Best of the Archives: Memories from Unpubbed Island

 

Myra Johnson

Aloha! After celebrating our eighth year here in Seekerville, what better way to appreciate how far we've come than to take a trip down Memory Lane--or, as we think of it here, a visit to Unpubbed Island. 

If you've been a Seekervillager for very long, you'll recall that when we first began this blog, only a handful of us had sailed off the Island. Only a few years later, all our island tents stood empty . . . but not forgotten. 

Many of you are still waiting for your publishing ship to come in. Waiting and hoping can get lonely. Discouragement sets in. Sometimes it gets so bad that you're ready to give up. And that's exactly why Seekerville exists. 

To teach. To encourage. To motivate. To inspire. 

To keep you plugging away even when all you see are miles and miles of empty ocean.

So travel with us back through time today, and remember, you are not alone on this journey!

~~~~~~~~~~~

There’s a little corner of Seekerville known as Unpubbed Island, and a few of us have been stuck here a wee bit too long. We try to keep stiff upper lips, and we wave and cheer like crazy when one of our sisters gets picked up by a luxury liner headed toward Contract City. But each of us is secretly hoping we won’t be the last woman left husking coconuts.

Still, we’re survivors. We know how to crack open contest critiques and boil out the meaty parts. We’re expert plot menders. We’ve tossed out endless manuscripts-in-a-bottle hoping to be rescued by an editor or agent. We can shinny up the tallest palm tree and spot every new publisher on the horizon.

It takes faith and persistence to stick it out on Unpubbed Island. Some days I dream about building a raft and escaping. Life has got to be easier in Volunteer Village or Church Committee Condos. I could learn to garden, spend more time cleaning house, cook a meal that takes longer than ten minutes to prepare.

Or, like several of my Seeker Sisters (both pubbed and unpubbed), I could keep the sharks at bay with a job that actually offers a return for the hours invested. Necessity or not, a “real job” means sacrificing time and creative energy for our writing.

The truth is, even our sisters already living it up in Contract City aren’t shark-proof. Unpubbed Island is a mere stone’s throw away from the Post-Contract Perils Archipelago: Lousy Reviews, Second-Book Blues, and Still Haven’t Paid Your Dues.

Here in Seekerville, though, it’s all for one and one for all. The beaches of Unpubbed Island and Post-Contract Perils are strewn with care packages. Hugs. Tears. Prayers. Chocolate. When anyone makes it off the island, she tosses out buoys, life preservers, and signal flares every chance she gets.

If you’re a visitor to Seekerville, we hope you’ve connected with your own community of support. A critique partner, local writers group, online loop. Writing is a lonely business, made even more desolate when the inevitable disappointments come and we’re left to face them alone.

Whom do you look to when discouragement strikes? Who’s your lifeline on this turbulent journey toward writing success? Just remember, here in Seekerville, you’ll always find a seat in the lifeboat, a steaming thermos of cappuccino, and plenty of friends to help you navigate through the fog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Thanks to all who have been so supportive of my recent release, The Sweetest Rain, from Franciscan Media. If you've read the book, I would be most grateful if you'd post a review at your favorite online venues.

This month I'm excited about the release of my very first Love Inspired romance, Rancher for the Holidays. What I love about this book is that it picks up the story of a secondary character from one of my earliest novels, Autumn Rains. Find out what's changed for this young woman and what's in store for her future!

And please connect with me online at my website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. I'd also love for you to subscribe to my quarterly updates for the latest news about my books.

Blessings to all our wonderful friends in Seekerville, and thanks again for sharing this journey with us!

~~~~~~~~~~

Comments are closed today! 

Enjoy the post and spend the day writing and reading.

Writers on the move: Got some “beachfront property” to sell?

Myra here, your Unpubbed Island moving consultant du jour.

Moving. Oh, boy, can I talk about moving! In case you missed the news, I’ve moved twice since last April--first a cross-country relocation into a temporary apartment so we could be closer to grandkids, then into the house we purchased nearby. (For anyone who’s interested, I’m slowly telling the crazy, sometimes even miraculous, story over at my personal blog.)

Whether it’s a physical relocation, a mental readjustment, or an emotional upheaval, we are “moving” all the time.

And moving always involves change: leaving something behind, adjusting to something new, finding our “center” again.

It’s no different in the writing life. If we’re staying in one place, that isn’t progress. We should be improving our skills. Learning about publishers’ needs and interests. Networking with other writers. Stretching ourselves to make each new manuscript better than the one before.

But the fact is, even when you know it’s time to move on, some things are awfully hard to leave behind. Now that all the Seekers have vacated Unpubbed Island and moved into our swanky new Seekerville digs, I’ve discovered there are many things I miss about island life.

• Long walks on the beach with no thought for looming deadlines.
• Building my “sandcastles” (novels) any old way I wanted to, even if the structure was unstable or the inhabitants were not believably motivated.
• Not worrying if my beach hut was clean, let alone attractively decorated, in case roving paparazzi visited the island.

Now that I’m living and working in mainland Seekerville, life is fraught with adjustments and challenges I don’t think any of us were entirely prepared to deal with.

• Main Street traffic (in the form of promotional demands and looming book deadlines) doesn’t stop if I’m out of milk, didn’t get a good night's sleep, or desperately need to wash a load of clothes before I’m back to running around in my faded island sarong.
• No more “sandcastles.” If my stories aren’t solidly grounded with a believable plot and characters, I’ll hear about it first from my agent and (heaven forbid it slips by her!) then from my editor!
• The paparazzi may not be stalking me (yet), but image is more important than ever. Gotta have a Web site. Gotta blog. Gotta Tweet. Gotta Facebook. Gotta LinkedIn. Gotta be OUT THERE so readers, writers, and publishing professionals can connect!

But would I EVER go back to that hot, sandy, mosquito-infested hut on Unpubbed Island?

Not a chance!

If you’re still waiting to make your big move, here are some ways you can prepare:

1. Clean out your attic and closets. What old habits do you need to ditch? Waiting for the muse to strike before you write? Ignoring critiques you don’t like? Treating your writing like a hobby instead of a business?
2. Learn all you can about your desired location. Have a dream publisher in mind? Haunt their Web site, Facebook page, Tweets, etc. Download writers guidelines and study them. Read and analyze the most recent books the line is publishing.
3. Start packing for the move. Polish grammar, spelling, and manuscript formatting. Join a critique group. Find a writing mentor. Take classes, attend conferences, sign up for online workshops. Read the best books you can find on the writing craft. (Suggestions here.)
4. Get your financing in order. Don’t quit your day job (if you have one), but be realistic about the investment of time and money required to build a writing career, and budget accordingly. Entering contests, attending conferences, purchasing supplies, and building your home library of writing reference books can put a huge dent in your bank account! Consider submitting magazine pieces and devotionals to help bolster your writing credits while generating a little income. Look for free or low-cost options for building your online presence (but don’t skimp on quality of content or professionalism).
5. Hold open houses for your property. Enter contests your target editors are judging. Request editor and/or agent appointments when you attend a conference. Submit proposals. When your manuscript is requested, get it in the mail (or cyberspace) before the tide rolls out!

Above all, remember that making the move to published status isn’t just a simple “change of address.” I think I can safely speak for all the Seekers when I say that life after publication is harder and crazier and way more complicated than any of us ever imagined!

But we’ve all learned (sometimes the hard way!) that a huge part of a successful move is informed realism. So as you prepare to move ahead in your writing life, take time to appreciate where you’ve been, enjoy where you are now, and anticipate great things in your future.

And always, ALWAYS trust God to show you the way.

Leave a comment on today’s post for a chance to win a copy of Myra’s latest release, A Horseman’s Heart. You’ll also be included in a drawing at the end of the week for an extra-special Seekerville birthday month giveaway AND our big-bash-blowout superprize of a Toshiba Netbook at the end of the month!

North Carolina’s a long, long way from Texas, but horse trainer Kip Lorimer needs to get out of town fast, because the woman who long ago destroyed his last remnants of trust has just caught up with him—again. 

Special-ed teacher Sheridan Cross has trust issues of her own, so when Kip shows up with a horse to donate to the family’s equine therapy program, she can’t help but be suspicious. A cowboy a thousand miles from home and living out of a horse trailer? What’s wrong with this picture?

When Sheridan’s mother offers Kip a job as barn manager, Sheridan decides she’d better stick close enough to keep an eye on things, never expecting she’ll soon have eyes only for the handsome cowboy. Can they trust their hearts and find true love, or will their troubled pasts come crashing down on their dreams?

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW EXCLUSIVE EXPOSE!!!! "MY LIFE WITH THE SEEKERS"

"Good morning, Seekerville, this is Dresden Davis reporting for R-Witness News, the go-to place for discerning romance lovers everywhere, reporting to you here from the mainland with Captain Jack Sparrow, nefarious pirate of the high seas. Captain Jack has been the subject of film and dissertation across the land, and, yay, across the world. For the past twenty-seven months, Jack has been holed up on a tropical island playing barista and cabana boy to a nefarious group of romance writers who call themselves Seekers. Jack, tell me, what was it like, working for those women? Did they treat you well?"

"Ah, Dresden, m'love, 'tis only you I have eyes for at the present. Let's not speak of others, ay? Drink to me only with thine eyes.... and do ye have a bit o' rum?"

"Not at eight AM, Jack."

"Ah, darlin' lass..." Jack leans a bit closer, close enough for me to note his eyeliner is actually holding better than mine. Clinique, mayhap???? "'Tis five o'clock somewhere. Me friend Jimmy Buffet sung about it, ye know. Why Margaret Daley and I did a little 'flamingo' dance to it just last year." He draws close. Very, very close. "Margaret's got a thing for flamingos. Savvy???"

"Margaret and flamingos." My brain reels, knowing Margaret's an Okie... there are NO flamingos in Oklahoma, which means.... Margaret gets around.

Just as I suspected. I meet Jack's move forward with one of my own, noting his hair beading has a Pandora look to it. Pricey. Nice. Those Seeker women certainly kept him well. "But lets talk today about your experiences on Unpubbed Island. What was it like? Wild and crazy? Dull and boring? Tell us, Jack. Tell ALL..." I let my voice fade, leading Jack to a comfort level, like I'm his new BFF. Although all he'd have to do is give me one of those long, slow looks and I WOULD BE....

Jack meets my look and comes closer, close enough for me to see his mascara is too dark for me but holding up in the morning sun marvelously. "Parties."

"Parties?" I almost croak the words, because this.... OH, THIS!!!! These Seekers are fine Christian women, they're a church-going bunch that loves God, loves their country and loves romance that makes the world go 'round.... PARTIES!!!! BRING ON THE FRONT PAGE, BOSS!!! I lean closer... "What kind of parties?"

Jack's eyes widen. He gives me an appreciative smile and I KNOW instinctively (we reporters have VERY GOOD INSTINCTS, think Deep Throat and Watergate....) that he's about to spill everything and I'll use it to expose the Secret Life of Bees.

Oh, wait, that's been done. I meant:

The Secret Life of Seekers.

YES!!!!! "Tell me about the parties, Jack," I say softly, leading him, another skill I pride myself on. "Tell Dresden every little thing."

"Amazing," he says, then takes a long swig of coffee. I have the Starbucks crew bring him more because I want no interruptions while Jack tells his tale. "At first they were sporadic. Like here and there. Lately..." He shook his head and puffed steam from his brew, a bit of foamed milk clinging to his mustache and making him look even more approachable.

YUM.

Holly Jacobs

"Now, they have 'em all the time. It's like a weekly occurrence that someone or 'nother has a "Gettin' off the Island" party. Gettin' published 'n all. First them. Now their friends. And they have so many friends, men... Women..." His eyes brighten at that thought, rogue that he is. "Holly Jacobs... a fine writer she is, but I hear people throw stuff at her when she speaks in public, so she might want to stick to her keyboard, ye' ken??? And they've got a last 'un of the original fifteen, Pammy, and ah...."

Jack's face gets that dreamy-starry-eyed look we women know so well and I know this must be Pam Hillman, 2011 Golden Heart finalist and a new client of Steve Laube, one of the top-notch agents in Christian fiction. I lean in, hoping for more on Miss Pam. "Tell me about Pam, Jack." I encourage him with a long... slow... blink. "Tell me everything, big guy."

2011 GH finalist Pam Hillman

"I love her," he admitted. "But then I love them all, they've made my life..." he hiccups a little, looking suddenly ver klempt, like he'd just lost his mother to Davy Jones Locker.... "wonderful, is all. Just wonderful. And I can't help but worry me heart out what will happen to me? To the Island? When they're all gone?"

Time to get the bloker back on track. I mean, really????? "Do they all come to the parties, Jack? Tina? Cara? How about RITA FINALIST Mary Connealy?" I'm thinking right now it would be front page worthy to get the scoop on that Petticoat-pushing beef farmer from Nebraska. I mean: AS IF.

Mary's reputed pet chicken, a Golden Sebright

Who believes THAT bio and the rumor she used to have a pet chicken??? Obviously a creation of a clever marketing department, but nothing gets by me, the Dresden-ator. "Who's there, Jack, my pirate-friend? When the lights go down on Unpubbed Island?"

"They bring in their friends," Jack begins again. "Bob Mayer came by and spent a day with 'em and got 'em all feelin' like they're normal with that Warrior Writer stuff. The hissy fits, the desperation, the tears, the neuroses... He called them 'common to writers everywhere...' But he was an okay bloke, you know, one of those military types I'm not usually all that taken with, but Bob...." Jack dips his chin. "He's all right. Savvy?"

Savvy? I LOVE Bob Mayer, and Jack's actually met the dude???? SWEET. "Tell me more. Tell me about the women, Jack."

Karen White and Ruthy

"Karen White," he says instantly. "A four-time Rita finalist. Gorgeous. All that hair..." Jack gets a dreamy look in his eye. "A friend of mine bid 200 camels for her long ago, a ridiculously high price I thought. And then I met her here, in Seekerville..." Jack shoots me a look. "I'd have gone 300 CAMELS for a prize like that. Mayhap I can offer the judges some camels, fresh imports? That might put her just over the top enough to win this year! And Edwina, my love, with that wizened look of knowledge, like she holds the key to every mystery..." He sends me a slightly wicked glance. "Edwina is more than she seems."

"Really?" Since I know Edwina Cowgill through her marvelous book reviews, I edge closer. "You and Edwina..."

Edwina Cowgil

"Talked books all night long," he told me in a soft voice that dripped with mystery. "She showed me her collection of jewels. Did you know she has bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings to match everything she owns? And hangs them together in the closet?"

"Umm... no." Who knows that kind of stuff about someone? I mean I KNOW Edwina is always decked out, but matchy-matchy everything????

"She's amazing." He whispered the words as if saying them out loud might taint the memory. Really??? Are ya' kiddin' me? This is Jack Sparrow, whispering in THAT TONE about a book discussion. Obviously Edwina is one of those still waters....

I sit back, hungering for more, or maybe eyeing one of those lemon pound cake slices, so good, delectable really, melt-in-your-mouth wonderfulness.

"Tell me about Julie, Jack." I lean in, trying not to stare at the pound cake, thinking 'SIZE 8, SIZE 8, SIZE... MAYBE 10..."

"Julie is one of a kind."

Aha. "As in...?"

"Beautiful, voluptuous, darling, sincere, and did you know she can PIPE INITIALS on twice-baked potatoes?"

I throw up, just a little, in my mouth.

"And Camy?" I press, thinking the loud Asian chick might be the chink in Jack's armor. Two years is a long time for a man of Jack's reputation to remain.... lonely.

"A child," he scoffs. "More Will's type than mine. But then there was Marilyn Brant."

I loved her book "According to Jane", a fun twist on non-Austen-esque modern behaviors. Brilliant switch-around. "You and Marilyn...."

"Spent a never-to-be-forgotten evening discussing everything Austen. Jane's an old friend o' mine, savvy?"

I'm not surprised. Anyone who can woo Mr. Darcy would have an easy time with Jack. "Deb Giusti," I press.

Jack's expression deepens. Softens. "A true American, that one. For such, just wars are fought. If I were a soldier, and let me just add I would never BE a soldier, I'd fight for the likes of Deb Giusti... And me-thinks she spoke of a tiara in her past... A crown of some sort.... Perhaps a pageant past in an army-brat's life???" He meets my gaze. "The idea of Deb in a tiara puts me in mind of..." He swallows hard, a woebegone, love-lost expression giving him that half-asleep look we all know and love.

Deb Giusti's Miss Mount Vernon Tiara

Except now is NOT TIME FOR SLEEPING.

"More coffee!" I hail the barista. "And how about two slices of that lemon pound cake."

"Every now and then, when I'm missing the Black Pearl, missing adventures, the lasses will bring Walt and Vince around." Jack sits back and nods, flirts with a Wall-Street chick wearing a Rockette-type suit with SEAMED STOCKINGS, and I notice she doesn't order pound cake or extra whipped cream and I realize I might hate her without even knowing her. The wrongness of that doesn't bother me all that much at the moment. I will repent at leisure later because the barista is bringing pound cake my way...

"Vince does great reviews, but do you think he's got a thing for Ruthy?" I ask quietly. Keeping Jack directed is not an easy task, but I'd love to get something on that Ruthy-character. Bossy. Autocratic. Flippant... the fact that she's got good hair DOES NOT preclude me wanting to find a fatal flaw in her character. Although her new pics are a work of art and she'd probably resist that lemon cake, if not the M&M peanuts she brags on all the time.

"Myra, actually," he says instantly. "And Vince is another military bloke, a pilot, ye ken?"

"Really?" I didn't know that.

Walt Mussell

"Been to thirty countries, but that's nothin' compared to me and the Pearl," Jack boasts. "But he's a thinkin' man, he loves the ladies and their words, but his wife's a fine bit of a thing and she keeps him tethered well. And Walt, well, Walt has an appreciation for the East and since my travels have taken me far and wide, we discuss things at length."

"Over rum?"

"Over whatever the ladies have on hand." Jack laughs but nods. "And they keep me a bit o' rum, now and again. For medicinal purposes. And holidays. And the good Lord himself was a wine-drinker, I'm thinkin' a spot o' rum now and again to avoid the lumbago keeps a man's heart pumpin' and his interest brewin'. No pun intended." He sends me that wicked grin once more and I realize I'm getting nothing from Jack.

And then I realize something else. The bloke LOVES THE SEEKERS.

Even though they keep him somewhat sequestered, even though his days are long, hot and sunny, even though they've emptied fourteen of fifteen huts....

He loves 'em.

He's ruining my expose!!!

(sorry, a Phineas and Ferb moment there, speaking of which..._)

"Jack, do you have TV on the island?"

"My one love in life is to watch "Phineas and Ferb" with Pepper and Ruthy," he admits. "When we're not reading Barbara Vey's blog for Publisher's Weekly, of course. Barbara was nice enough to have me as an honored guest at her recent birthday bash.... But back to Pepper and Ruthy... We roll around in the sand..."

Oh... Oh.... Oh......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Laughing," he continues. "That Candace. I've met many a Candace in my day. But I love those lads..."I know what we're going to do today, Ferb," Jack deadpans a perfect imitation of Phineas. "I love the show but Pepper Basham...." he smiles and winks...."that lady not only has a way with words but have you seen her new picture with that cascade of curls???"

Obviously Jack has a hair thing going on. Not surprising, considering his own unique 'do'.

"Janet Dean's got the cutest little crooked toes," he continues. "They're actually quite effective for digging in the sand, no hands. A marvelous feat." He shares one of those cock-eyed grins. "A pun, dear, get it? My play on words. Feet. Feat. And did you know that another quirk of fate had Andrea Chermak born on All Saint's Day?"

"The author of Fearless?" I ask.

Jack nods.

"Will wonders never cease," I mutter, feeling like I might have wasted not only my time but the last twelve dollars on the twenty-dollar Starbucks card my mother sent for my birthday. Gone... Just like that. Two coffees and two pound cakes, both of which I ate.

Sigh....

"But then there's TINA..." he says, and my hope spirals up again. "I'd do anything for her. Ford a raging river... Sail the seven seas.... Climb a tree in search of the best coconuts known to man."

"Tina Radcliffe, author of "The Rancher's Reunion" and "Oklahoma Reunion"??? THAT TINA RADCLIFFE???"

Oh, I'm on to something now, because she's even bossier than Ruthy, and almost as smart as Mary... Tina and Jack... YES. PERFECTAMENTE! Scandal and front page, hand in hand.

Jack hands me a slip of paper. Trembling, just a little, I open it, sure that it's the key to some secret Seeker scandal, that one of them, AT LEAST is leading some sort of tell-all double-life expose:

Tina's Coconut Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can cream of coconut (in mixed drink aisle-if you use the kind in the plastic bottle only use 3/4)

12 oz Cool Whip ( I sometimes use more)

1 -2 cups flaked coconut (I like as much as I can get on there)

Bake cake according to directions in a 9 x 11 ish glass pan.

Immediately after removing from oven, punch holes all over the top with a fork. LOTS OF HOLES. Pouring slowly over the cake, while hot, alternate sweetened condensed milk and cream of coconut. Let stand thirty minutes then refrigerate overnight. MUST BE OVERNIGHT!!

Before serving top with cool whip and sprinkle coconut on top

And so it goes...


Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. And as I sat there conversing with Jack, I decided that I, too, will become a friend of Seekerville.


Because I really like these gals. And because I do, there's a lovely surprise Seeker-package going out to one commenter today. And maybe a couple of books to other commenters, because seeing Jack's love for the Seekers makes me feel sweet. Magnanimous. Generous to a fault.


And that's never a BAD thing, right?


This is Dresden Davis, reporting for "R-Witness" News.

What I Wish I Knew Before I Sold a Book...

.... by the Former Inhabitants of Unpubbed Island.




Pull up a beach chair and grab a Coconut Pineapple Smoothie. Let's chat.

This week the Seekers gathered on the beach of Unpubbed Island (those are Ruthy's feet), to discuss our publishing journey. One of our topics was what we wish we'd known before we left the island. We'd like to share our wisdom, or lack there of, with you.


Our comments are anonymous so we can share our unfiltered thoughts. But feel free to ask questions.

~~~~

I wish I had known that a writing career is like an egg that must incubate. For most of us, the time before publication seems long and fruitless, yet consider the tiny chick within the protective eggshell. If cracked too soon, the chick will not survive. God’s timing is perfect so use the incubation phase to become a stronger writer and don’t get discouraged.

Once you do sell, remember a newly-hatch chick isn’t fully developed just as a newly-contracted writer isn’t expected to “do” it all--at least not immediately. Pick and choose what works for you. The chick grows to maturity with time. Your career will as well.




I wish I had known not to keep re-writing the same stories over and over. If I had it to do over again, I would keep pressing ahead on new manuscripts so I had plenty to offer my editor once I made the first sale.





I wish I would have known how an editor looks at a contracted book when suggesting revisions for final approval. The revisions I received helped me tear my manuscript apart and put it back together so it now reads like a book on the shelf, not a contest entry. For the next twenty books and beyond, I’ll keep that first revision letter by my computer while I write, reminding me of the sequencing and rhythm needed to make a connection with the reader and draw emotion.

I didn't realize how much I would miss the strolls along the beach at sunset. The sound of the surf; the tang of salty sea in the air. When I miss them too much, I'll just write them into a book.






I wish I'd known how much personal PR would be expected! Not that it would have deterred me, but I didn't have a realistic sense for the many ways publishers expect authors to help promote their own books. I wish I had learned more about how to plan a successful book signing--all the "extras" that help draw potential readers to your signing table. I wish I knew more about how to talk to bookstore managers and librarians, how to grow a mailing list, how to get the media interested in featuring my book.

I wish I'd understood more about the ins and outs of working with in-house publicists. Even though I took a couple of online classes about book promotion and even read books on the subject, I still didn't feel prepared--probably because I'm such an introvert and just don't want to deal with this side of book publishing. But in today's publishing world, an author doesn't really have a choice. My advice? Connect with an experienced author or two in your area, volunteer to help at their book signings and other events, and pick their brains about what types of promotion have been effective for them and what have not.




I wish I'd known how much time it takes away from writing another book to get the previous book to its release date. (Although . . . even if I'd known this, it wouldn't matter because there's nothing I can do about it if I want to sell books. It is what it is. ) I also had NO idea how wonderful reader letters would be--really hadn't thought about or anticipated people taking time from their busy schedules to email or hand-write letters to share what a book meant to them. When a story touches someone's heart the way you'd prayed it would, you know God was in it. Amazing and humbling.





I wish I had known to establish more of a database a year before my book was released. My agent says you only have one shot at a debut novel, so you have to give it your all—via a loaded Web site, blogs, newsletters, etc., none of which I had until about three months prior to my launch. I attended an ACFW seminar where the teacher said you need to work on this at least 1-1/2 to 2 years prior to a book launch, which, of course, I didn’t!

And I wish I’d known what an emotional roller-coaster it was going to be AFTER I got published. Like a lot of unpublished writers, I thought all the anxiety and self-doubt would dissipate after I signed on the dotted line. I mean that would validate me, wouldn’t it? Give me confidence as a writer? But I discovered (AGAIN!) that true confidence is not in accolades from your editor or a really good review, but instead in where your heart is with God. HE is our confidence when our sales rankings on Amazon.com are high or low, which is why I CLING to the following Scripture from 2 Corinthians ll:3, praying it almost every day: Do not let my mind “be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”






I wish I'd known to COMPLETELY clear my calendar the month prior to and of my book's release. Marketing takes an enormous amount of time. I wish I'd known how much book sales really matter. I wasn't prepared for how much pressure there would be to that end. I wish I'd known that rejection is as common post-publication as it is pre-publication. I wish I'd known that I'm not the only one out there who battles thoughts of inadequacy and doubt about my ability to write. I wish I'd known how very much work goes into making a book shelf-ready. I have way more respect for published authors, editors, art, marketing and everyone who is striving to make the book as good as it can possibly be. I wish I'd known how hard getting successive contracts would be.

I wish I'd known how much reader letters would mean and how seriously some readers take our words and how deeply they come to care about our characters. I wish I'd known to what extent God would and could use my words to reach in through the lines and apply balm of laughter to a human heart or evoke a bout of long-overdue tears. I wish I'd known the weight of the responsibility I feel toward my publisher, my editors and most of all, to each reader who spends time and money to buy and read the books I've been privileged to write.




I wish I'd know that Marketing and Sales directors drive an editor's decision much of the time. It's not that my story was bad, or my writing sucked--it was that my storyline wasn't sellable according to Marketing and Sales considerations. I have learned to take rejections much less personally.

I also wish I'd fully realized how much of all this is just timing (and God's timing). My being impatient didn't do anything except cause me stress and make me seem like a whiner. I needed to get to a better place emotionally in order to be able to handle things like editorial edits, marketing demands, bad reviews, etc. Only God knew when I'd be okay to handle all that stuff without going loco.




What I wish I knew...

You know honestly, that's one of the blessings of being among the last. I kept studying what the other gals did, what worked for them, what didn't, what they noticed or complained about, what caused problems with their time, money, stress, etc. and made it a point to learn from that. I kept rationalizing that if I was going to be the caboose, I was at least going to be an intelligent one. And that helped because when the time came I didn't feel like I was wasting money or spinning my wheels or running on a treadmill in slow motion. I felt energized and prepared.

I never felt adrift. Between the editorial staff and my agent, most things were smoothed for me step-by-step and that made my 'crossover' much easier in the long run. And I had Seeker sisters to help me with the ins and outs, the timing stuff, the necessary paperwork, terms, time-lines. That was huge.



I found marketing to be a big, unexpected surprise. How much time I put in to blogging, answering emails, interviews, book signings. All extremely time consuming. It's a good thing I don't have a life or things could get out of control.



I wish I'd known the importance of planning ahead for promotion. Setting up blog tours, reviews, radio and newspaper coverage and book signings needs to be done well in advance of the book's release. For example, our Christian radio station needed an ARC before I had my author copies in order to get my book in the lineup. I thought two or three months ahead was enough time. Wrong. I also learned to get bookmarks designed and printed, our business cards to readers, as soon as I have the JPEG of my cover. The further ahead you can set things up the better.




I wish I had known that I would still have to empty the litter box and clean the toilets. I woke up the morning after I sold and I looked exactly the same. I won't lie, this was a major disappointment.




I wish I knew that the agents are worth every dollar we pay them and more. Since they act as a buffer we don't make the mistake of sounding off to our editor when we're frustrated by our book or by them. We don't want to sound whiny or neurotic to an editor!

I wish I knew I'd have to fight deadline panic, but in the end I'd manage to settle down and finish on time.

I wish I knew how much time and energy editing a soon-to-be pubbed book can take--and how it can eat away a big chunk of the time allocated for the next book.

I wish I knew I'd have to juggle promotion and editing a book while working on deadline for the next book.

I wish I knew how long it would take me to write a complete book with a deadline looming. Before selling you have all the time you need to write and rewrite, but on a deadline you don't.

I wish I had more time between books and factored in a week for vacation.

I wish I'd kept better records for tax purposes.

I wish I knew that from the moment I sold, the publisher would treat me as a professional with a writing career, not a writing hobby.

~~~

So what do you think?

We're sending a corked bottle of sand, shells and inspiration from Unpubbed Island to one of our visitors. Winner will be announced in the Weekend Edition.

April Contest Update

April is upon us and along with it another bright and shiny new opportunity to take flight and enter your manuscript in a contest or your 2009 book in a published contest.


Today the Seekerville prize vault is open with an opportunity to win a surprise package mailed from the heart of downtown Seekerville to you. Just post a hello in the comments-and if you don't leave a method of contact or a link back, then you can't win.

Winner announced in the weekend edition. See contest guidelines lower right for our contest rules. BTW Seekerville and our wonderful guests have given away more than 150 prizes, that include books, gift cards, chocolate, coffee, critiques and surprises in the last year. So don't be shy. Say hi!



Unpublished Contests



Touched By Love. An inspirational romance contest. Deadline April 1st. Categories: Short Contemporary (under 75, 000 words), Long Contemporary (over 75,000 words) and Historical. An entry consists of up to the first 30 pages of an unpublished manuscript and an unjudged synopsis (no more than two pages double-spaced). Finalists will receive the opportunity to have their entry judged by five published inspirational authors. The winner will be announced at the 2010 RWA National Conference. There will be three finalists in the three categories. There will be a winner in each category and an overall winner from the three categories. You have until midnight April 1st to get your fees and electronic entry in.




Spring Into Romance. Deadline extended to April 2 postmark. One of the few non electronic contests. Entry consists of the first 25 pages.
Contemporary Series/Category Romance: Jenny Hutton, Mills & Boon
Contemporary Single Title Romance: Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group
Suspense/Adventure Romance: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Novel w/Strong Romantic Elements/Mainstream: Adam Wilson, MIRA Books
Historical Romance: TBA
Paranormal Romance: Megan Records, Kensington
Young Adult Romance: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency




27th Annual Orange Rose Contest for Unpublished Writers. Limited to the first 150 entries. Deadline is April 10. Submit synopsis and manuscript up to 55 pages total. Electronic Entry for Non U.S. Resident RWA Members only.This contest offers three in-depth critiques by published authors. The Top 10 finalists are judged by Editors.The contest is open to any writer meeting the following criteria: Must be a member in good standing of RWA National-Has not published or been contracted in book length fiction in the last five years-The entry must have a projected minimum length of 50,000 words.The categories are:Contemporary Category Romance, Historical, Inspirational,Mainstream w/Romantic Elements,Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy,Romantic Suspense, Single Title Romance (over 70,000 words),Erotic Romance. Finalist judges not listed. (Read the rules carefully for this contest. Orange Rose finalists are chosen by overall score NOT by category.)




Royal Ascot Contest. Deadline April 20th. The Royal Ascot is a contest devoted to the promotion of Regency Romances by encouraging the development of unpublished authors who set stories in the Regency Period. Entry consists of the beginning of manuscript and synopsis: maximum 8500 words in the text of manuscript and synopsis combined. Category info and final judges:

Regency Historical (longer Regency or Mainstream Regency-set)
Final Judge: Leis Pederson, Editor, Berkley
Hot Regency (Very sensual to Erotic Regency, at author's discretion)
Final Judge: Deb Werksman, Editor, Sourcebooks
Wild Regency (Paranormal, Time Travel, other similar Regency)
Final Judge: Tessa Woodward, Editor, Avon
Sweet & Mild Regency (Traditional, Inspirational, Young Adult or other without explicit sex)
Final Judge: Nicole D'Arienzo, Senior Editor, The Wild Rose Press
Short Regency (5,000 to 40,000 words) (Open to all authors, published and un-published)
Final Judge: Scott Eagan, The Greyhaus Agency




Break Up Your Winter Nights. May 1st deadline. Brought to you by the Alaska RWA.
Send your best "black moment" or break-up scene, no more than 10 pages. A brief set-up is optional. The top three entries will go to our final judge, Laurie M. Rauch of Samhain Publishing. The winning entry will receive a reading by Elizabeth Pomada of the Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency.




Magic Moment. Postmarked May 1st. Send the first ten (10) pages of your manuscript (either the first chapter or the prologue), and you will receive three detailed critiques. Final Round Judge: Miriam Kriss, Agent (Irene Goodman Agency) http://www.irenegoodman.com
First Place Winner will receive $100 and a certificate; Second and Third Place winners will receive certificates.



Weta Nichols Writing Contest. A very succinct contest by the Ozark Romance Authors with cash prizes. Deadline May 1st. Submit the first ten pages of your unfinished or finished novel (no short stories please,) in .doc format with one inch margins all around, double spaced, in 12 pitch Times New Roman font. Please send the first ten pages only, and no less than 7 pages. Stories should be previously unpublished and can be any genre, romance, sci-fi, mystery, etc.



Romancing the Script. Deadline May 1st. Final Judge Robert Gosnell. 1st Act, not to exceed the first 30 pages. TOP THREE WINNERS MUST SUBMIT THE FULL COMPLETED SCREENPLAY FOR CRITIQUE. Any genre as long as the A, B, OR C plotline contains romance.



TARA. Deadline May 1st. Electronic entries. The first chapter, 4,000 words max (actual word count), including prologue if applicable. *Word count will be verified. No part of a second or any additional chapters will be judged. Per editor request, finalists must include a synopsis of up to 1,500 words at the time they submit revised entry for final judging.
Series Contemporary: Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin
Historical: Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks
Paranormal: Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester
Single Title: Jhanteigh Kupihea, NAL
Women's Fiction: Amy Pierpont, Grand Central
Romantic Suspense: Peter Senftleben, Kensington
Inspirational: JoAnne Simmons, Barbour Books



Fool For Love. Deadline April 30th. ALL entrants must enter electronically. First chapter (up to 20 pages maximum) and optional synopsis (5 pages maximum). A prologue may be included with the first chapter as long as the entry does not exceed 20 pages.
Short Contemporary - TBA
Long Contemporary - Katelynn Lacopo, Literary Assistant, BookEnds, LLC
Historical - Lucy Gilmour, Harlequin Editor
Paranormal/Futuristic/Fantasy/Time Travel - Amanda Barnett, Senior Editor, The Wild Rose Press
Inspirational - Elizabeth Mazer, Assistant Editor, Steeple Hill
Romantic Suspense - TBA



The 26th Annual Colorado Gold Writing Contest. Contest opens April 1 and the deadline is June 1. Submission is the first twenty pages and a synopsis. Categories include: romance, mystery, speculative fiction, action/thriller and mainstream fiction. Five category winners receive a $100 dollar prize. Final judge is an acquiring agent or editor. Check out the website for a contest instruction video!


Published Contests



The Maggies Published Division. Deadline is May 1st. Open to all RWA published romance novelists who meet RITA® guidelines for eligibility. Electronic and audio books may be entered. Such books must be presented in English, in print-book format produced by the publisher, complete with copyright page, in perfect or case binding, and printed on both sides of the page. All books must carry a copyright date between January 2009 and December 2009. If the minimum number of entries in a category is not met, the entry will be moved into the second-choice category. The Maggie is awarded in the following romance categories: Contemporary Series Romance, Historical(includes Regencies), Contemporary Single Title, Paranormal/Fantasy (includes time travel, futuristic, etc.),and Inspirational.







Just For Fun

Deadline is May 31st for the...Wow! Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest.

Word Count:Maximum: 750, Minimum: 250 OPEN PROMPT! That’s right, this is your chance to shine, and get creative. You can write about anything, as long as it’s within the word count and fiction. Entry cap at 300.

Any style and genre. From horror to romance! So, get creative, and most of all, have fun. Entries limited to a maximum of 300 stories. Please enter early to ensure inclusion. The winner not only gets cash and goodies but an agent read! The guest agent judge is Jenny Bent of The Bent Agency.

Postcards From Unpubbed Island

This is your last postcard from the island for 2009.

There are four of us left on the island and you can bet we're planning our escape.

What about you? What's your 2010 escape plan?

Today Seekerville is giving away four lovely little jars of sand from Unpubbed Island to four of you who post your 2010 escape plan. Big plan, little plan. Any plan is better than no plan.

BTW, these jars will look great on your desk where they can sit as inspiration.

Winners will be posted on Saturday, December 5. You may enter until 10 pm MST Friday, December 4.


Posts from our archives to inspire you as you plan...

Survivor: Unpubbed Island

Dispatch From Unpubbed Island

Hurry Up And Wait

Hanging Tough On The Island

Watering Camels

Deadline Dementia for the Unpublished Author



Words to Consider You as You Plan...

"There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere . . . "

Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

"You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty."

L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

"The years that are gone seem like dreams--if one might go on sleeping and dreaming--but to wake up and find--oh! well! perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one's life."

Kate Chopin, The Awakening


"It was always the becoming he dreamed of, never the being."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise


"Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me; the guiding star and the loadstone which point the way. They point in but one direction. They point to me."

Ayn Rand, Anthem

Survivor: Unpubbed Island

Do you have what it takes for Survivor: Unpubbed Island?

Sure everyone wants off the island but the reality is this:

You have to make it on the island
before you get to leave the island.

Tips for your time on Unpubbed Island:


1. Get in shape. Writing shape that is. This time on Unpubbed Island isn't only about getting a golden tan or perfecting your sand volleyball technique. It's really about getting your writing muscles in shape.

If you can't meet a self imposed deadline now, then how are you going to meet an editor's deadline? Enter BIAW's, NaNoWriMo and Finish The Book-or write a book for The Golden Heart, the Genesis, or any other writing competition that pits you against you.

How fast can you write? How fast can you edit?

Now is the time to discover your personal best.

2. No excuses. There's a saying that if we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

Busy is an excuse, not a reason. Sure, you're busy. So am I and so is everyone else around this island. We have water to boil, fires to start, shelters to maintain and coconut daiquiri's to make.

Writers write, even if it means getting up at 2 am and hiding in the abandoned hut on the north corner of the island. No excuses.

3. Get tough. Entering contests is the first step in surrendering your ego and developing a thick hide. The next step is submitting.

We have a motto around Seekerville. Don't Diva. (or Divo) If a revision is suggested, do what is requested to the best of your ability. If you think the world revolves around you and your characters you are in for a long stay on the island.

Getting tough can also mean overcoming your fears.

Fear of failure: A basic fear of rejection.
Fear of success: Fear of your ability to handle situations that may arise if you do succeed.

Now is the time to explore these fears; while you are living in the relatively safe island environment. Approach your fears with a worst-case-scenario mentality and think about how you will deal with the outcome.

Leaving the island may be our goal, but make no mistake, the waters are shark infested and the mainland is a scary place.

4. Act like a winner.

• Winners see an answer for every problem.

• Winners say what they mean and mean what they say.

• Winners accept responsibility instead of placing blame.

• A winner's attitude is the ability to focus on long- term goals even though short-term results are not on track (-Kelley Robertson)

• Winners act. They don't react. (7 Habits of Highly Effective People-Franklin Covey)

5. Prepare. Surviving Unpubbed Island means planning.

What's your plan A? Your Plan B?

Writing is a business. Do you have a documented business plan? Have you outlined the steps to your writing success? What's your writing mission statement?

Or are you just stumbling through, hoping to survive?

What's your strategy when you meet with rejection, or low contest scores? Do you have a strategy or do you allow yourself to wallow in self pity and defeat?

One of the biggest mistakes inhabitants of the island make is failing to plan.

6. Small wins towards the big prize. Surviving the island means putting one foot in front of the other, and taking baby steps toward your goal.

The Theory of Small Wins, stipulates that people overlook small successes when they are overwhelmed by and preoccupied with large projects and goals. Instead of looking at how far you have to go, focus on how far you have come.

Another way to look at small wins: "The principle of using small wins to build psychological momentum was presented in a Ph.D. dissertation at Stanford University in 1977. The theory: It works because it’s a truly brain-friendly concept.

When someone praises you, you feel good because your brain produces a chemical called dopamine. When you praise yourself by checking off a completed action step, you get the same physiological result. As you achieve one small win after another, you find it easier and easier to take the action steps that generate the wins. "

-Why Small Bites Trump Multi-Tasking by Matt White

In the end it isn't just about getting off the island; it really is all about how you play the game. Winners stay on top by continuing to cultivate the same steps that got them off the island once they reach the mainland.

Don't be in such a rush to leave paradise that you fail to use your time here wisely or appreciate all the good things about Unpubbed Island.

Seekerville Weekend Edition

Those of us left on Unpubbed Island have been going through preparedness training.

If you want to get off the island you have to be able to envision your dreams coming true and you have to take steps of faith towards those dreams.

Here's a few things you can do to prepare:


1. Schedule an appointment with a professional photographer. By the way, make sure you purchase the reproduction rights. Discuss this thoroughly with your photographer.

Here's some recent shots I have had taken in the studio. I thought I'd let our Seekerville friends decide which picture captures my essence. So, which one do you think will look best on the back cover of a book?




















2. As you decide on your brand, and the name you will be putting out there in cyberspace, you might want to check out NameChek:

"Check to see if your desired username or vanity url is still available at dozens of popular Social Networking and Social Bookmarking websites. Promote your brand consistently by registering a username that is still available on the majority of the most popular sites. Find the best username with namechk. "


3. Speaking of a cyberspace presence. Reserve your domain name with an Internet Service Provider such as:

GoDaddy
Network Solutions
BuyDoman.com
1&1


4. Time to think about business cards, bookmarks, and postcards for promotions.

Vistaprint

Overnight Prints

Printing For Less . com


Don't forget .....
Customized United States postage stamps!


5. Put together a Press Kit. Here are a few sites to refer to.

Creating an Author Press Kit by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

How To Fatten Your Press Kit When You're A New Author by Lorna Tedder


6. (Spew Alert Here) It is never to early to consider the film rights. When the screen writer and the director approach you for your suggestions, who will you recommend for your leading man and woman?







So now you know what we're doing on Unpubbed Island. Writing and preparing for our escape, I mean departure. Because you can never be prepared enough for Pubbed Land.



Next Week In Seekerville:


Monday: Steeple Hill Historical author, Janet Dean is your hostess.

Tuesday: Abingdon Press and Barbour Publishing author, Myra Johnson shares.

Wednesday: Revell author, Julie Lessman is here.

Thursday: Ruth Logan Herne, the newest addition to the Steeple Hill family posts.

Friday: Tammy Barley, Whitaker House author blogs.




Seeker Sightings:


The calls have gone out for the Maggie Awards, Unpublished and Published Division. While we haven't seen any official lists the following Seekers received the "call." Congratulations to:

Janet Dean

Debby Giusti

Cara Lynn James (Unpublished Category) Love on Assignment












As part of the fun during the two-day celebration of Harlequin's 60th Anniversary at Don's Books in Kokomo, IN, Janet Dean is signing Courting Miss Adelaide and Courting the Doctor's Daughter from 11:30-2:00, along with Blythe Gifford, Jade Lee, Dana Corbit, Denise Lynn and Lori Foster.






Cara Lynn James is the current guest at Romance Writers on the Journey. Her post is titled "Saturday Special: Cara Lynn James Sold!" Keli Gwyn asks her about her sale, receiving The Call and what she's learned since she was Keli's guest in June. And there are giveaways too!








Be sure you stop by Julie Lessman's web page and check out her ICRS photos!












The Deadly Intent Blog Tour Continues...

8/8 Camy's lovely Genesis coordinator Erica Vetsch asks her to blog about the differences in writing category suspense and trade contemporary romance.

8/10 Camy spills ALL about visiting my friend Audra Harders and milking her goat! No joke!

8/11 Amy interviews Camy and reviews Deadly Intent.

8/12 Camy's friend and Love Inspired romance author Betsy St. Amant reviews Deadly Intent.

8/13 Camy's friend and women’s fiction author Christina Berry reviews Deadly Intent
(pre-order Christina’s debut novel, The Familiar Stranger!)

8/13 Women’s fiction author Trish Perry interviews Camy.

8/14 Gina Welborn reviews Deadly Intent.

8/14 Camy is on the blog of her friend Ronie Kendig, talking about her writing journey between suspense and chick lit and contemporary romance--with a bonus blurb from one of Camy's old manuscripts!

8/15 Fellow Love Inspired Suspense author Cara Putman asks Camy about any embarrassing research books I had to check out of the library.




Save The Date:

August 21, Christy Finalist, Pamela Binnings Ewen joins us.

September 2, Dorchester debut author, Marilyn Brant will be with us.

September 18, LIVE FROM ACFW it's Seekerville!

September 22, Private Eye Duo, Colleen Collins and Shaun Kaufman are sleuthing in Seekerville. They're bringing goodies too!

September 25, Our guest is Love Inspired Historical author, Winnie Griggs.

September 28, two-time Golden Heart finalist Anne Barton is back in Seekerville.

September 29, Barbour Publishing author, Marcia Gruver returns to Seekerville.

September 30, Cool Beans! NavPress author Erynn Mangum will be here.