Every writer says that the road to publication is a long one. And indeed it is! But it’s certainly not a journey I’d want to end any time soon!!
One year ago today, I parked myself at the kitchen table and started writing my first solo project. Over the next four months, my fingers raced over the keyboard, putting the story in my head onto the page. After the words were out, I took a short detour and distanced myself from the story for a few of months.
While I left my story behind, I gave a lot of critiques and did some editing for other writers (something I love to do)! In turn, I also gave my story over to some writer friends for some honest feedback. All of the comments and constructive criticism I received was invaluable, which paved my road for Pitch Wars.
By November, my Twitter feed was blowing up with talk about Pitch Wars (you can read about my Pitch Wars experience here). I decided to throw my manuscript into the fray. What did I have to lose? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!
December and January went by in a Pitch Wars induced blur! I was rewriting and editing like a mad woman! I am positive my family would agree.
With January coming to a close, my fast-paced journey began to slow down. I had a beautiful manuscript and a solid query letter, so I started sending them out (and even found time to take down the Christmas tree).
So, February became the month of waiting. In keeping with my “road” metaphor, I equate February as being stuck in query traffic: stop and go, stop and go! I sent out a handful of queries and waited. On the morning of February 14th, I woke up and thought about how an offer of representation would be the BEST Valentine’s Day present. That night, I got what I wished for!!! Louise Fury of The Bent Agency emailed, saying she wanted to talk. AHHHH!! I was soooo excited!! At the beginning of March, I was officially an agented writer and a member of #TeamFury!
Now that I’ve pulled off of query road and onto publication highway, my manuscript, THROUGH THE STORM, has come full circle. It is now in Louise’s competent hands, and I couldn’t be more pleased! Her enthusiasm and vision for THROUGH THE STORM is a dream come true.
And today, I’m back at my kitchen table, beginning a new journey as I tell my next story. I’m so excited to see what the next year brings!
No matter where you are in your writing adventure, don’t give up! Enjoy the ride!
Marie Meyer 