It’s actually one of my favorite questions to ask in my author spotlight series on WritersDigest.com. Over the years, I’ve noticed some trends—like that debuts tend to take longer from idea to publication than later books in a series, and that one author’s concept of “taking a really long time to complete a project” is actually warp speed for another author. 

“I started working on this book in the summer of 2018,” says Nancy Reddy, author of The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom (St. Martin’s Press). “My older son, who’d just finished kindergarten as I began, will be well into his first year of middle school by publication. So, the research and writing and thinking in this book really spanned my kids’ entire elementary school years.” 

For some authors, like Marianne Cronin, author of Eddie Winston is Looking for Love (Harper Perennial), the process speeds up with practice: “Eddie Winston is my second novel, so the process was a lot quicker than with my first novel, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, which took seven years from initial idea to publication! Once I’d had the inspiration for Eddie, things happened quite quickly. I started writing in November 2021 and by March 2022, I had 50,000 words to share with my agent and editor.” 

However, other authors find that their process just takes time regardless: “I hope this isn’t disheartening, but every book takes me about 10 years from first thought to last word,” says Erika Swyler, author of We Lived on the Horizon (Atria). “I’m actively writing one novel while another is floating around in the back of my mind.”  

Still, other authors just aren’t even sure: “It’s gotten harder over the years to pinpoint exactly how long any one project takes since my best ideas usually hit right in the middle of deadlines where I’m already working on something else,” says Kayla Olsen, author of The Lodge (Atria). “This one I think took around two years?” 

Self-Publishing at the Speed of Light 

One thing becomes obvious early on: Self-published authors can move from idea to publication on a faster timeline than authors—even the speedy ones—on the traditional publishing track. Plus, many of the successful self-published authors still get traditionally published in roughly the same timeframe as an author going through the regular submission process. 

“The Bones Beneath My Skin was originally written in 2017, and then self-published in 2018,” says TJ Klune. “From there, it was picked up by Macmillan/Tor to be republished in 2025.” 

Meanwhile, Jillian Meadows says, “It took me about nine months to write Give Me Butterflies (Avon), and I originally self-published it. Now, it has gone through a few more rounds to get to this traditionally published version. So overall, it has been a little over two years since the idea began.” 

“I began writing the series toward the end of 2021, and I self-published the first book in June of 2023,” explains Penn Cole, author of Glow of the Everflame (Atria). “About a year later, I partnered with Atria Books on the print edition of the series, which is rolling out over the next few months. Altogether, it has been about three years from deciding to write the books to seeing them on bookstore shelves.” 

Agents Can Help Ideate 

While not every literary agent is game for helping authors brainstorm ideas, some agents definitely thrive on facilitating the creative process. 

“My agent and I brainstormed the initial premise in July of 2022, but it took three drafts for me to become confident in who the killer was and figure out how all of the characters were connected,” says Ande Pliego, author of You Are Fatally Invited (Bantam). “Total, it took around two and a half years.” 

Edward Underhill, author of The In-Between Bookstore (Avon), also found brainstorming with his agent was helpful: “I started discussing the concept of the book with my agent in late 2022, and then once I’d written the first few chapters and a full synopsis, we sent that as a proposal to my publisher in early 2023. Then I had to write the rest of that book, which I actually did in about a month and a half! It was insanely fast, and I’m honestly not sure I recommend drafting at that pace; but one good thing was that I had no time to overthink anything. There simply wasn’t time.” 

Of course, most projects aren’t going to be written that fast. Some are sure to take time and might even be hidden from an agent until they poke and prod their authors enough. Such was the case for Sarah Perry, author of the essay collection Sweet Nothings: Confessions of a Candy Lover (Mariner): “At first, ‘the candies’ (as I came to call them) were a project of private creative rehabilitation. I just wanted to enjoy making sentences again. So, I resolved to write each morning, for 100 mornings, about a different kind of candy. I’d get up, still sleepy, and say, ‘Today is about Reese’s Pieces.’ And I’d let it rip, just kind of following my morning brain wherever it wanted to go before my editor-brain woke up. One day, my agent Jin Auh called me and asked what I’d been working on. I actually felt like I didn’t have much to say for myself, but I eventually ‘confessed’ that I had a ‘secret project’ that had somehow grown to 65,000 words. She insisted I send her the manuscript later that day, and she loved it. We sequenced it by color and submitted it to my publisher for first look, and we got an offer pretty much right away.” 

Keep Your Ideas Alive 

Nearly instant success is nice but do your best to stay balanced and in this thing called writing for the long haul, because some success stories take longer than others. The most important factor for writing success often is patience. 

“In some ways, I’ve been working on this book since 2008,” says Megan Collins, author of Cross My Heart (Atria). “At some point, maybe two books ago, as I continued to let it simmer on the back burner, I thought of a really cool … thing—that’s all I’m willing to say—that could happen in it, but I was unsure if I had what it took to execute it. Finally, in late December 2022, I needed to present a new idea to my publisher, so I committed to plotting it out … by April 2024, it was off to production!” 

And remember that everything is relative. “I feel like it took eons,” says Virginia Feito, author of Victorian Psycho (Liveright). “It took five years.” 

The post How Long Does It Take to Go From Idea to Publishing a Book? appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Write What You Don’t Know.)

I also didn’t get anywhere with my writing. Yes, I improved, and I had encouraging beta readers, but I could count the number of full requests I received from agents over multiple books on one hand. It started to feel like this dream wasn’t going to come true.

While querying one book, I started another: The One and Only Vivian Stone. As a lifelong lover of old Hollywood, particularly movies like Gone with the Wind and the sitcom I Love Lucy, this was a compelling time to explore. I wrote the book in first-person POV, but the feedback I received from beta readers was that they didn’t particularly like my main character. Despite spending a whole book with her, they felt like they didn’t know or understand her. There wasn’t anything making them want to keep reading because they didn’t care about her. Ouch.

They were right, though. I tried to model my main character’s personality after what I’d read about Lucille Ball—she had to work very hard to be funny and wasn’t like that off-screen; she was also, supposedly, prone to anger and pettiness. I struggled to write a character like this, and my readers picked up on it. There was a wall in my mind between me and Vivian, and I didn’t know how to break through.

In the beginning of the book, Vivian is an actress struggling to break into the film industry. Surrounded by a sea of talent, she would have had to be worried that a nobody like her would never be taken seriously, would never stand apart from the rest. How long would it take to get somewhere? Would she ever? How long before she threw in the towel?

And then, it hit me: This was how I felt about writing, with those exact worries and questions. Only I hadn’t been leaning into it because I’d been too focused on creating a particular kind of character, one I didn’t truly understand. I needed to tear down the wall between us and rebuild the character was from the ground up—using my own emotions. I needed to become vulnerable for the sake of the character.

Is this obvious? In hindsight, it feels like it. But I’d written three books—four if you count this one before my rewrite—without ever really connecting on a deep, emotional level with my characters. Once I shifted my mindset, the writing became cathartic and so much fun.

“Write what you know?” I finally did.

Click to continue.

The responses from readers were completely different from what they’d been the first time. Vivian had become someone readers rooted for, someone they related to.

I tried to be more strategic about querying this story than I’d been with my previous books. First, I scoured every resource I could find about writing query letters, then I wrote and rewrote mine. I sought feedback and kept fine-tuning. Queries were always a mystery to me. I understood what they required, but I couldn’t figure out how to write a compelling hook and show the character’s wants while also picking out the most important plot strands. But after about a hundred attempts (not an exaggeration), I had a letter I felt confident about.

I also looked for opportunities everywhere: I submitted my query and first pages to The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast, which ended up getting chosen, giving me valuable feedback. I submitted to a mentorship program called RevPit. All of the mentors rejected me, but I received a lot of encouraging messages. I also posted on Twitter/X for #moodpitch, which isn’t around anymore but involved posting a mood board and an elevator pitch. I’d done these kinds of contests for previous books, without any success, but this time I received interest from about a dozen agents. These were all great, low-stakes ways to test the waters.

If there had been more opportunities, I would have tried them too. Yes, a lot of people apply, and yes, it’s easy to get lost in it all. But there is also the chance that it can go very well. I had already put so much effort into the book, so why stop there?

Finally, I started querying, confident that I’d done all I could do but still worried because an agent liking a pitch is not the same as them liking the whole book. And while I received plenty of rejections, I also received several offers.

As I’m drafting my next project, I wonder if it ever gets easier to “write what you know.” I hope so. There continues to be the question of which parts of myself to bring to the character and a resistance to the reflection needed to figure it out. What I do know is it’s essential, even if it can feel vulnerable.

Check out Melissa O’Connor’s The One and Only Vivian Stone here:

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One afternoon two years ago, I was taking care of my toddler and had just begun packing him into our car to go home from the zoo when I received a text message from my first literary agent at KT Literary asking if I had a few minutes to talk.

My mind began to swirl. Were they dropping me? We were just in the midst of revisions on a partial that I was hoping would lead to my first full-length novel sale, so I felt like it was unlikely. But then again, what did they want to talk about?

(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

My heart racing, I quickly typed back. A few minutes later, I was on the phone and my agent was telling me that they’d decided to leave the publishing industry entirely and, therefore, would no longer be representing my work.

To make it all worse, they also informed me that my editor for an anthology I was editing that we had sold two months prior, was also leaving the industry. From one minute to another, I was agent-less, editor-less, champion-less, and it was a harsh reminder that in publishing, things can change so quickly. The only silver lining: The amazing, Kate Testerman, owner of KT Literary, wanted to talk to me about taking over representation for my work.

I drove home, with my toddler falling asleep in the backseat, thoughts in chaos, unsure of what would happen next with my career.

TAKING A BREATH, TRUSTING YOUR GUT

That evening, after talking to my husband, who reminded me that no matter what, I would be okay, I took my first full breath. After all, even if Kate ultimately passed on me as a client, the trenches didn’t seem so doomsday scary to me. I’d survived them once, I would do so again, right?

The moment that Kate and I got on the phone, relief further spread over me, even more exciting was the fact that the call was one to officially offer representation. Although losing my first literary agent felt like a heavy weight and, on a personal level, was simply quite sad, the work that they did behind the scenes to try to pair their clients with another agent at their agency, for me, led to a wonderful new connection.

After the call, I had a choice: I could either take Kate’s offer or choose to leave KT Literary and query widely.

We talk a lot about how in publishing, your journey is only as good as your agent—and it truly is terrifying to think that you might make a mistake in choosing the wrong champion. In this case, I chose to trust my gut, and my gut was telling me to take Kate’s wonderful offer.

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BECOMING A CHAMELEON

A few weeks after taking the offer from Kate, I learned that my agent-client relationship would be much different in one particular way, which would lead to my chameleon era in publishing: Kate wasn’t as editorial as my first agent had been. Still, I knew she wouldn’t send anything out she didn’t approve the quality of, and I learned to trust the quality of my writing.

A few weeks after we sent it away, Kate and I heard back on the revise and resubmit, and received Wednesday Books’ offer for my debut novel, SALVACIÓN, a Zorro retelling seeped with salt magic, a slow burn romance, and a Mexican and very feminist heroine!

I’ve had other chameleon moments along the way: from Inkyard Press shuttering a few months before the release of my anthology, Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories, to losing my acquiring editor for SALVACIÓN a few months before its release now as well.

It’s always hurt losing champions that I so loved along the road to publication, but I’ve always been so thankful for every opportunity that they’ve given me and my work, and each one of them has helped shape me into the writer I am today: someone who feels confident enough that me and my work can stand on its own, regardless of any changes that happen.

And all of these happenings have confirmed that things can and (hey there, Murphy’s Law) will, change sometimes in drastic ways, but if you take a breath, and trust your gut, more often than not, these changes don’t mean chaos, but new opportunities to work with even more of the amazing champions that make up the publishing industry.

Check out Sandra Proudman’s SALVACIÓN here:

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Of course, there are sometimes bad surprises, but publishing can surprise in a good way as well. “I think the biggest surprise during the whole publishing process is how enthusiastic the entire team is for my book,” says Dana Elmendorf of her experience with publisher Mira Books on her novel In the Hour of Crows. “On our first marketing call, there were about eight people and each one of them gushed about my book. And I sat there thinking, Holy cow, they’re talking about your book, Dana! It was truly an emotional moment for me.” 

While it’s true many new writers can be intimidated by the process of submitting to agents and publishers, these same gatekeepers are often the most engaged advocates for their authors. From the editors to the publicists, it’s common for everyone on the publishing team to be locked on for their authors, but it doesn’t stop there. 

“The biggest shock was getting blurbs from well-established authors,” says Marcus Kliewer, debut novelist of We Used to Live Here. “It’s still surreal to have anyone reading my work, let alone writers I’ve looked up to for years. When the first quotes came in from Alma Katsu and Nick Cutter, I literally had to sit down.” 

Even seasoned pros can find new situations that spark joy, as Claudia Mills, author of more than 60 books, including The Last Apple Tree, explains, “Usually everything in publishing takes forever. This time, though, my editor replied within four hours of receiving the manuscript from my agent to say she meant to take a peek, but couldn’t stop reading and loved it, and would take it to an editorial meeting. Less than a week later, we had an offer—a record for me in my four decades in the business!” 

Validation and praise from others can be a huge part of the wonder of publishing, but there’s also that creative spark that comes from unexpected sources. “The part of the process that is always a surprise—in a good way—is how the team works with the artist to create the cover,” says Samira Ahmed, author of This Book Won’t Burn. “I love seeing how the themes and story are given life via design and illustration. It’s a unique sort of translation and I learn something new with each new cover design process.” 

“The best advice I can give to any writer, aspiring or otherwise, is to keep writing. Don’t wait for an agent, a publisher, a contract, just keep writing and editing, every single day. Treat your writing like the job that it is,” advises Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of The Paris Widow. “Some days you’ll end with a lot of words, other days you’ll stare at your screen and pull out your hair. In the end, it all evens out and before you know it, you’ll have a whole book.” 

After all, the wonder of publishing doesn’t just happen. It takes hours of time spent reading, writing, thinking, and communicating—both with yourself and the world. Experiencing the splendor of publishing success is the result of dedicated creative work. 

“The business of writing is a tough one, and it doesn’t always make sense,” explains Greg Iles, bestselling author of Southern Man. “A lot of bad books get published, and even sell, while some decent or even good ones never do. In general, though, if you have the goods as a writer, your work will get noticed and sell, at least to a publisher, if not to millions of readers.” 

Or as Katee Robert, author of Blood on the Tide, says, “I would advise authors to chase their joy and just get that book out on paper, whatever their process might look like. They can worry about marketability and all the business details once the book is finished. The true magic happens in the joy, and that’s the one thing that’s consistent, whether you’re writing your first book or your hundredth.”

As someone who’s written hundreds of print articles and thousands of digital posts and published dozens of books, I whole-heartedly echo Robert’s sentiment that the true magic happens in the creative process, whether that’s writing the first draft, working through revisions, or considering feedback from agents and editors. 

“I’ve been writing professionally for decades, but I’d never really understood the value of pushing yourself through an ongoing revision process,” says Jennifer Romolini, author of Ambition Monster. “Over the course of 18 months, I revised and revised and revised this book. My first draft was clean and ‘good,’ but the book we’re publishing is the best work I’ve ever done.” 

The team concept may be one of the more underrated wonders of publishing. Whether it’s the revision process mentioned by Romolini, the cover design touched on by Ahmed, or the enthusiasm espoused by Elmendorf, publishing involves more than one person. Publishing is a collaborative act that requires multiple people working together to produce something of great value to even more people. For it to work, the players must have each other’s backs. 

“I didn’t realize just how necessary it is to have an editor who really understands not only your work, but you, too,” says Chimene Suleyman, author of The Chain. “There are points in the process where life gets in the way, and you need a team around you who can bring the best out of you as a person, not only the work.” 

Maybe that’s what makes publishing such a wonderful business. In so many industries, there are incentives for the individual to succeed against other individuals. As an editor who has worked with hundreds of writers over the years, I consider their success my success. Talking to hundreds of other agents, editors, publicists, marketers, book buyers, publishers, and other publishing professionals, I can say that is a common goal for most of us (there’s always room for a few people who haven’t figured it out yet). In many respects, the wonder of publishing is that it’s a business of perpetual positivity—even when people on the outside try to prognosticate its eventual demise. The wonder of publishing is that it continues to dare to succeed. 

“Stop talking yourself out of your book dream,” says Christina Myers, award-winning author of Halfway Home: Thoughts From a Midwife. “Stop asking ‘what if’ and filling in the answer with the worst-case scenarios, like ‘What if I can’t finish this?’ and ‘What if no one wants to publish it?’ Instead, start asking ‘what if’ and filling in the answer with the best possibilities: What if I finish writing this book and it’s great? What if it gets published and readers love it? What if I get the chance to write more books? The former will slow you down and make you doubt yourself; the latter will convince you to keep going.” 

As someone who still finds joy in the publishing process, I couldn’t agree more.

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• Sales have dropped.
• You want to release a new edition.
• The working relationship has deteriorated.
• The publisher has gone out of business or sold.
• You don’t feel the publisher is doing enough to promote the book. (Caution: Authors almost always feel their publisher is not doing enough to promote their book.)

First, examine why you want to put your book back in print or switch publishers. Has the topic been in the news? Are there new research findings? Are your subsequent books doing well? If it’s pre-publication, be sure you have realistic expectations of the publishing process and are basing your dissatisfaction on your experience and not rumors.

Dig out that publishing contract. You need to understand how you can terminate the agreement, what rights you licensed, and under what circumstances those rights revert back to you. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about republishing or terminating a contract:

The relationship with my publisher is no longer productive. Can I get out of the contract?

Authors who are no longer happy with their publisher often fall into two situations: the publisher has done something troubling, such as not paying royalties due, or more often, the publisher no longer seems interested in promoting your book. It’s languishing. What recourse do you have? In your contract, the most relevant clauses to look for include “reversion of rights” or “out of print.” Rights often revert to the author once it goes out of print. The contract should define what that means. If the publisher has no remaining books, is no longer printing copies, and is not offering them for sale, that’s clearly “out of print.” “In print” should be “print copies available for sale through normal U.S. trade channels” and, for current-day contracts, should not include the availability of print-on-demand or e-books as “in print.”

There are other ways to measure if a book is out of print. For instance, this clause may be triggered by the number of books sold per year (say, fewer than 200), or revenue falling below a certain amount during the prior two accounting periods. You will find this information on your royalty statement.

The ball is then in your court. Send a certified letter to the publisher asking for the book to be put back into print or for the rights to revert to you. The publisher has a certain amount of time—possibly as long as several months—to tell you their plans. If they agree to revert the rights granted back to you, be sure to get that in writing.

Even if the publisher is not contractually obligated to revert rights (that is, it’s still in print), but you’re ready to move on, it’s worth a conversation. Some want to keep any and all books they’ve invested in; some are perfectly happy to off-load titles with low sales. It will depend on obvious factors such as the book’s age, revenue, and market size—but the politeness with which you make the request, your relationship with your editor, and your persistence all play a role. Of course, if the publisher has breached the contract, say, by not paying royalties or sending a statement, that could be a reason to terminate the contract as well.

My book was published before the advent of e-books. Who owns the e-rights?

If your contract is silent on e-books because they didn’t yet exist, you most likely retain the rights to them. One court found that if you granted the rights “in book form,” that does not include e-books. However, courts also have found that e-books don’t have to be specifically mentioned to be covered under the contract. Your contract may include a clause that you’ve granted the right to publish by “… electronic means, now known or hereinafter invented.” If so, this language has been found to include e-books. Ask your publisher if they plan to produce an electronic version. If they do not, you may be able to do an e-version yourself.

My book hasn’t yet been published but I’m realizing the company is not a good fit. Can I get out of it? Is it different between a traditional publisher and a hybrid publishing company?

It happens. Their catalog goes in a different direction. They get bought out. The culture changes. Editors and art directors quit. It’s just not quite the same house as when you signed and it’s no longer the right home for your book.

Check if the contract mentions a termination method. But as discussed above, it might be as simple as asking. Frank Hyman, author of the fabulously titled books Hentopia and How to Forage for Mushrooms Without Dying, realized the house where he had originally placed one of his manuscripts wasn’t the right fit. “I sent them back the advance and wrote that I wanted to discontinue our business relationship,” he says. “They accepted and wrote a nice letter hoping we could work together in the future. Then I pitched my proposal to a larger publisher. They loved it, I got a bigger advance, and I had a wonderful experience working with them. Moral of the story: When things aren’t going well, cut your losses.” (Or should that be morel of the story?)

Most publishers do not want to have unhappy authors. Key tips: Keep it polite and professional. Do not mention negative things you’ve heard through the grapevine. Get the termination and rights reversion in writing.

If you’re working with a hybrid publisher, presumably you are paying to publish the book and then receiving royalties. Since you are paying—often by stages—check if there are refund policies if you are unhappy with the service being provided.

My book was published years ago, and I have the rights back. What should I be aware of as I consider self-publishing or seeking another publisher?

It can be difficult to interest a publisher in a reprint when there are so many new titles jockeying for attention. This might be an ideal time for a revised edition. You’ve most certainly developed and matured as a writer. While this is easier with nonfiction—such as adding a new chapter on the latest research or technology—fiction can also be updated. That 1992 YA novel about bullying might be modernized to include social media.

Which path to choose? Consider self-publishing if you’re a marketing pro and have a built-in audience (a decent social media following, popular website/blog, or are an in-demand speaker). Consider seeking a new publisher if the book had strong sales in the past and an argument can be made that there’s a new audience or updated information for existing readers.

Whichever path you choose, you will need to show you have the rights to the work. Chicago-area attorney and author Eric Matlin published The Procrastinators Guide to Wills and Estate Planning with Penguin Publishing Group almost 20 years ago. When it went out of print, he regained the rights. He recently wanted to self-publish an updated version with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). For a book such as his, he says that the “best way is to do print on demand, so I can update as needed.” But—he couldn’t find the rights reversion letter. This became an issue because Amazon checks that you have the rights to the book you seek to publish. After some back-and-forth, he was able to resolve the situation with Amazon. His best advice: “Be sure to hang on to your files.”

I love the cover art from my previous publisher. How do I know if I own it and can reuse it?

Even if your book has gone out of print, someone somewhere owns the copyright to the art. If the publisher had an in-house design department, the photographer or illustrator presumably worked for the company as an employee and, therefore, the publishing company owns the art. If the company hired a freelance artist, it depends on their agreement. For instance, the artist may have licensed the art for use on your book or the company may have bought all rights. Or perhaps you as the author arranged the cover art. If that’s your situation, examine your agreement with the artist to see if you can reuse the art. If not, perhaps the artist can create something similar but new. (If you did not have an agreement with the artist, you don’t have the right to use it because a transfer of copyright must be in writing.)

It’s not just the cover that is protected by copyright. Some books incorporate a number of design elements such as art (photos, illustrations), charts, graphs, sidebars, bulleted lists and so forth, and that interior design may also be protected and thus need to be reworked. Also consider if third-party material was included in your work, such as photographs, illustrations, maps, charts. If so, who obtained the rights—you or the publisher? You may need to relicense those works to include them in a new edition.

Do I need to get a new ISBN?

An ISBN is an international standard book number. It is used to uniquely identify a particular book. If you are simply printing more copies with no substantial changes, it is considered a “reprint.” A “new edition” is when there have been substantial changes, such as when you add a new preface or appendix or have changed or updated information. Even if your book has the same title, it will need a new ISBN if it is a second edition.

How long do publishing contracts usually last?

Copyright lasts a long time. For works created on or after January 1, 1978, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years. (Determining the status of older works can get complicated due to law changes; see Copyright.gov for help.) And most publishing contracts are for “the life of the copyright.” However, Section 203 of the Copyright Act provides a little-known right for authors or heirs to terminate a publishing agreement 35 years after the contract date. There are some complex rules around the window in which that can be done but it is worth exploring if this situation applies to you.

While most publishing contracts are for the life of the copyright, it’s not unheard of to have a stated contract expiration date, such as five years. There are pros and cons to this but may be something to consider for future works if you are unsure about the company. 

Does my agent still receive a percentage if I republish the book?

Generally, agents are entitled to receive their cut on any deals that they handled. If you are still making money from a deal they brokered, they are too. But once the book goes out of print and rights are returned to you, that deal is over. (That said, read your agent agreement carefully!)

My publisher went out of business. Who has the rights to publish my book now?

When a company goes bankrupt or dissolves, it sells its assets. Intellectual property is an asset like desks or computers: It goes somewhere. Sometimes companies or their assets get sold multiple times over the years, making it complicated to figure out rights ownership. If you truly can’t follow the chain of ownership and reach dead ends, keep careful notes of your attempts to locate rights holders. Save email and log phone calls. This helps prove you tried. Another option is to change the work or add new material. Make a note on the republished work’s copyright page stating where sections were previously published.

*****

You worked hard to write that book. If your relationship with the original publisher is no longer beneficial, it may be worthwhile to place it elsewhere. Make that book work for you.

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You’ve talked to all the interested editors.

You sold the book to the editor you connected with and who you felt really got your book and what you were trying to do with it…

And then they leave.

(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

You’re happy for them, of course! You like them and wish them well in the next phase of their life and whatever comes next but…what about you? And, more importantly, what about your book?

That’s the exact situation I found myself in after selling my first book, Something Kindred. All of my anxiety-tinged excitement turned solely into anxiety. My acquiring editor, Elizabeth, was my main contact at Macmillan, kind of like the one friend you know at a house party. Without her, I was certain I’d be floundering somewhere in a corner by the snacks, warily eyeing the host’s cat and counting down the minutes until there was an appropriate time to leave. 

In less silly terms, I thought things were over. I was almost certain my book would fall through the cracks and that whoever took it over would be doing so out of obligation. My hopes for having an editor who loved and cared about my book and my characters were dashed and I’d have to just suck it up and be professional and make the edits they asked for (and how different would they be? Would our visions align? Would they even like my writing?) and continue on with my life.

Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Grace and Asia, my new editors, were lovely from the very beginning. They, and Elizabeth, made the transition as easy as possible, assuaging my fears before I could even ask my questions and assuring me of their love for the book. In fact, there was such heartfelt and often quick communication that from our first video call, I never had much time to feel like I’d slipped through any cracks at all! Something Kindred, under a different title then, felt more like a torch being passed from one person to the next, always keeping me in its glow—acknowledged and illuminated on the goings on involving edits and season changes.

Grace is amazing at making me think about things I’d never considered before, especially in the magical realism aspects of Something Kindred and how the echoes in the novel both connected to and represented the town of Coldwater. Asia was a wonder in making me hone in more on the familial and romantic relationships at the heart of things, offering up her feelings as a reader and a fellow Black woman that provided a lot of helpful insight for me outside of my own imagination and writerly ego. 

Check out Ciera Burch’s Something Kindred here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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Even when things shifted more and Asia became my primary editor, the communication chain never wavered. Not only did I learn so much from working with them, but Something Kindred grew into something miles and miles ahead of what it originally was and everything helped me realize that editor calls, and even acquisition, aren’t the end all, be all.

Pre-acquisition, I asked all the questions I possibly could have that other aspiring authors recommended on writing forums and Discords and subreddits and felt certain I had cracked the writer’s code.

This was it.

Elizabeth and I would work together for my two contracted books and then beyond that! We’d have bestseller after bestseller spanning years and our careers would thrive together.

I considered all that for myself—but only myself. Elizabeth was my editor and I didn’t consider her goals or ambitions outside of myself. Like I said before…writerly ego. But as much as reality can shock you when you come face to face with it in an instant, it was very indicative of that old saying about doors closing and doors opening.

Publishing is a changing industry just like any other, and people are always going to come and go—sometimes people you really like and expect (or hope!) you’ll work with forever. If you’re lucky, and you will be, there’s a whole network of people behind your amazing, initial editor—behind your book!—there to be your new team. 

Grace and Asia and so many others made an experience I dreaded and feared into an amazing one. Something Kindred wouldn’t be the same without them. Nor would my entire publishing experience. I’m grateful to Elizabeth for believing in me and my book from the very beginning and also for helping to shepherd me into their very capable hands.

So, if you find yourself momentarily in dismay by editor change, or any sort of publication change…take a deep breath. Hold it for the count of three. And then let it out and keep an open mind.

Great things, and people, can reach you better that way.

The post After the Query: What Happens When Your Agent and Editor Leave You? appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Unfortunately, unless you’re one of the “lucky ones,” probably not.

Most of us who do manage to land book deals accept what we can get, zip our lips, sit back, and take it all as it comes. The highs. The lows. The crippling uncertainty. The annoying questions like, “So, have you quit your day job yet?” Or, “Did you hit the New York Times bestseller list?” We bottle the anxiety. We’re okay with not knowing our sales numbers or understanding how it all works.

I’ve been in this game a long, long time. I’ve had way more failures than successes and have worked in all facets of publishing—as an author, as an editor, a co-writer, a ghostwriter, and working directly with agents and publishers. Now, as a book doula helping other authors birth their books into the world, I work with public figures, first-time authors, bestselling authors, and have been on the receiving end of accolades and accomplishments as an author myself.

During this time, I’ve scoured every corner of the publishing earth, asking about the secret sauce to really “making it” in this business, and I’ve gotten the same canned answers time and time again:

• It’s all about luck and timing!
• It’s really just a long game.
• Just write a good book and the readers will come. 
• Sales aren’t in your control, so just enjoy the process.

On and on they go.

You know what’s missing from all those answers? Even one iota of how this business really works.

After working on hundreds of other people’s books and 11 of my own, I have narrowed it down to the one thing I wish I had known before I ever tried to get published. While I used to spout off the fact that publishing is a business and your book is a product to sell, that just doesn’t seem like the right answer anymore. Instead, I’ve coined a new one. Are you ready? Here it is:

You have to know what questions to ask in order to get what you want from publishing.

Today, being an author means way more than just writing a good story. In fact, good storytelling is often the last item on a very long to-do list, most of which revolves around:

1. Sales and marketing
2. Social Media Promotion
3. Building a solid author platform

I don’t know about you, but when I decided to become a writer, I wanted to, you know, write. I wanted to sit in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee in my pajamas and peck away at a keyboard. ALONE. Away from humans. When I was done, I then wanted to find professionals to usher my book into the world so that I could get to work on the next book.

You see, I’m one of those “weird” writers who actually like to write. Putting myself out there constantly on social media, building the buzz for each book, and doing whatever it takes, both in-person and virtually, drains most introverts I know, but it seems it’s just the “price” we all have to pay as creatives now, right?

Again, I’m not so sure.

When you become a published author, it’s true you have to figure out a lot of things: what your startup expenses are, where you’re spending money, how you’re making money, how you will launch your book into the world, and how you will make a living at this thing you love. And it’s also true that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to (even if social media makes it seem like you do).

But before you do decide what you actually want, you first have to know how it all works.

1. If you have a book idea, what do you do first?
2. If you want a literary agent or publisher, how does that work?
3. If you offered a book deal, how do you negotiate or read a contract?
4. If you indie publish, what’s the proper protocol to bring your book to market?

If you don’t know the answers to any of these questions, then you’re not ready to publish a book.

If you’re a nonfiction author, this might make a tad more sense. Because with nonfiction, your book serves your brand, business, or area of expertise in so many other ways . . . but if you’re writing fiction? Well then, good luck. It seems we are here to entertain, not solve world peace, and it’s easier to get someone to buy a house than a $15 book. Go figure.

Order a copy of Rea Frey’s The Other Year today. 

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So how does this one tiny sliver of advice—you have to know what questions to ask in order to get what you want—help you on your author journey?

It absolutely changes the game in every way. Here’s how.

1. When you understand that publishing is a business, it means you can learn everything you need to know. I cannot tell you how many authors have come to me, paid me thousands and thousands of dollars to help them create a book proposal or land them an agent or book deal, and then not know a thing about how it all works in order to get a book published. I would never wake up one day, decide I’m going to be a stockbroker, and then close my eyes and hope for the best. Publishing isn’t about writing a good book. Getting a book deal isn’t about writing a good book. It’s about relationships and contracts and paperwork and negotiations and understanding how it all works. My advice? Find a mentor. Find a few! Do your research before you ever decide to put yourself out there so you are not surprised, left in the dark, or ultimately disappointed along the way.
2. Understand how you get paid. Are you aware of how you get paid as an author? What an advance is, how you earn royalties, what percentage your agent gets, and how often you get paid? Unlike other businesses, when an author only receives payment twice a year, you can see how hard it is to make a living, which is why it is vital to go in with eyes wide open.
3. Before you ever sign on the dotted line, talk to other authors. If you are getting a job, it might be nice to talk to some of the current employees to see what your new boss is like, how much turnover they have, and if you would be a cultural fit, right? The same goes for publishing. Talk to other authors, poke around, and do your due diligence before you sign on the dotted line. Contrary to popular belief, while it seems like you are just sitting around waiting to get picked, it’s really the other way around. There is no publishing industry without your work. So make sure you are choosing the best fit for you.
4. Ask all the questions. The reason I left my previous publisher was because they were not meeting my expectations. I know that sounds a bit diva, but it’s not. I went in with eyes wide open. I asked lots of questions, asked for full transparency, and they told me one thing while doing another. I was not quiet about my bewilderment. In fact, I started advocating for other authors by advocating for myself. No one cares about your career more than you do, and as a friend recently told me, “No matter what you do, the publishing industry is never going to love you back.” You have to care the most about your career. Remember that.

If I could go back and do it all over again, this is what I would do: I would study the industry. I would ask all the questions. I would find authors I look up to and ask them questions. (Don’t worry. We’re a friendly bunch.) I would take it seriously, understand this is a business, and if I want to succeed, then I better understand exactly what I’m getting myself into.

At the end of the day, there are so many ways to thrive as an author. But none of them can happen without you understanding what you are getting yourself into first.

Wherever you are in your journey, take it a single, informed step at a time.

[Click to continue.]

The post The One Thing I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Published appeared first on Writer's Digest.

She is also the author of the forthcoming novella This World Is Not Yours. Follow her on Twitter.

In this post, Kemi shares why writers should write what they want, what makes art art, and more.

Name: Kemi Ashing-Giwa
Literary agent: Tricia Skinner, Fuse Literary
Book title: The Splinter in the Sky
Publisher: Saga Press (Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster)
Release date: July 11, 2023
Genre/category: Science Fiction
Elevator pitch for the book: In the aftermath of a failed war of conquest, a tea specialist-turned-spy embarks on a quest to rescue her kidnapped sibling. But doing so, she soon discovers, might require taking down an empire.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

During quarantine, I spent most of my free time after class reading the news and doom-scrolling through social media. Bad idea. I needed a healthy way to process my thoughts, and writing has always been a great source of solace to me.

At the same time, I’d been wanting to write a character with a unique job in a far-future setting for a while. So that’s how I ended up with a tea assassin protagonist.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wrote Splinter in about four months. After I signed with my agent Tricia Skinner, it took about a year of polishing and submitting to traditional publishers before Saga Press reached out with an offer.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Publishing moves both very quickly and very slowly. I knew that going in, but I didn’t anticipate the extent to which it’s true. There’s typically a two-year gap between signing and publication, and while that may seem like a long time, it’s absolutely not.

There’s so much to do during that period, from revisions to deciding on a cover to interviews like this one! I’m always learning something new about how the industry works.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I set out to write a cathartic revenge plot, but I ended up with a novel about family, friendship, and hope. Life is always so much more than pain and struggle and heartbreak, and as the story unfolded, elements of humor, joy, and hard-won trust began to surface. I think that makes Splinter a much richer book than what I’d first envisioned.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Whatever they want! What I love about writing—or really, any creative form, is the role of interpretation. To me, the reaction to a piece is a large part of what makes art art, even if the only person evaluating the work is the creator themself. That’s just my opinion, and it’s certainly up for debate, but whatever readers draw from Splinter, I hope that it’s meaningful to them.

Nevertheless, I realize that answer’s sort of cheating, so: an appreciation for tea and an idea of why one should care about who owns artifacts from other cultures (and how those artifacts ended up in certain hands to begin with).

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Write what you want. No, really.

I think it can be very tempting to watch a trend take the bookish world by storm and then try to catch the wave of enthusiasm for it—at least, it was for me when I began drafting my second novel. But literary trends are so very unpredictable, and readers are very, very good at telling when an author’s heart just isn’t in it.

So write the story only you can tell, and who knows, maybe you’ll even spark the next trend.

[Click to continue.]

The post Kemi Ashing-Giwa: On Finding Solace in Writing Science Fiction appeared first on Writer's Digest.

There will be many rejections, and they’re tough going. The mere prospect of them is sometimes enough to stop you in your typing tracks. Overcoming these fears is vital. Sticking in there takes grit. Emotional grit.

Look away now if you think you can’t handle some of my tough love tips on how to build your resilience and get published…

DON’T: Think you can write.

You can’t write. Believe me, you can’t. You might have the most incredible potential—Booker prize-winning, bestseller-churning brilliance—lying dormant inside you, but when you start out, you won’t have those skills to make it happen and you WILL. GET. REJECTED. And that’s okay. Most of us aren’t born with it.

DO: Start at the beginning.

You need to learn your craft. If you don’t, agents and publishers will see straight through you. However much potential you show, they don’t have the time to hold your hand and teach you how. There are so many practical books and courses out there to help you. Find one or two and apply their wisdom. Believe me, it really is worth the effort. My top tip would be Into The Woods, by John Yorke.

DON’T: Look down.

While writing, the thought of sending it out to agents or publishers is like looking down the side of a treacherous rock face as you’re navigating the narrow ridge of a mountain. Don’t do it! This rookie mistake has two fatal outcomes: Either it causes delusional dreams of flying to the top or mind-bending catastrophizing of rag-dolling to the bottom. Basically, don’t risk psychologically derailing yourself. It can lead to writer’s paralysis and never-ending excuses for why you never finish your manuscript.

DO: Believe in happy endings.

The best way to complete your book is to enjoy the process, live in the moment, and focus on putting one step in front of the other, one little word at a time. Trick yourself into thinking that nobody in the world will ever read it. Typing ‘The End’ is the best high ever. For writers, that’s true happiness right there, all tied in a bow. Forget that it equals crunch-time. Who cares what people think? You’ve damn-well written a book! Good job!

DON’T: Blame the industry.

It’s easy to read a rejection letter from an agent or publisher and feel the rage. It’s only natural to leap to your own defense, lambast them for making a mistake, for missing its potential, for overlooking your talent or even for failing to read it properly. They’re total bloody idiots for not giving you a 10-book deal, right? I mean, look at the other crappy books they publish! How could they reject yours? This might be true. Many editors have rued the day they turned down Harry Potter. But remember this: J.K. Rowling is the exception, the rest of us are the rule.

DO: Blame yourself.

My first four manuscripts were turned down by every publisher in London. After ranting and raving about the state of the industry, I got real and blamed myself. I listened to the criticism from trusted readers, begrudgingly accepted that the experts were probably right, sat down at my computer, and wrote a better book.

DON’T: Dream big.

Being rejected by the big names in traditional publishing doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have what it takes to be a published writer. They’re not the only arbiters of the current market or the up-to-date trends of the reading public. These days, there so many varied and exciting new ways of starting out and quietly building a writing career for yourself in the digital first or self-publishing arena.

Order Clare Boyd’s The Wedding Night today. 

Bookshop | Amazon
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DO: Think small (thumbnails).

After a rejection that might say something like, ‘We really enjoyed it, but we’re only looking for high-concept, big-hitting thrillers right now,’ I advise you to think hard about that. Be business-like about it. A practical overhaul of your ideas isn’t always a cynical exercise or a compromise. Narrowing it down and nailing your genre can be as thrilling and as ‘big-hitting’ as it gets. It can help you find your voice and transform your journey. Picture the tagline next to the tiny thumbnail photo of your book on Amazon: ‘an unputdownable, edge-of-your-seat thriller’ or ‘heart-breaking, tear-jerking romance.’ Then read every book ever written in your chosen genre.

DON’T: Believe the hype.

If you think the rejection and dejection stops when you get published, think again. You’ve got the bad reviews from readers and book bloggers to look forward to. If that isn’t enough, many authors are dropped by their publishers or agents after only a couple of books. Or maybe they fail to attain foreign rights deals or bag a TV & Film adaptation or make The Sunday Times bestseller lists. A writing career will be peppered with echoes of those original turndowns. But none of it matters. Don’t focus on the highs and lows. Instead, dig deep and remain level-headed, always checking in on why you started writing in the first place.

DO: Prove them wrong.

A mega-successful songwriter friend of mine wallpapered her attic walls with all the music industry rejection letters she received when she was just starting out. It’s a brilliant example of acceptance. Own those publisher rejections! Find a proverbial wall to stick them to and look them in the face every day! And then go write another book—if only to prove everyone wrong.

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The post The 10 Dos and Don’ts of Being Rejected appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more at www.kimharrison.net.

In this post, Kim reveals a little about her latest urban fantasy novel and discusses the importance of focus for writers.

Name: Kim Harrison
Literary agent: Jennifer Jackson of the Donald Maass Literary Agency
Book title: Demons of Good and Evil
Publisher: Ace
Release date: June 13, 2023
Genre/category: urban fantasy/fantasy
Previous titles: The Hollows series, currently standing at 18 books, 2 graphic novels, and a one-of-a-kind world book. Series begins with Dead Witch Walking. The previous release is Trouble With the Cursed.
Elevator pitch for the book: Witch-born demon, Rachel Morgan uses her magic and found family to keep Cincinnati’s paranormal citizens safe from an old threat in a new guise.

Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?

One of my goals with Demons of Good and Evil was to bring back some of the readers’ favorite characters. The franchise has grown so far from its beginnings of a witch, a vampire, and a pixy that any time I can revisit old friends and explore a new magic system, I’m there!

I don’t want to put out too many spoilers, but Rachel and Trent are steadily moving forward in their relationship, and the closer they get, the more likely that they will come under threat from each other’s enemies.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

Demons of Good and Evil took about two years to go from idea to publication, which is about average for me: a good six to eight months for me to write a rough draft, two to four months to shine it up, and then a good three months for me to make any changes my editor thinks will make the book stronger. There’s also a few months spent on copy edit and page proofs. I’m usually working on one or two projects at any given time, all at different stages. When one is at the publisher’s, the other is on my desk.

When everything meshes, I can get a book out every year, though that can stretch if it’s a new world or magic system. Demons of Good and Evil didn’t have a tremendous amount of change through the editorial process, though you can be sure that my editor helped me tighten everything up and make sure that someone new to the Hollows would not be too lost.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

The entire publishing industry seems to have undergone a painful shift in how books are produced and made available due to COVID, especially in regards to getting physical copies on the drop date, and that has been hard to adjust to. The last few books previous to this one felt chancy, almost, in having enough copies on release day.

Now that things seem to be evening out, I’m eager to see how much of the golden era of publisher-sponsored physical tours and paper copy overindulgence in the brick and mortar stores we get back.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I was surprised at how much the outside world still impacted my ability to immerse myself in my work and write. I almost had to relearn how to do it, but I will admit that it’s getting easier again.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

The Hollows began as, and continues to be, 99% pure fun and escapism—and 1% social warning. It’s that 1% that gets me to my keyboard every day.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

For aspiring writers, my advice would be to practice focus. The best ideas might come while you are in the shower, or on a walk, but if you can’t focus to put them on paper, then it is a losing battle.

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The post Kim Harrison: On Keeping Focus While Writing Fantasy appeared first on Writer's Digest.