My Publishing Journey

Trying to get your first book published is a marathon, not a dash. I’m not a runner, so the running metaphor stops there, but it’s an apt one to keep in mind as you begin the publishing journey. It isn’t luck, although what’s happening in the market can certainly effect whether or not your book is acquired or the details of your deal. The fact of the matter is that if you write a story readers can’t put down, a story that connects with them emotionally, gives their imagination a workout and—bonus—challenges them in some way, then somebody is going to buy your book. I think new or unpublished writers spend far too much time worrying about trends. This is something you should be aware of, especially in YA, but it shouldn’t ultimately determine what you choose to write, assuming, of course, that you’re writing the story your heart is begging you to put down on paper. Any other story is for the birds.

When I found out that Something Real sold, I felt a little like this:

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There’s a line in I’ll Meet You There that pretty much sums it up for me: Getting what you’ve always wanted, after wanting it for so long that the wanting was imprinted on your very being—it was too much.

It was pretty surreal,…