The How-I-Got-Published Post

Usually everyone posts these 'How I got my Agent' stories and I admit that I was looked longingly on these posts wondering when I'd have an agent of my own.

I sent out 53 queries.  By some standards that isn't a lot and I actually got a lot of positive responses.  But it was the positive responses that were driving me nuts.

"I love the story, but it just doesn't fit in my client list."

"I love your characters, but I just don't see where it fits in the market."

"It's just too quirky for my book of business."

I was getting frustrated.  I had been querying for the past two years (two different stories) and had come so close, but everything just seemed so far away.  Then my wonderful critique partner, Leta, suggested going for a small press or Indie publisher.

I thought, that wasn't what I wanted to do, that I wanted to see my book in the bookstores.  So I talked to my husband and another critique partner and they said the same thing.  "You've been waiting two years, why not give it a shot?"

So, I really thought about it.  Did I want to sit around another two years and wait for an agent?  Or even sit around another two years after that while I waited for a publisher to pick it up?

I then decided that I wanted to submit directly to publishers and after reading SoulKeepers, I decided that Darkside was the place that I wanted to be.  I sent in my manuscript, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.  I got a message from Gen saying that Megg Jensen loved my first five pages and requested a full.

I was so excited, but then my husband took me back down to Earth, saying this wasn't my first full and the other ones ended in rejections.  So I waited.  But I kept getting messages from Megg and Gen seeing how I was, asking if I read their work, so I started to really get my hopes up and prayed that it wouldn't end up in a big fat R.

Then I finally got it, THE CALL (or the text) from GP Ching asking me to join Darkside.

And the rest is history.