Fifth in a series, following Starting with Goodbye: A Daughter’s Memoir of Love after Loss, from
manuscript to published book (University of Nevada Press, May 1, 2018). Find the rest of the series here.
Once I
got a publication date, other writers began to ask: How long did the submission
process take? What was it like? How did you find your publisher?
The
short, pithy answers: Eleven months. Hell. Not the way I thought.
That’s
handy shorthand, but hardly helpful. Here’s the longer story, the one from
which you might glean some helpful hints.
I
first thought I might have a book percolating in 2012, when I realized that many of the essays I was getting published, might add up to…something. Quite a few were connected
thematically around my father’s death, and I thought if I wrote a few more, voila -- linked essay collection. (Can I over-emphasize how common this
thinking is among essayists—and how often wrong-headed?) I tried to get that
one published but eventually realized it had to be transformed into a more
traditional memoir. (In a future post I’ll detail the essays-to-memoir process,
so let’s skip ahead to April 2016, when I had a polished memoir manuscript.)
I am a
fan of traditional independent and boutique literary presses and university
presses, many of which accept non-agented submissions. I had already been
compiling a spreadsheet of such publishers, organized first by those I most
desired (because they’d published books I admired), and those that seemed most
logical (given the book’s thematic elements).
I noted any special submission
calls, possible connection/recommendation, contests and open/closed submission
periods, and finally, but not incidentally, any hunches I had. Next—because I
so love a spreadsheet—I cross-referenced what each required initially, usually some
combination of query letter, synopsis, proposal, sample chapters, the entire
manuscript, marketing plan, author bio.
From
April through January, I marched down my list, garnering both lightning-fast
rejections as well as several requests for chapters, and a few for the whole
manuscript. Result: slower rejections. Sure, some were personal, from editors
who seemed genuinely to have read and thought carefully about the work.
Still,
no is no.
Over
those 10 months, I scratched some publishers off my list—they shuttered
operations or their lists shrunk; some seemed less likely candidates after more
careful study; sometimes I simply decided they wouldn’t want my book for some random
reason which now seems silly. At the same time, the list grew as I discovered
new-to-me publishers. What is it that we say about hope springing?
Along
the way, I tinkered with the idea of seeking an agent—mostly because the advice
of a book coach I’d consulted two years before, still resonated: there was
nothing to lose and quite possibly something enormous to gain. About once a
week, I spent time researching agents I might query—sometime. A small list
emerged, tucked into another spreadsheet.
By the
end of January, my energy was flagging, but I realized I had not made enough effort
querying university presses. I had at least a dozen on my list I’d be thrilled
to be published by. They all wanted a full proposal or some combination of the elements
of a proposal, and while I’d written one, I kept tinkering, never sure it was right.
Finally, I started sending it out.
By
mid-February the full manuscript was under review at two boutique publishers, a
more commercial press, and one university press. I’d gotten to this stage
before—and then heard no. And sent out more queries, sample chapters, hopes.
That’s
when I glanced out my window late one dark, cold Thursday afternoon, and
noticed the snow. So much snow. A big storm coating New England to Virginia.
Suddenly all the Facebook posts I’d seen from writers cancelling trips to theAWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference in Washington, D.C,
made sense.
I
hadn’t planned on going. But suddenly I had a thought: all those cancellations
must mean the conference headquarters hotel would have a lot of available
rooms. I was only a four-hour drive from D.C., and my four-wheel-drive SUV—and
I, who once lived in Syracuse—could easily handle the lingering snow in the
forecast.
By 5
a.m. the next morning, I was on the New Jersey Turnpike, heading south.
Typically,
when I go to a conference, I have an agenda—connect with this editor, meet that
publisher, make IRL friends with Facebook writer buddies, take notes at Famous
Writer’s presentation, go to Other Famous Writer’s reading. Network. Pitch. Buy
discounted journals. Get books signed. I’m usually exhausted even before I put
on my nametag.
As I
drove, I realized I had no plan—and that felt great. I had not studied the
schedule, didn’t know who would be in the exhibit hall, who was reading where
or when. My only agenda was to find friends, drop in at panels that seemed
promising, maybe wander the book fair.
Ah, the
book fair: a cavernous space (about three football fields?) where hundreds of
tables beckoned, where friendly literary folks were promoting, selling, and giving
away journals and books, touting other writing conferences, offering free
trials of software, sharing the virtues of MFA programs, reading series, residencies.
I spent
most of my book fair time happily meandering, spontaneously connecting in person
with journal and anthology editors who’d published my work, finding new things to read, tossing swag
into my tote.
At
some point, I realized some publishers and university presses still on my list were
there. I noticed that since I wasn’t in I-Must-Complete-My-Agenda
mode, my usually nervous chatter disappeared. Instead of trying to sell myself,
and by extension, my manuscript, I was only making new friends in the writing
world.
Several
asked me to send the manuscript when I got home. Others said it wasn’t right
for them. Somehow, I had the same reaction to both outcomes: okay! I simply
continued wending my may through the exhibit hall.
Finally,
in the last 20 minutes of the final day, vendors were packing up their
booths—and my tote was swelling because they were handing out free books so as
not to incur return shipping costs. I noticed a man packing up, a welcoming
smile on his face. We began chatting, about how much our feet hurt. About the
conference. He asked something—I can’t remember what—and I began to tell him
about my manuscript. In my mind, we were just having a conversation. Two tired
writing world comrades at the end of an exhausting weekend.
At
some point though, when I mentioned that the story takes place partly in New
Jersey, and partly in Las Vegas, he pointed to the banner above his head:
University of Nevada Press. Nevada,
you know, home to Las Vegas.
Justin
Race, director of UNV Press, introduced
himself, and invited me to send him the first few chapters when I got home. He
liked what he read, and asked for the full manuscript. By March 22, I had an
offer. Two hours later, one of the other publishers who had the full manuscript phoned to make an offer too.
I
realize that this part of the story makes it all sound so easy—bump into
someone at a conference and the rest is publishing kismet. I assure you,
nothing about bringing this memoir to that point was easy.
The
thing is, I was ready. The manuscript had been revised and revised and
polished. I’d researched and prepared query/submission materials. My
spreadsheet tells the plodding, painstaking backstory of those 11 months (and
before that, the submission process of the book’s previous incarnation).
What
happens when you’ve been hearing no for
a long time and in one afternoon, you hear yes—twice? After the elation, I
mean? You get confused, that’s what. You wish you had an agent after all…
I’ll
pick up from there in the next Memoir Book Report post, sharing how, over
the next week, I found an agent, weighed offers, and
said—yes!
