My Personal Path To Publication - Chynna Laird
I came to know today's guest in a wonderful way. I was asked to be a guest judge on a facebook group for a short story contest and had the pleasure of reading Chynna's entry. She did not win, but I assure, if I had been the only judge, she would have. Her touching and poignant story had my vote. Now, I am delighted she is now a member of the Astraea Press family and her next novel, as she has several already published, will be coming out soon, under the name Blackbird Flies. Like many of the authors sharing on this blog special series, the writers bug bit Chynna early and hard. And that is no generalization...read further and you'll see what I mean. Don't forget to ask her about her short story. It's worth a read. I loved it! Now, check out Chynna's journey to publication.
1. How long have you been writing?I've been writing as long as I canremember. I've always kept a diary/journal and loved writing short stories inschool. I think it was in Grade Four when a publisher came to our class to talkabout the world of writing and publishing books. She took us through the wholeprocess. At the end of the chat, we got to 'publish' our own books: We wrote astory, did illustrations, designed and created our covers then 'published' themin the school library for other students to take out. My book was called, 'TheAdventures of Super Bug'. Okay, so the 'book' was on printer paper, the'illustrations' were stick guy-like and the 'cover' was laminated cardstock butto me it was the best thing EVER!The ironic thing was that I'd forgotten tobring my book home with me at the end of the year. Ten years later, my youngersister came home from school one day and asked me to read the book she took outfrom her school library. Guess what it was? Yup. Super Bug! I took that as asign that writing and authoring is what I was meant to do.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? Ifnot, what's your plan? I am a published author, actually (yes Idid publish again after Super Bug! HA!). I have two memoirs, a children'spicture boo, a Young Adult novel, and an adult suspense/thriller coming outnext spring. I'm certainly very Blessed.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route,with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, ordeciding to self-publish?My children's picture book was originallyself-published and is now in the loving hands of the traditional publisher whohandled my memoir, Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With SPDand the traditional route with all of my other books. But in all cases, I'vegone directly to publishers myself.
4. Why did you choose that particular route?I self-published my children's picture bookbecause it was a really hard one to sell having such a specific niche. But Iwanted to have total control over how it turned out. It's a story close to myheart and, really, a gift I created for my daughter, Jaimie so I had to makesure it was exactly what she needed. So far, I've had great success with sellingmy own stuff so I keep right on doing it. But, eventually, I think it would bewonderful to have an agent so I can leave all of the pavement pounding to himor her. =)
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?My first published novel, BlackbirdFlies, only took me a few weeks to write but months of editing.That's how I work. I get an idea,envision the entire book in my head, write madly for a few weeks then edituntil it all makes sense.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?Ahhhh! That's an entirely different story.LOL! I wrote this book a couple of years ago but only just recently found ahome for it. That's just how it works. I shelved it and worked on otherprojects. Then when I came across a place handling YA that might be interested,I'd dust it off and pitch it. When it was rejected, I'd put it back on theshelf, working on another project I'd have going, until I found another placeto try. After years of doing this, I finally found the right home for it (Thankyou to Stephanie with Astraea Press for giving my book a chance! xo).
7. How many times did it get rejectedbefore it got published?Oh my goodness! Eighteen that I kept trackof and that doesn't include the ones I did through online submission forms.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.For this manuscript, I never had any reallybad rejections. Just editors telling me the story was great but that it didn'tfit in with their line up. The worst rejection letter I've ever received on anyof my book projects was for White Elephants where a publisher actuallytold me I should be ashamed of myself even approaching publishers with suchdisgusting subject matter (White Elephants is my memoir about beingraised by a mom with untreated bipolar disorder and alcoholism. The 'disgustingsubject matter' the guy referred to were issues we should all be talking aboutlike child abuse, eating disorders, rape, and others.) That hurt so much ittook me months before I tried again to send it out. But that's just what youhave to do—dust yourself off and keep trying.
9. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it makeyou feel?Wow! I've had so many wonderful thingshappen I'm not sure I can choose just one. I'd say it would be the feeling ofhearing, "IT'S UP FOR SALE!" after my first book, "Not Just Spirited: AMom's Sensational Journey With SPD" was released. Nothing beats the feelingof that first book out there then holding it in your hands.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got? The back story to this is a long one butthe gist of it is that I'd worked my butt off on a book that was supposed to goout earlier this year. When I got the galley copy of it, it was awful. I meanGod awful!! I wouldn't have stood behind that book nor wanted my name on thecover it was so bad. The publisher took my project and turned it into what theyfelt was more suitable not what I'd originally intended. So I told them so,stopped publication of it and demanded my rights back. But instead of admittingwhat they'd done, the editor told me she thought I was an awful writer andshould never have been published in the first place. She told me to give upwriting. Needless to say that knocked the wind out of my writing sails for months.I wouldn't even go near my keyboard. But then, one day, I got a lovely emailfrom a fan of Not Just Spirited who told me she loved my book, how ithelped her and to keep writing. In fact, she told me she'd be watching for moreof my work! Shortly after that, I sold three more of mymanuscripts. I guess that editor was wrong, hey?
11. Now, tell us the best!One of my writing mentors once said, "Don'tget hung up on rejections. Wear them like badges of honor that give you thestrength to go on. What doesn't work with one editor/publisher will be the nextone you try's pearl."Never give up. That's what I keep tellingmyself. Just like the Little Engine that Could. LOL!
12. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away fromyour personal path to publication?Gosh. I'd have to say don't let othersdefine who you are or what sort of writer you want to be. Figure out what yourspecial talent or niche is then be the best you can be at that. Don't worryabout what others are doing/aren't doing. Focus on what you're doing andyou'll do awesome.
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook?On Twitter? Your website?Okay let's see.My main blog, 'The Gift' is where I spendmost of my blogging time: www.the-gift-blog.comMy second blog, 'White Elephants' is aplace where I discuss all those issues that one editor found 'disgusting'. Iguess you could say I realized after that guy said that, we really need moreplaces for people to discuss those issues where they feel safe and accepted.That address is: www.seethewhiteelephants.comYou can find me on Facebook as ChynnaLaird. I also have an author page here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chynna-Laird-Author/203311629699211You can find me on Twitter as @lilywolf.My personal Website is at www.lilywolfwords.ca. I'm in theprocess of revamping it so if folks can't get on right away, keep on trying. =)
Book Blurb – Blackbird Flies
Fifteen year-old Payton MacGregor is a musical prodigy. Tohim, though, his music is merely a way for him to escape from the chaos thatsurrounds him. All of his life, he's had to care for his mother, who copes withher bipolar disorder with booze instead of turning to her own musical talents. He refuses to become a statistic. Thenhe's thrown a curve ball.
His mother suddenly dies, leaving him to be cared for by hisaging grandparents. As much as they lovehim, they decide to send him halfway across Canada to live with his father,Liam—the man Payton always believed abandoned him and his mother. Payton isn'tmaking the relocation easy on anyone until he finds out he's going to attendthe prestigious School of the Arts for musically gifted youth. Any secondthoughts he has about his new life are erased when he meets Lily Joplin. Theirconnection is instantaneous.
Lily is a talented singer, but her struggles with drugs andbipolar disorder hit too close to home for Payton's comfort. And when herissues become all-consuming for Payton, he wonders if his music will be enoughto carry him through.
This book sounds wonderful and I can't wait till it comes out! And hearing about all those blogs and ways to reach Chynna exhausts me. Wanna know a secret? Just to make you even more impressed, I can share one more little fun fact....Chynna is not only a talented and amazingly prolific author....she is also a mother of four! Making time to write with my two makes me nuts sometimes....Chynna, you are my hero. She'd love to hear from you at one of the bazillion ways she's got to contact her. Let her know if you're a fan. She already knows I am!
1. How long have you been writing?I've been writing as long as I canremember. I've always kept a diary/journal and loved writing short stories inschool. I think it was in Grade Four when a publisher came to our class to talkabout the world of writing and publishing books. She took us through the wholeprocess. At the end of the chat, we got to 'publish' our own books: We wrote astory, did illustrations, designed and created our covers then 'published' themin the school library for other students to take out. My book was called, 'TheAdventures of Super Bug'. Okay, so the 'book' was on printer paper, the'illustrations' were stick guy-like and the 'cover' was laminated cardstock butto me it was the best thing EVER!The ironic thing was that I'd forgotten tobring my book home with me at the end of the year. Ten years later, my youngersister came home from school one day and asked me to read the book she took outfrom her school library. Guess what it was? Yup. Super Bug! I took that as asign that writing and authoring is what I was meant to do.
2. Are you published and if so, how long have you been a published author? Ifnot, what's your plan? I am a published author, actually (yes Idid publish again after Super Bug! HA!). I have two memoirs, a children'spicture boo, a Young Adult novel, and an adult suspense/thriller coming outnext spring. I'm certainly very Blessed.
3. Which route did you choose for becoming published, the traditional route,with an agent, the "indie" route, going directly to the publishers yourself, ordeciding to self-publish?My children's picture book was originallyself-published and is now in the loving hands of the traditional publisher whohandled my memoir, Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With SPDand the traditional route with all of my other books. But in all cases, I'vegone directly to publishers myself.
4. Why did you choose that particular route?I self-published my children's picture bookbecause it was a really hard one to sell having such a specific niche. But Iwanted to have total control over how it turned out. It's a story close to myheart and, really, a gift I created for my daughter, Jaimie so I had to makesure it was exactly what she needed. So far, I've had great success with sellingmy own stuff so I keep right on doing it. But, eventually, I think it would bewonderful to have an agent so I can leave all of the pavement pounding to himor her. =)
5. How long did it take you to write your first novel?My first published novel, BlackbirdFlies, only took me a few weeks to write but months of editing.That's how I work. I get an idea,envision the entire book in my head, write madly for a few weeks then edituntil it all makes sense.
6. How long did it take you to publish it?Ahhhh! That's an entirely different story.LOL! I wrote this book a couple of years ago but only just recently found ahome for it. That's just how it works. I shelved it and worked on otherprojects. Then when I came across a place handling YA that might be interested,I'd dust it off and pitch it. When it was rejected, I'd put it back on theshelf, working on another project I'd have going, until I found another placeto try. After years of doing this, I finally found the right home for it (Thankyou to Stephanie with Astraea Press for giving my book a chance! xo).
7. How many times did it get rejectedbefore it got published?Oh my goodness! Eighteen that I kept trackof and that doesn't include the ones I did through online submission forms.
8. Tell us about worst rejection letter.For this manuscript, I never had any reallybad rejections. Just editors telling me the story was great but that it didn'tfit in with their line up. The worst rejection letter I've ever received on anyof my book projects was for White Elephants where a publisher actuallytold me I should be ashamed of myself even approaching publishers with suchdisgusting subject matter (White Elephants is my memoir about beingraised by a mom with untreated bipolar disorder and alcoholism. The 'disgustingsubject matter' the guy referred to were issues we should all be talking aboutlike child abuse, eating disorders, rape, and others.) That hurt so much ittook me months before I tried again to send it out. But that's just what youhave to do—dust yourself off and keep trying.
9. What was the best news you ever got in your writing life and how did it makeyou feel?Wow! I've had so many wonderful thingshappen I'm not sure I can choose just one. I'd say it would be the feeling ofhearing, "IT'S UP FOR SALE!" after my first book, "Not Just Spirited: AMom's Sensational Journey With SPD" was released. Nothing beats the feelingof that first book out there then holding it in your hands.
10. What's the worst piece of advice you ever got? The back story to this is a long one butthe gist of it is that I'd worked my butt off on a book that was supposed to goout earlier this year. When I got the galley copy of it, it was awful. I meanGod awful!! I wouldn't have stood behind that book nor wanted my name on thecover it was so bad. The publisher took my project and turned it into what theyfelt was more suitable not what I'd originally intended. So I told them so,stopped publication of it and demanded my rights back. But instead of admittingwhat they'd done, the editor told me she thought I was an awful writer andshould never have been published in the first place. She told me to give upwriting. Needless to say that knocked the wind out of my writing sails for months.I wouldn't even go near my keyboard. But then, one day, I got a lovely emailfrom a fan of Not Just Spirited who told me she loved my book, how ithelped her and to keep writing. In fact, she told me she'd be watching for moreof my work! Shortly after that, I sold three more of mymanuscripts. I guess that editor was wrong, hey?
11. Now, tell us the best!One of my writing mentors once said, "Don'tget hung up on rejections. Wear them like badges of honor that give you thestrength to go on. What doesn't work with one editor/publisher will be the nextone you try's pearl."Never give up. That's what I keep tellingmyself. Just like the Little Engine that Could. LOL!
12. What's the one thing you would want an aspiring writer to take away fromyour personal path to publication?Gosh. I'd have to say don't let othersdefine who you are or what sort of writer you want to be. Figure out what yourspecial talent or niche is then be the best you can be at that. Don't worryabout what others are doing/aren't doing. Focus on what you're doing andyou'll do awesome.
13. Where can we read your blog? Buy your books? Connect with you on facebook?On Twitter? Your website?Okay let's see.My main blog, 'The Gift' is where I spendmost of my blogging time: www.the-gift-blog.comMy second blog, 'White Elephants' is aplace where I discuss all those issues that one editor found 'disgusting'. Iguess you could say I realized after that guy said that, we really need moreplaces for people to discuss those issues where they feel safe and accepted.That address is: www.seethewhiteelephants.comYou can find me on Facebook as ChynnaLaird. I also have an author page here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Chynna-Laird-Author/203311629699211You can find me on Twitter as @lilywolf.My personal Website is at www.lilywolfwords.ca. I'm in theprocess of revamping it so if folks can't get on right away, keep on trying. =)
Book Blurb – Blackbird FliesFifteen year-old Payton MacGregor is a musical prodigy. Tohim, though, his music is merely a way for him to escape from the chaos thatsurrounds him. All of his life, he's had to care for his mother, who copes withher bipolar disorder with booze instead of turning to her own musical talents. He refuses to become a statistic. Thenhe's thrown a curve ball.
His mother suddenly dies, leaving him to be cared for by hisaging grandparents. As much as they lovehim, they decide to send him halfway across Canada to live with his father,Liam—the man Payton always believed abandoned him and his mother. Payton isn'tmaking the relocation easy on anyone until he finds out he's going to attendthe prestigious School of the Arts for musically gifted youth. Any secondthoughts he has about his new life are erased when he meets Lily Joplin. Theirconnection is instantaneous.
Lily is a talented singer, but her struggles with drugs andbipolar disorder hit too close to home for Payton's comfort. And when herissues become all-consuming for Payton, he wonders if his music will be enoughto carry him through.
This book sounds wonderful and I can't wait till it comes out! And hearing about all those blogs and ways to reach Chynna exhausts me. Wanna know a secret? Just to make you even more impressed, I can share one more little fun fact....Chynna is not only a talented and amazingly prolific author....she is also a mother of four! Making time to write with my two makes me nuts sometimes....Chynna, you are my hero. She'd love to hear from you at one of the bazillion ways she's got to contact her. Let her know if you're a fan. She already knows I am!
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