I landed a publisher for my debut novel! SkipJack Publishing will launch my literary suspense, Pennies from Burger Heaven, on January 21, 2016. I’m beyond thrilled about this, and my success is an important lesson for us all…
You don’t know if you don’t ask.
The rewards far outweigh the risks. Let me tell you my story, then I promise I’ll get to you.
How it Happened
SkipJack Publishing (they skip all the jack and get straight to publishing) was created by indie author, Pamela Fagan Hutchins, and her husband, Eric Hutchins. Pamela has 12 books published (six novels and six non-fiction books): everything from the award-winning novel, Saving Grace, which was released in 2013 and has over 1,900 reviews, as well as the incredible how-to book for writers, What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes? (and How Can I be One, too?) Pamela launched her first novel in 2013, and now makes a living writing full-time.
The woman knows her stuff, and I almost didn’t ask her to read my manuscript.
Why? Because I was afraid. I worried that she’d think my book wasn’t good enough, then politely reject it. Plus, I didn’t want to jeopardize our newly-formed friendship.
Full disclosure: Pamela and I grew up in the same Texas town and sort-of knew each other in high school (We were cheerleaders at rival schools. Stop laughing). Twenty-five years passed with no contact. In 2010, we both stood on the winners’ platform after we each won first place in our genres at the Texas Writers’ League’s annual writing contest. We recognized each other’s names and visited a while, then returned to our own lives.
As I continued to query literary agents, land my dream agent, rewrite my entire novel from page one, then lose said agent (she quit publishing before we got the chance to sell my book), Pamela was publishing her books, building an audience and taking charge of her destiny.
In 2014, I invited her back to our hometown to lead a workshop for my local writers’ organization. That’s where we reconnected and have stayed in touch ever since.
SkipJack feels right for me because it offers complete author autonomy and mutual support. I’m still doing all the legwork, which I would’ve done anyway, but they’re giving me full access to all their resources. So, instead of debuting my novel to the Mudpie Writing community of 1,100, I will now be introduced to an audience of 10,000. I’m also in the process of contacting their list of 50+ book bloggers who do reviews, author interviews, Q&A’s and more.
It’s perfect, and I almost let fear stop me from this opportunity.
Although SkipJack is currently closed to submissions, follow SkipJack’s blog to discover the latest publishing trends, learn great advice to get more traffic for your books, etc.
What This Means for You
Do you have to “know someone” before you can publish, and make your dreams come true?
Of course not. That’s the beauty of today’s publishing world. You no longer need permission from anyone else to share your work. You’re 100% in charge, baby!
Writing means taking risks on and off the page. On the page, this means creating the truest story you can, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, so that your words resonate with others. Writing a million words before anyone reads a single piece of your work.
Off the page, it means taking the next small step out of your comfort zone to move yourself to the next, tiny level:
*Ask that beta reader to read your chapter.
*Join that critique group for weekly feedback.
*Enter that writing contest.
*Query that literary agent or editor.
*Pitch your short story to that literary journal.
*Apply for that magazine internship.
*Read the first page of your novel at that conference.
What if they say no?
Writing is a numbers game. You’re going to hear no a lot more than you hear yes. Clearly, rejections hurts. You may cry, kick and cuss, or however you handle rejection (I do all three; plus, eat a ton of Oreos).
The trick is after the rejection to get yourself back to your computer and get back to work. It’s painful to do, but so worth it. The rewards far outweigh the risks.
What writing risks are you avoiding that could reap you big rewards?
Please leave a comment. I’d love to chat.
Pick up your FREE copy today of the mystery, The Moon Rises at Dawn (SkipJack Publishing). Read, enjoy, repeat.
Congrats! That’s awesome news!! I love reading your articles they are so inspiring! I’m working on not letting Fear take a hold of me. I found a writing coach who is helping me improve my craft AND I’m gearing up to write my first novel (that I’m actually writing to publish)!! It’s an exciting year let’s hope it stays that way. 🙂
Thanks, Sarah. I’m super excited about my publisher and am delighted you enjoy Mudpie W. Your writing coach is a perfect example of what this post is talking about. You ASKED for help. Doesn’t matter if you’re paying this person, or not. You saw that’s what you needed to take your writing to the next level, so you asked.
GOOD LUCK with your novel. Expect Fear more throughout the process, but you already know the answer — keep writing.
Marcy, thats great news. my problem isn’t just fear its finishing a novel or short story. I can never settle on just one. ( like Lays potato chips). But this Nov. I am going to focus on one for nano… Now that you have a release date what’s your next project- other than promoting your book. How are you going to celebrate?
Thanks, Debra. Congrats on focusing on just ONE during NaNoWriMo. WARNING: during that month, you very well may decide that books sucks, and you should start a new one. DON’T DO IT! That’s just Fear trying to sabotage you by never sticking with one story.
I’m celebrating all sorts of ways: with my writing group, special lunches with friends, I bought a book on creativity called BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert. The party may go on forever!
Thanks Marcy – Soooooo happy for you – I was thinking about everything you have said about Fear a few days ago when I was writing a post about how fear stops you fulfilling your dream
I appreciate you so much, Philip. Truly. The many writing friendships I’ve made online help sustain me during the hard times. Congrats on your post. Fear is ALWAYS a topic that resonates with people. Best of luck to you.
Wow congratulations Marcy, that’s brilliant news! It’s inspiring to hear of your success and it’s encouraging me to keep on travelling the long road 🙂
We’re all in this together, Catherine. I appreciate your happiness for me, and hope you’ll keep writing to publish someday, too. 🙂
Marcy, I am so excited for you!!!! This inspires me to keep writing my memoir! Congratulations and wishing you great success!
I appreciate you, Trish, and you MUST keep working on your memoir. You’ve told me a bit about it, and people are hungry to be inspired. They need to know you can move beyond pain to find happiness. 🙂
Congratulations, Marcy! You work so hard…glad to see it’s finally paying off for you! You deserve it. 😀
Awwww, Anita. That’s so kind of you. I appreciate your well wishes. Thanks for sharing in my joy. Good luck with your writing. Never give up.
Congratulations Marcy! 2016 is shaping up to be an amazing year for you and I can’t wait to see it all unfold! You have shown us all, by living it and doing it, that persistence and faith in your purpose will take you to your own success.
You made me tear up, T.O. Thank you! You and I are yet another example of friendship that formed over the web. I’m so grateful for your support, your generous spirit and the important work you’re doing for your community!
Thanks so much Marcy and it is always my pleasure. I feel very blessed with our friendship.
Blessed is a lovely description for us, and EXACTLY how I feel about you, too. We never can have too many writing friends! 🙂
Woo hoo!!!! This is fabulous news, Marcy Mudpie! Congrats! Can’t wait to read Pennies when it debuts!!!
You ALWAYS make me laugh, Robyn. You’re a talented writer and a great friend! Thank you!
Congratulations. Great job of overcoming many obstacles !
Persistence is the key, Dawn. You just having to keep at it: writing, believing in yourself and continuing despite those obstacles! 🙂
Congratulations, Marcy! I’m so happy for you. Enjoy the moment! Here’s to facing, and overcoming, our fears. Be sure to let us know as soon as it’s available! Cheers!
Many thanks, Vaughn. I’ll definitely keep everyone posted and look forward to read YOUR novel someday! 🙂
Congratulations, Marcy! We all knew you could do it. I can’t wait to get my hands on the book.
I’ve been taking a lot more risks with my writing in the past year, and a lot of that is thanks to your thought-provoking and encouraging advice. I think the main thing that I’m not doing more of is creating and submitting new stories and articles to journals, websites, etc. I guess I just sort of let platform building and marketing my first novel take precedence… and you’re right, it’s just fear holding me back. Here’s to submitting more new work in the last two months of 2015!
Thanks. You’ve really been on my mind and in my heart since Mudpie Writing’s Creative Monster Challenge in January. I’m glad MPW has encouraged to take more risks!
That said, I’m going to respectfully say you do NOT need to be creating new content for journals, websites. Your priority is marketing novel #1 and start writing novel #2! I feel quite sure you have another book inside you. You need to making time for it! 🙂
Good luck and keep going!
Thanks for this! I had a similar experience the summer of 2014. I met a guy at a conference who had a new indie publishing company with his wife. On a whim I asked if they were interested in fiction and he said that he’d be willing to give it a look. My novel, All I Once Held, was released by Quoir Publishing in July 2015! It never would have happened if I had given into fear and insecurity!
Hi Gaylynne,
I LOVE your story. We do have similar stories, and I’m so glad we pushed back our self-doubt to find a happy ending. Good luck with All I Once Held and for your future novels!
Oh Marcy, congratulations on finding your book a home! It sounds like such a great fit. I agree with many here about your wonderful contributions to the writing community, and have so enjoyed our conversations. I can’t wait to read your book! And to hear what you think about Big Magic, which I loved 🙂
Hi Dana,
Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment. This really is a special time, and I’m so grateful for everyone in the MPW community and what we’ve built together. Good luck with your writing!
Congrats, Marcy! Twitter isn’t for everyone… And mega congrats on landing a publisher!
Happy dance for you!!!!
Thanks for making me smile, Beth. I’m happy dancing right along with you!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Congratulations Marcy! There is nothing, NOTHING like the feel of that first book in your hands. But thank you for also pointing out all the things we writers can do to move our work forward no matter what! My first two books were published by two different publishers who found me — or I found them — very serendipitously. Then I’ve chosen to publish my next two myself. I’ve learned so much by both the experiences. No matter what, keep writing, keep growing. ~Kathy
Thanks for your interesting insights, Kathy. Sounds like you’ve had quite a journey, but you’re right — bottom line, we need to keep writing and growing. I’m sure I’ll have lots to learn, too!
Give me an M…give me an A…give me an R….give me a C…give me a Y! What does it spell?
Goooo Marcy!
Yes, I’m done. Could not resist. Can’t wait to read your book because you do inspire me even though I hide in the shadows here.
I am laughing at the Twitter drop out status we now share. When you were considering it you asked opinions and I felt very alone in my response that I just don’t get it! I feel so much less alone now.
Of course, the former cheerleader in me LOVED the cheer you created just for me! I still like Twitter and love reading funny tweets, just not enough to spend more of my writing time there. However, that’s the great thing about life. We all get to make our own choices. 🙂
Congratulations Marcy! I’m sooo happy for you! Together with my coauthor, we’re determined that the novel we’re working on will be a lot further along, if not indeed finished, by the end of the fast approaching NaNoWriMo. We’re excited but scared at the same time. Eek! 🙂
Hello, Sunshine! Excited, but scared is exactly where you and your co-author should be. Keep writing and keep pushing forward. Thanks for your excitement for me!
No need to thank me, thank YOU, not only for your encouragement now, but throughout all your posts and comments. You rock!
Congratulations! It’s about time isn’t it….. I’m glad for you and it’s inspiring for those of us who are as yet unpublished. I finally got a Twitter account and started a writing blog of my own. (Tried your Twitter link here and it doesn’t work Marcy?!) It’s a start.
Hi Anne,
It IS about time. I’m very grateful and happy this moment is finally here. And yeah, I ditched Twitter. It wasn’t for me, but I hope you love it. Congrats on your new blog. Exciting stuff happening for us all!
WoHoo! Go Marcy go! That’s Awesome! I entered a writing contest a little bit ago in August. I was shaking in my boots but am so glad that I didn’t bow out, even at the end when it seemed like I wasn’t going to make it. You go girl!
Yay, Miriam! You’ve absolutely made my day. I’ve been wondering how you are and here you popped up! Congrats on entering that contest. You ASKED. Good for you. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep you posted on my novel! 🙂
We love you and your wonderful book Marcy. Here’s to great things happening!
Look everyone, it’s my PUBLISHER! The talented and tenacious Pamela Fagan Hutchins (www.http://pamelahutchins.com). I’m VERY grateful to you and SkipJack Publishing! 🙂
Wonderful news, Marcy, I’m so delighted for you! Thanks also for the reminder that tiny pushes at the comfort zone boundary count – I have a terrible tendency only to see big jumps up from where I am right now – walls rather than steps. Thanks for this advice. And well done again!
Gracias, Marie! It made a HUGE difference for me when I stopped focus on the BIG jumps…it made me feel like a Loser because it’s such an all/nothing mentality. Did you sell you novel, Marcy.
Nope. Then, you suck. Small steps are so much more doable and give reason to be proud of myself. Try it. The change of attitude might work for you, too.
So happy for you. Congratulations! This is great good news.
I’m still giddy about it, Katie. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.
Marcie – wonderful news! One of your “hot topics” is procrastination and I’m going to send you my blog on how I approached it and (so far) am beating the demon!
Thank you, Jack. Congrats on your blog. I’ll be looking for it. 🙂
Congrats form Vienna, Marcie! It’s so fine to hear this. You have to ask, otherwise the answer is always no!
Many thanks, Bettina. I love how you phrased that, “You have to ask, otherwise the answer is always no!” So true. I’m looking forward to this new adventure!
Congratulations to your courage and future as a published author! I’ve finished my manuscript and am still polishing it up. I am soooo ready to publish…. 🙂
Kudos to us both! I wish you all the best with your book!
Congratulations!
Thank you, Madani. I’m grateful for your support, and hope your writing is going well.
Congratulations, Marcie. I’m looking forward to seeing your book in print. And I loved the Twitter confession. To this day, I do not understand the allure of 140-character messaging. Glad I’m not the only one who has ‘issues’ with it.
Thank you so much, Bruce. I just saw samples of book cover today and I LOVE them. I share them with Mupdie Writing when we’ve picked “the one!’
Congratulations, Marcy. This is excellent news. Great article on the how-to. Of course, rejection stings, but I tend to not let it nibble at me. As my Italian ancestors used to say, “Forgedaboutid!” And so I do and move on to the next and the next . . . 😀
I needed your humor today, Pattyann. Thank you! Your Italian ancestry serves you well. My people were Irish…we’ve hold on to angst! Good luck with your writing!