My Personal Path To Publication - Joselyn Vaughn
Hello everyone. Welcome and let's meet today's guest, Joselyn Vaughn. An accomplished writer, author, and mother of twins, this is one woman who is doing it all. A fellow author at Astraea Press with me, she has three books in publication now, with one at Astraea already, and will be releasing her latest, Hauntings of the Heart, soon with Astraea Press as well. Joselyn told me it was fun to remember how she got to having four books published and recounting her writing experiences. She recalled rewriting her first book for Astraea, Sucker for a Hot Rod so many times because the timeline was goofed up, that by the last rewrite, she could hardly stand to read it! She happened to pitch it during an email loop pitch day and got three contract offers. We're all just glad she went with Astraea! Now, check out the rest of her story!
1. How longhave you been writing? I have beenwriting ever since I could hold a pencil. My sister recently found some"flash" fiction I wrote while I was waiting for church to start. (My motherinsisted on being there and in our seats twenty minutes early, so I had plentyof time.) I attempted a novel about five years ago and have been writingmore seriously since then. Squeezing writing in around other things is how I'vealways done it. A few free minutes in class. During a lunchbreak. While the kids are sleeping.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have youbeen a published author? If not, what's your plan?Yes, My firstbook, CEOs Don't Cry, was published in 2009 by Avalon Books. I have twoother books published. Courting Sparks with Avalon and Suckerfor a Hot Rod with Astraea Press. I have one other manuscriptcontracted. It is called Hauntings of the Heart and will bepublished with Astraea Press.
3. Which route did you choose for becomingpublished, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, goingdirectly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?I originallyattempted to get an agent. I sent out close to forty queries with bites but nofull requests. This was on my first completed manuscript. I thenqueried three publishers, but was starting to think that maybe this manuscriptmight need to go under the bed. Two of the publishers eventually requested thefull manuscript and one of them offered a contract. That was before the "indie"route really took off and the market for ebooks exploded. Strange tothink that was only a couple years ago. If I was trying to publish myfirst book now, I don't know what I would do. There are so many optionsto get your work before readers. While I've always loved the idea ofebooks—I remember seeing a "new" invention where an entire encyclopedia couldbe on a disk and thought it was amazing—I never realized how much I would likereading in that format. The new Amazon Tablet is on my birthday wish list.
4. Why did you choose that particular route?I tried to getan agent first because I wanted someone to do the selling side of thebusiness. I'm not very good at it. I'm naturally an observer, not anextrovert, so it's really hard to put myself out there and say 'hey I'm JoselynVaughn and my books are awesome.' I wish I had someone else to do that.
5. How long did it take you to write your firstnovel?From the daythe first words went on the page to the last revision of the requestedmanuscript was a year and a half. The first draft took about five months, butthere were many revisions afterward. I've gotten a little faster. Afinished 60k novel takes about a year now. The rough drafts come a littlequicker, but they tend to be pretty rough.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?I startedsending queries to agents about nine months after starting themanuscript. The publisher requested the full manuscript a year afterthat. They offered a contract about five months later and it was publishedabout nine months after that. So I started writing it in 2006 and it waspublished in 2009.
7. How many times did it get rejected before itgot published?About fortytimes. I got lots of form letters. One was basically a business card with"No, thanks" on it. A few were promising. One had a handwritten note thatmy writing was good, but they didn't think they could sell the story.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.The worstrejection wasn't from an agent or editor. It was comments on a contestentry. The judge said I didn't know anything about living in a small townbecause small towns weren't like that. Actually I've lived in a smalltown/rural area pretty much my entire life and everything in the story wassomething that happened. I guess my idea of a small town was much smaller thanthe judge's. Now I use it as a reminder that you have to take the good with thebad. And find what was useful—if anything—and toss the rest. I ended deletingthat entire chapter because I realized later that the story started twochapters later.
9. What was the best news you ever got in yourwriting life and how did it make you feel?You mean otherthan getting THE CALL? That's pretty exciting. I got the call formy first book while I was changing my daughter's diaper. I was too farinto the process to pick her up from the changing table and grab the phone andnot far enough that I could finish before the machine got it. It was sounbelievable that I had to listen to the machine message several times. The call for my second book came after I had just settled down for a nap. I had a set of 18 month old twins and was pregnant, so afternoon nap time wasthe highlight of my day and getting into a comfortable position was nearlyimpossible. I didn't get up for the phone that time either. I could hear themachine, so, needless to say, I didn't sleep. It took me a while to build themotivation to move though.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?It's not theworst. I'm not sure I could say something I've been told and acted on was theworst, but I do have one that's funny. My critique partner always tellsme the characters need to be checking out each other's butts. (You can probablyguess she's what she looks at. J ) I've decided this means the hero or heroineshould be finding something attractive about the other person. Sometimes youhave to look at advice and see what it really means.
11. Now, tell us the best!It you want towrite a book, get a pen and a paper and do it. That's all you need and the onlyway it's going to happen.
12. What's the one thing you would want anaspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?Don't getbogged down by rejection. Form letters aren't personal. Send it somewhereelse. There are so many possibilities—even more than three yearsago. Try something else and, most importantly, don't quit writing.
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books?Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?You can findout about all the adventures in the Vaughn household which lately seem to focuson the horrors of potty training twins (Will she be wearing Disney princesspull-ups in college? It's even money right now.) at my blog: http://joselynvaughn.blogspot.com.I'm also on Facebook (http://facebook.com/joselynvaughn)and Twitter (@joselynvaughn). My books are available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_6?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=joselyn+vaughn&sprefix=josely).
Excerpt from Sucker for a Hot Rod:Bryce took a swig from his glass. Judi was about tosignal a server to take their order, but Bryce stood and walked around thetable. He knelt beside her chair.A jumble of thoughts crowded and bounced through her headlike children on an indoor recess.Candlelight. Soft music. Fancy restaurant. He's wearing atie. He's down on one knee. People are staring. That lady over there is crying.Then the thoughts coalesced into one direction.Romantic spot. Kneeling. Oh crap.She focused her attention on him. He held a small velvetbox in his fingertips. His fingers shook."Judi Montgomery, will you marry me?" He opened the boxand a square cut diamond winked at her against the cushioned white satin."What?"She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but it slipped out. This was a bit morethan an oil filter.
Whew! *fans self* As a car lover, I know that makes my motor run. Okay, it made it run even without the car-loving thing. Whatever. Move on. So! I hope you've enjoyed meeting Joselyn. One final piece of advice from her: So to all thestruggling writers out there I say, don't give up. (And stay away from thedelete key if you are having a rotten day. J) Terrific advice from one who knows!
1. How longhave you been writing? I have beenwriting ever since I could hold a pencil. My sister recently found some"flash" fiction I wrote while I was waiting for church to start. (My motherinsisted on being there and in our seats twenty minutes early, so I had plentyof time.) I attempted a novel about five years ago and have been writingmore seriously since then. Squeezing writing in around other things is how I'vealways done it. A few free minutes in class. During a lunchbreak. While the kids are sleeping.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have youbeen a published author? If not, what's your plan?Yes, My firstbook, CEOs Don't Cry, was published in 2009 by Avalon Books. I have twoother books published. Courting Sparks with Avalon and Suckerfor a Hot Rod with Astraea Press. I have one other manuscriptcontracted. It is called Hauntings of the Heart and will bepublished with Astraea Press.
3. Which route did you choose for becomingpublished, the traditional route, with an agent, the "indie" route, goingdirectly to the publishers yourself, or deciding to self-publish?I originallyattempted to get an agent. I sent out close to forty queries with bites but nofull requests. This was on my first completed manuscript. I thenqueried three publishers, but was starting to think that maybe this manuscriptmight need to go under the bed. Two of the publishers eventually requested thefull manuscript and one of them offered a contract. That was before the "indie"route really took off and the market for ebooks exploded. Strange tothink that was only a couple years ago. If I was trying to publish myfirst book now, I don't know what I would do. There are so many optionsto get your work before readers. While I've always loved the idea ofebooks—I remember seeing a "new" invention where an entire encyclopedia couldbe on a disk and thought it was amazing—I never realized how much I would likereading in that format. The new Amazon Tablet is on my birthday wish list.
4. Why did you choose that particular route?I tried to getan agent first because I wanted someone to do the selling side of thebusiness. I'm not very good at it. I'm naturally an observer, not anextrovert, so it's really hard to put myself out there and say 'hey I'm JoselynVaughn and my books are awesome.' I wish I had someone else to do that.
5. How long did it take you to write your firstnovel?From the daythe first words went on the page to the last revision of the requestedmanuscript was a year and a half. The first draft took about five months, butthere were many revisions afterward. I've gotten a little faster. Afinished 60k novel takes about a year now. The rough drafts come a littlequicker, but they tend to be pretty rough.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?I startedsending queries to agents about nine months after starting themanuscript. The publisher requested the full manuscript a year afterthat. They offered a contract about five months later and it was publishedabout nine months after that. So I started writing it in 2006 and it waspublished in 2009.
7. How many times did it get rejected before itgot published?About fortytimes. I got lots of form letters. One was basically a business card with"No, thanks" on it. A few were promising. One had a handwritten note thatmy writing was good, but they didn't think they could sell the story.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.The worstrejection wasn't from an agent or editor. It was comments on a contestentry. The judge said I didn't know anything about living in a small townbecause small towns weren't like that. Actually I've lived in a smalltown/rural area pretty much my entire life and everything in the story wassomething that happened. I guess my idea of a small town was much smaller thanthe judge's. Now I use it as a reminder that you have to take the good with thebad. And find what was useful—if anything—and toss the rest. I ended deletingthat entire chapter because I realized later that the story started twochapters later.
9. What was the best news you ever got in yourwriting life and how did it make you feel?You mean otherthan getting THE CALL? That's pretty exciting. I got the call formy first book while I was changing my daughter's diaper. I was too farinto the process to pick her up from the changing table and grab the phone andnot far enough that I could finish before the machine got it. It was sounbelievable that I had to listen to the machine message several times. The call for my second book came after I had just settled down for a nap. I had a set of 18 month old twins and was pregnant, so afternoon nap time wasthe highlight of my day and getting into a comfortable position was nearlyimpossible. I didn't get up for the phone that time either. I could hear themachine, so, needless to say, I didn't sleep. It took me a while to build themotivation to move though.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got?It's not theworst. I'm not sure I could say something I've been told and acted on was theworst, but I do have one that's funny. My critique partner always tellsme the characters need to be checking out each other's butts. (You can probablyguess she's what she looks at. J ) I've decided this means the hero or heroineshould be finding something attractive about the other person. Sometimes youhave to look at advice and see what it really means.
11. Now, tell us the best!It you want towrite a book, get a pen and a paper and do it. That's all you need and the onlyway it's going to happen.
12. What's the one thing you would want anaspiring writer to take away from your personal path to publication?Don't getbogged down by rejection. Form letters aren't personal. Send it somewhereelse. There are so many possibilities—even more than three yearsago. Try something else and, most importantly, don't quit writing.
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books?Connect with you on facebook? On Twitter? Your website?You can findout about all the adventures in the Vaughn household which lately seem to focuson the horrors of potty training twins (Will she be wearing Disney princesspull-ups in college? It's even money right now.) at my blog: http://joselynvaughn.blogspot.com.I'm also on Facebook (http://facebook.com/joselynvaughn)and Twitter (@joselynvaughn). My books are available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_6?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=joselyn+vaughn&sprefix=josely).
Excerpt from Sucker for a Hot Rod:Bryce took a swig from his glass. Judi was about tosignal a server to take their order, but Bryce stood and walked around thetable. He knelt beside her chair.A jumble of thoughts crowded and bounced through her headlike children on an indoor recess.Candlelight. Soft music. Fancy restaurant. He's wearing atie. He's down on one knee. People are staring. That lady over there is crying.Then the thoughts coalesced into one direction.Romantic spot. Kneeling. Oh crap.She focused her attention on him. He held a small velvetbox in his fingertips. His fingers shook."Judi Montgomery, will you marry me?" He opened the boxand a square cut diamond winked at her against the cushioned white satin."What?"She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but it slipped out. This was a bit morethan an oil filter.Whew! *fans self* As a car lover, I know that makes my motor run. Okay, it made it run even without the car-loving thing. Whatever. Move on. So! I hope you've enjoyed meeting Joselyn. One final piece of advice from her: So to all thestruggling writers out there I say, don't give up. (And stay away from thedelete key if you are having a rotten day. J) Terrific advice from one who knows!
No comments have been added yet.
