 4: Revise/Edit/Rewrite the thing.

Step 5: Enter the ABNA contest.

Step 6: Move into the quarterfinals.

Step 7: Gain much needed confidence.

Step 8: Query the book. Get ready to wait it out.

Step 8A: Repeat step 8 for 8 months. 189 queries.

Step 8B: Beg, plead, pray, hope that this book is “the one.”

Step 8C: Make up mantra: “Work hard. Don’t give up.”

Step 8D: Revise twice BEFORE an offer is extended.

Step 8E: Field 5 agent phone calls BEFORE an offer is extended.

Step 8F: Get “the call.”

Step 8G: Cry, laugh, scream, cry some more, grovel in gratitude.

Step 9: Sign with dream agent. After 188 rejections, this feels goooood. Up next: take over the world.

Step 10: Or, uh, revising. Yup, again.

Step 11: And…then again.

Step 12: Wait. Taking over the world put on the back burner while gnawing fingernails to nubs.

Step 2385: Get an offer from a dream publishing house.

Step 2386: Scream, eat a lot of bacon, laugh, smile until face hurts.

Step 2386B: Wait.

Step 8939: Announce the deal!

Step 8940: Wait.

Step 12,094: Edit novel—again.

Step 12,095: Wait.

Step 18,306: Release cover. Freak out.

Step 18,307: Wait. June 7, 2011 can’t come fast enough.

My best advice through all the steps is simply to remember this: Publishing a book is not a race where the winners come in first. It’s not important WHEN you finish, just that you DO. Oh, and one more thing: Your journey is your own. It won’t look or feel like mine. It shouldn’t. Don’t compare journeys. Just be grateful you can take one more step.