Selling My Debut Novel: Part I

As write this, a paper copy of my manuscript is spitting out of the printer. I’ll soon begin my final rewrite before handing the manuscript in to my editor. Well, AN editor, but that’s a story for a later post.

I’ve always wanted to see how a deal happens, start to finish, so I hope you’ll enjoy this series. If you do, send your friends a link so they can follow along.

Friday, October 10

Editor A emails saying they want to buy my book! I float around on air for a few hours, not telling anyone until it feels real to me. I praise God and freak out. Doubt it’s real. Reread the email. Float some more.

I forward the email on to my agent, who will deal with the details from then on, while keeping me in the loop. I write a thank you to the editor for being willing to take a chance on a young, unpublished writer in such a difficult economy. Promising to do my best to make that decision a good one, I sign off. There’s no need to check my inbox for the actual offer every ten minutes because the publisher heads to Germany the next day to attend the largest trade book fair in the world. The offer should come in shortly after he returns to the states.

Editor A and I have gotten to know each other a little bit at the Oregon Christian Writers conferences over the years. I respect him and look forward to working with him. His interest was sparked in this manuscript–he’s rejected one of mine before–because of its finalist position in the Genesis.

Monday, October 13

My agent emails Editor B to say we now have an offer on the book. I had also met Editor B at OCW in years past. In fact, I heard him give a devotional after narrowly escaping being eaten by an alligator. Or a crocodile. I forget which. And this happened on the Canby Grove Conference Center grounds, no joke!

Editor B had requested the first few chapters only days before I would see him at the ACFW conference in MN, so I knew he would not have had time to read them before we met again. I ended up at a table with him one meal. He mentioned reading them(!), but said nothing further. Hey, I wasn’t about to ask in front of all the other writers at the table. Delayed rejection is oftentimes better than public humiliation.

Wednesday, October 15

A call from my agent. Publisher B’s fiction department approved the project and it goes to pub board in five days. Asks to be informed when the other contract offer arrives as they could have an offer ready themselves by that Monday afternoon.

I grow misty-eyed.

My The Secret Place devotion that night: “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” Rev. 3:8b (NIV)

And finally it feels like that, like there really is an open door before me.