What's it Like to Get
The Call?
It's the moment every aspiring author
dreams about: one day your phone rings and you learn that an
editor loves your manuscript and is offering a contract.
Romance novelists refer to
that thrilling event as "getting The Call".
What's it like to get The
Call, and what happens after that? How does a manuscript become a
book? For the curious and for those who are waiting for
their phones to
ring, here's my
story....
Late August, 2001
I typed, "The End" on the last page of the final draft of my manuscript.
Some people say that's unprofessional. Of course the editor will have to strike it, because those words won't be printed in the book. But I needed to see them on my last page. It was my reward for accomplishing what I had set out to do.
August 31, 2001
I sent a query letter with a synopsis to the publisher I was targeting.
I had been writing with "Love Inspired" in mind, so I had nailed the word-count and the tone for that line. (Don't bother querying an editor unless you're sure what you've written will fit her line.)
Also, it's very important for an unpublished writer to have a complete manuscript ready to go when she queries. Often the editor will request only a "partial" (usually meaning the first three chapters), but if she wants the "full," you'd better be able to zap it back to her before she loses interest. (It's okay to take 2-3 weeks to do a final polish, but I wouldn't wait any longer.)
September 20, 2001
I received a letter from an editor, inviting me to send the complete manuscript.
At this point, they could have sent a "no thanks" letter or they could have asked for just a partial manuscript. I was pleased, obviously.
October 3, 2001
After giving the manuscript a final polish, I mailed it to the editor.
And started playing the waiting game that every submitting writer knows so well.
January 10, 2002
It had been three months, the unofficial "minimum waiting period" in this business, so I fired off a polite letter to the editor, asking the status of my project.
Never call. Editors are busy and the last thing you want to do is catch somebody on a bad day and tick her off. Yes, the editor is a professional. But why would you want to risk planting a little seed of annoyance that might germinate when the editor next hears your name?
January 18, 2002
The editor replied (by letter) that my manuscript was "still under consideration." I waited some more.
I learned later that during this time, my 300-page manuscript was read by the editorial assistant who requested it, then by an associate editor, and finally by the senior editor of the line.
Sometimes an editor will write or even telephone to let you know she loved your story and has "passed it up" to the senior editor with a recommendation to buy. My editor, bless her heart, was stingy with that information, so I didn't hear anything until...
March 29, 2002
The associate editor phoned me with the news that the senior editor "loved" my manuscript and wanted to buy it. She confided all that to my answering machine, so I was able to collect my thoughts and write down some questions for the editor before I returned her call.
They usually telephone, but if they can't reach you for some reason, of course they'll send a letter! And if you find yourself a little hysterical when The Call comes, there's nothing wrong with telling the editor that and promising to call her back after you've calmed down a little. (Don't you imagine they get a lot of that?)
I called the associate editor and we chatted for half an hour, then discussed contract details.
If you have an agent, you won't have to worry your pretty head about the contract. But I didn't have an agent, so I negotiated for myself. (At this point I'm interested in writing only for Steeple Hill, which is under the Harlequin umbrella. And since Harlequin contracts are notoriously non-negotiable, an agent would have taken 15% of my advance and royalties without giving me any appreciable return.)
I asked what kind of revisions we were looking at. "None at all," the editor replied. "It's perfect."
New writers should expect to be asked for revisions. This particular editor has stated (in an online chat with members of the Faith, Hope, & Love Chapter of Romance Writers of America) that she can recall buying "only a handful" of projects that did not require revision before final acceptance of the manuscripts. (And by the way, I'm not sure it's any testament to my "talent" that I was not asked to do revisions. I have a feeling it was not unlike hitting a hole-in-one on the golf course: nice, but not a feat that can be repeated at will.)
The editor then asked whether I wished to adopt a pseudonmn. (Nope. Just call me Brenda Coulter.)
April 4, 2002
I received a telephone call from the editor I would be working with. (She had been on vacation.) We chatted for well over an hour, discussing writing and publishing in general, then she explained the things that would be happening in the coming months. She also asked me to send a half-page bio for her records.
From this time we began corresponding mostly by e-mail, although we still telephone each other on occasion. I like keeping in touch via e-mail because we avoid playing telephone tag. Also, I'm able to print our "conversations" for my records.
The Mighty Harlequin Machine is extremely well-oiled. I had already received mail from Harlequin, beginning with a "welcome to the family" letter and a request for some "personal" information. They also sent a nice packet full of publicity suggestions. I have been pleasantly surprised by the way Harlequin walks their new authors through every step of the publication process.
April 6, 2002
I received six pages of "Art Fact Sheets," to be filled out and returned so the art department could get started on my book's cover.
I had to write a one-page story synopsis, then describe at some length the protagonists' hair, eyes, builds, styles of dress, and so on. I also had to suggest two scenes depicting the hero and heroine together, and one "still-life" scene. The art department will sift that information, then decide whether to use any of it! (A book's author has virtually no say over the cover design. Neither does the editor.)
April 29, 2002
Exactly one month after I got The Call, my 24-page contract finally arrived. I was asked to sign both copies and return one.
Some authors suggest that a writer without an agent should have a literary attorney review the contract, but I wasn't too frightened of signing a Harlequin contract to begin with. And thanks to my extensive research, I was not confused by any of the terms. (One of the benefits of membership in Romance Writers of America is the wealth of information they share on contracts.)
On the same day, my editor e-mailed that my book had been slotted for July 2003. She then broke the news that "Marketing" was insisting on a new title.
It appears that editors don't have much more say in this than the authors do. We brainstormed and it was my editor who finally came up with the "winning" title. Marketing gave the thumbs-up to: Finding Hope.
June 1, 2002
My advance check arrived. (Less than one hour later, my husband and I blew almost a third of it on an antique china cabinet at an estate auction.)
If my editor had asked for revisions (as is almost always the case) I would have received half the advance on signing the contract and the other half on the editor's acceptance of the revised manuscript. (Which could have taken several more months.) I got the full amount in one check.
September 3, 2002
My editor requested the following: A Bible verse for the front of my book, a dedication, and a "Dear Reader" letter. She also needed a copy of my book on diskette, with each chapter in a separate file.
From studying the "Love Inspired" books, I knew I'd
need a verse, dedication, and the "Dear Reader" letter at some
point, so I had those things ready to go whenever they were
requested.
It's been
a thrilling ride so far.
Stay with me for the rest of
the journey to publication. From here on out I'll be making these entries in "real time", as often
as I have interesting news to share. I hope you'll want
to bookmark this page and check back later.
October 4,
2002
My editor was to have finished the "line-edits"
on my manuscript by this week. If she met her deadline, my
story is now on the desk of the copyeditor. They'll send it back to me once the
copyedits are done. I can't wait to see if I agree with all the
changes.
November 2, 2002
My manuscript is being copyedited now. I expect to see it around the first of December.
November 5, 2002
Fun fact: Today I learned my book's International Standard Book Number: (ISBN 0-373-87223-2, if you want to know.) Now my sister can march into her favorite bookstore and order my book. (She might have to wait a while for delivery, though, since the manuscript is still sitting on the copyeditor's desk.)
According to my editor, my book's cover is finished. I've ordered an IRIS, which is a color proof of the cover. I probably won't see that for a month or so, but I'm thinking of having it made into a poster to hang in my office.
December 11, 2002
Finally, my edits have arrived! I just did a quick review and am very pleased with the job my editor and the copyeditor have done. Now I'll have to go over the manuscript carefully and see that the changes make good sense to me. A couple of things were flagged, like "Brenda, please make it clear how many days have passed since the last chapter ended" and that sort of thing. I'll have to insert a sentence here and there for clarity, and my editor is recommending I cut a few lines in a couple of places to speed up the pacing, but that's about it. When I finish this job I'll send my corrected pages back to my editor so she can enter the changes.
This will be a delightful task. I can't wait to get started on it!
December 31, 2002
My book is another step closer to being finished. My editor e-mailed yesterday to say that the changes I sent her looked great.
I have requested permission from Harlequin to post the first chapter of Finding Hope here on my website. (Since I have assigned my rights to the publisher, I must now obtain permission from them to quote my own work!)
I expect to get the go-ahead next week and will put up the excerpt right away. Please check back--I can't wait to show it to you!
By the way, I know my cover art is finished, but there's still no word on when I'll be seeing the IRIS. But as soon as I see it, you will, too.
January 10,
2003
I finally obtained permission to post an excerpt from Finding Hope. Read it here.
January 30, 2003
My editor has entered all the changes I sent her after I reviewed the line edits and copyedits, so yesterday she sent the AA's (that's "Author Alterations") back to me for proofreading. The story is now in its final form, so there won't be any changes, except for correcting typos. It's not easy reading, with all the typesetting marks. Here's what the first two lines look like:
1 [u120]Finding Hope[cmBrenda Coulter[cm[u121]Chapter One[cm"O[cmh,
2 now, that's just perfect!"
No kidding. How am I supposed read this thing, let alone find typographical errors? (Okay, I apologize for whining.) In the book, the first line will look like this:
"Oh, now, that's just perfect!"
Or so I gather. Anyway, I have two weeks to turn this around and send it back to New York, and then they'll turn it into an actual book.
I would ask you all to bear in mind that I've been through quite a lot with this little story. You may still find one or two errors in the book, but please be gentle with me!
February 22, 2003
Still waiting,
waiting, waiting....
And not very patiently, I'm afraid. I'm eager to see my book's cover. Is it hideous or beautiful? And here's the really important question: Will the poster I'm going to have made look good on the sunny-yellow wall of my office?
You think I'm kidding, don't you? But I'll see the poster every single day when I look up from my computer and stare at the (now blank) wall and daydream. So I hope it's not screaming orange or garish purple.
A soft, sweet blue would be nice, but I'm bracing myself for screaming orange.
The other day I found out they've already listed my book
at
Amazon.com and Books-a-Million.com.
No detailed information (and no cover photo!)
as of yet--just my name and the title. But if you want to order the
book now and forget about it, you could do that. (Of course,
they won't ship until the actual release
date.)
March 7,
2003
Woo-hoo! I'm so excited!
I was just cruising some of the online bookstores, just in case any of them had put up a photo of my cover--which I still haven't received--and I actually found it.
I can't believe how "me" the cover is. I had asked for a "kitchen table" scene, with fresh flowers, and they did that! But wait--as they say in those ubiquitous TV commercials--there's more! They actually put a teapot on the cover, too.
Okay, you're wondering why this is such a big deal. Well first of all, I make at least one pot of tea every single day. (If you've visited my Afternoon Tea pages, you already know that.) And second, my friends will tell you that I "always" have fresh flowers on my kitchen table--most often, pink roses from my garden. So I am just thrilled that the cover of my first book features a vase of pink roses and a teapot sitting on a kitchen table. The art department at Harlequin, talented bunch that they are, couldn't have known how special that would be to me. But God knew, and I am profoundly grateful for this blessing.
If you want to see the cover, click here. (I apologize for the small size and the poor quality, but as a temporary measure, I have "lifted" this picture from the bookstore website. But don't worry--Harlequin holds the copyright and I already have permission to post the picture.)
May 9, 2003
It's been a while since I last posted here, but there hasn't
been a lot to report. I've been writing, of course.
Last week there was an editor shuffle at my publishing house, and I ended up with a new editor. (Krista Stroever, for those of you who care about these details.) Right now I'm waiting to hear whether she's going to buy the project that's sitting on her desk, the sequel I wrote to Finding Hope. (It's definitely not a "given" that they'll buy it. Competition is fierce in the business of category romance, and even published authors get turned down.)
But I have already moved on and am halfway through a new story. So it will be good news if they buy the sequel, which I've called Heart of a Man, but it won't kill me (too much) if they don't want it right now.
I have just learned that Finding Hope will be released a week earlier than I expected: on June 24, not July 1. When bookstores get their copies, they often will go ahead and put them out, even before the release date, so don't be too surprised if you come across a copy as early as June 20. (And I think members of the Steeple Hill Book Club will get their copies even before that.)
Speaking of Steeple Hill, I'm thrilled to report that they're putting together a new website, which is expected to launch in July. It will be a great place to learn about all the Love Inspired authors through photographs, bios, and interviews, and you'll be able to see what books are out now and what's coming up. I believe there will also be message boards, which will be fun places for readers, Steeple Hill authors, and aspiring writers to get together. I'll keep you posted.
May 20, 2003
I heard from my editor last week. She wants to see some changes in Heart of a Man, so I'm about to open up that folder again and go back to work on that project. The good news is that I actually enjoy rewriting and editing, so this shouldn't be too much a chore. I'll let you know how it goes.
May 28, 2003
Yesterday I received a shipment of books with my name on them.
These are the copies of FINDING HOPE that I'll be sending to reviewers, entering in writing contests for published authors, using for promotions such as the prize drawing on this website, and so on. (In case you're wondering, I won't be selling any books.)
Of course I had to sit down and read one, cover to cover, to make sure everything was as it should be. Other authors have shared their war stories with me, telling awful tales about covers that were switched with other books, missing last pages, etc. Those things don't happen often, but when you consider the volume of books Harlequin is producing every month, you can see that once in a while, something is bound to slip past the production department.
I did find one mistake, and it's pretty funny. Actually, it's one mistake that is repeated about a dozen times. In every instance where I intended to use the word "forward," it has been changed to "forwards."
It's my own fault, really. In a couple of places where I used the word "towards", the copyeditor changed it, dropping the "s". My editor informed her that since either word was correct, they would go with the author's preference, and I was assured that every "toward" would be changed back to "towards".
I was happy, and trusted them to make the appropriate changes before production. But an overzealous individual went one step further, altering every "forward" in the book to read, "forwards." So now we have the hero "looking forwards" to something, and the heroine "leaning forwards" in her chair, and so on.
These "forwardses" are bound to raise a few eyebrows among my English-major friends. I can hardly wait for their letters to start rolling in.
June 7, 2003
Finding Hope has received its first review, and it's even better than I'd hoped for. My former editor e-mailed last week to tell me that we had done extremely well in Romantic Times BOOKclub, the review rag editors and authors watch closely.
Okay, I do believe my book is a darn good one, but I sure never expected a reviewer to agree with me. I thought they'd like it a lot, but reviews are very subjective, so I just never dared to dream that Romantic Times would love it. But they've named Finding Hope a "Top Pick" for July, which is a really big deal. (It sure thrilled my editor!) They gave my book their second-highest award, "4-1/2 Stars," which means it's "Fantastic. A keeper."
Well. Don't worry about this stuff going to my head. Any day now, I'm sure somebody will come along and say it's a terrible book.
They'll be wrong, of course!
Finally--people are actually reading my book!
June 14, 2003
Many subscribers to Steeple Hill's Love Inspired Book Club received their shipments yesterday. I know that because when I checked my e-mail early this morning, I had a slew of messages from nice folks who said they'd stayed up all night reading Finding Hope.
I'm so grateful to all of them for writing. It really made my day!
June 24,
2003
This is the official release date for Finding
Hope. Many kind people have
sent their best wishes and asked how I'll be celebrating. With
champagne and a book-launch party, perhaps?
No. It's just another working day for me, beginning with an update of this website. I have no burning desire to run out and see what my book looks like on the shelf at Barnes and Noble, although of course I'm delighted to know it's finally there.
I've had my copies for a while now, so all those delicious mysteries--what does the book look like and feel like and smell like--have already been explored in depth. I got that fabulous review from Romantic Times, so I'm not holding my breath to see what the critics think. And since the book club folks got their shipments before the On Sale date, I've heard from quite a few readers in the past ten days, so I already know I'm not alone in thinking it's a really good book!
I'm writing this because I know that many aspiring authors, in particular, are wondering: What does it feel like?
Well, it feels
just like Christmas morning, after the presents have been opened. The
eager expectation is over, and I am content.
July 2,
2003
I am absolutely amazed by the tremendous feedback I'm getting on my book. You people are so doggone nice! I've been keeping up with the e-mail pretty well, but I'm afraid I'm falling behind in answering the letters. If you've sent me something via "snail mail," it might be a little while before you receive an answer. But please don't think I'm not deeply grateful to all of you who are taking the time to write.
Here's something else that has me glowing: Several
fabulous "Customer Reviews" have been posted on
Amazon.com. Check them out!
July 12,
2003
I'll be leaving town tomorrow,
heading first to Orlando and my very first official booksigning, and then
to New York City.
I'm not really into that whole "star author" scene, so even though my book's been out for three weeks now, I haven't done any signings at bookstores. But at the Christian Booksellers Association's annual convention (in Orlando) I'll be signing books donated by my publisher. Free copies of Finding Hope will be given away to some of the 14,000 people attending the convention. (Sorry--the event is not open to the public.)
While in Orlando, I will get to meet my new editor and my senior editor for the first time. I'm also looking forward to seeing a couple of the Love Inspired authors with whom I've been corresponding this past year. And I'll get to meet several PR and marketing types from Harlequin Enterprises. I have all sorts of questions for those folks, about how things work on the book-promoting side of publishing.
On Wednesday morning I'll be off to New York City, for the Romance Writers of America Conference, another annual event. On that evening, July 16, I will participate in another booksigning, this one featuring more than 400 authors! This event is open to the public, and all proceeds from the book sales will benefit literacy programs. So if you'll be in New York City on July 16, please consider dropping by the Hilton New York (at Rockefeller Center) between 5:30 and 8 p.m. (Go back to my home page and look directly under my photograph for more information.)
After the Wednesday night booksigning, I'll swing into "conference gear" for a dizzying round of writing workshops, meetings with editors, comparing notes with other authors, and glitzy parties. Two highlights will be touring my publisher's new digs in the famous Woolworth Building and attending a "black and white ball" at the Starlight Roof of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. By the time I get home late Sunday evening, I'll be looking forward to falling into bed and hugging my favorite down pillow!
In other news, the Steeple Hill website I told you about is now up and running. The message boards are proving extremely popular--I can't keep up with all the posts, but it sure is fun to try. I hope you'll jump over there and check it out: www.SteepleHill.com
July 26, 2003
The trips to Orlando and New York
City turned out even better than I had hoped. I met some lovely
people, caught up with several friends, enjoyed lots of "face
time" with my editors, and learned a lot about the publishing biz.
But too much "bad air" in the hotel rooms combined with too little
sleep got me started on some nasty respiratory problems, which I've
been fighting for a week now.
I meant to come straight home and jump back into my writing, but I've done precious little this past week. Good thing I'm not working under a deadline.
Today I picked up the July/August issue of Pages, "The Magazine for People Who Love Books." I was tickled to learn that Finding Hope is one of eight romance books they're recommending for summer reading. (Yes, thank you. I'll take all the free publicity I can get!)
September 28, 2003
Okay, this is a little embarassing. Two months have gone by since I last made an entry here, but I honestly have no interesting "writerly" news to report.
Yes, I have been writing. It's just that I can't seem to keep my hands off my newest project, when what I'm supposed to be working on is revising the sequel to Finding Hope. That story hasn't been sold yet, so I'm not exactly under a deadline. But I'm sure a little discipline would be a very good thing here.
Where's my mom when I need her?
I'm afraid that by the time I finish this thing and send it back to my editor, she will have forgotten my name. She'll toss my precious manuscript onto the slush pile and I won't have any right to complain. (But I'll do it, anyway.)
Hey, I just got another e-mail from someone wondering what it's like to be a published author. Trust me--it's not the glamorous life so many of you seem to imagine. Well, maybe it is for J. K. Rowlings and Jan Karon. I wouldn't know, but I suspect that they wouldn't be caught dead in the position I am in right now.
I'm writing in a cotton nightgown that's missing a button. My long hair hasn't seen a brush since last night, and neither have my teeth. And I'm eating M&Ms instead of breakfast because my teenager ate the last of the Raisin Bran.
If you're interested in more of this stark honesty, you might check out the "day in the life" journal I did for my publisher. Just go to this page. Find my picture, then click on "Read this author's diary."
December 17, 2003:
Here it is, Christmas, and instead of relaxing and enjoying my family and my favorite time of year, I'm disorganized and frazzled. Yesterday I realized that like the Grinch, I have spiders in my spirit and garlic in my soul.
All because of a silly book. Yes, I'm talking about the sequel to Finding Hope. I have struggled and struggled with this manuscript. But I'm finally satisfied, so if you should happen across it in WalMart sometime around the end of next year, don't be afraid to plunk down your four dollars and change. It'll be worth it.
I've been in touch with my editor via e-mail, and--whaddaya know?--she remembers me! She has politely indicated that she is looking forward to reading my story after the holidays. Bless her heart!
The senior editor will be reading it, too, so it could take a couple of months before I hear whether they're going to buy this book. (I think they will. But maybe I shouldn't say that!)
Here's a milestone: I got my first royalty check last week. Many thanks to all of you book-buyers out there!
Because Finding Hope has received some spectacular reviews (and no bad or even lukewarm ones!) I've just entered it in four big-deal contests for published romance authors. Some of you may be familiar with these, so I'll list 'em for you:
The Holt Medallion (Judged by romance novelists.)
National Readers' Choice Awards (Judged by readers all over the U.S.)
Booksellers' Best Award (Judged by booksellers all over the U.S..)
Romance Writers of America's RITA Award (The grandmommy of all contests, this one is judged by published romance novelists.)
I really think I have a chance of finaling in one of these, but it will be a few months before I hear anything. I mailed all of the books yesterday (for the judges to read) and now I'm just going to forget about the contests. Maybe I'll get a nice surpise later.
One more thing: I was recently interviewed for an internet radio show. The program will be airing all this month (December), 18 times under the regular schedule and then many more times in "encore" broadcasts. I'm featured in the last 20-minute segment of ScripTalkReview, an hourlong program broadcast on Tuesdays via Book Crazy Radio Network. Visit the ScripTalkReview website to find program dates and times. Or just go there and listen to me on an audio (MP3) file.
Continue reading Brenda's Diary.
Go back to Brenda's Writing Tips