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Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere ~Carl Sagan
My did I notice your book bloghop entry is at the bottom.
MP: Julie Flanders is stopping by for a visit on Spacedock 19 today. She’s a librarian by day and a writer all the rest of the time. Her debut novel Polar Night will be published by Ink Smith Publishing in 2013. When not writing fiction, she loves to write about animal-related issues, and she writes several columns for the Examiner.com. She blogs at What Else is Possible? A great place to visit on the internet.
Can Craze get you a drink, Julie? Sorry about all the dust. He’s still remodeling, mumbling something about creating a destination spot.
MP: He must be out of limes. That looks like a Siegna starburst. They taste good, though. I’m glad you came out for a visit, Julie. I was excited to hear your novel will be coming out in 2013. Uber awesome! How many queries did you send out?
JF: This is my first Siegna starburst but it’s yummy. Thanks, Craze!
I sent out 16 queries. Back in the beginning of the summer I sent out 12 to agents and then as the summer went on I sent 4 out to independent publishers. I had no luck at all with the agents, but got full ms requests from 3 of the small presses. Ink Smith got back to me fairly quickly and it’s been a great experience with them so far. I have to say I thought writing the query was 100 times harder than writing the book!
MP: That’s great to get three requests. What attracted you to the small presses?
JF: I just felt more comfortable trying smaller presses. When I did submit a few queries to agents, I found the whole process intimidating and I got discouraged very quickly. I also had some difficulties finding agents who I even thought I could submit to because I can’t narrow my book down to a specific genre and, even though I mostly consider it a suspense story, it also has a significant supernatural element. At least from what I found, the smaller presses seemed more open to considering paranormal or supernatural tales. Also, I saw many bloggers who had submitted to small presses and ended up very happy, most notably my friend Lisa Regan. She had gone through so much to get an agent and then still ended up having to wait so long for acceptance by any of the traditional publishing houses, I just didn’t know if I even wanted to try to go through that. Lisa was so thrilled when she was able to sign with her publisher and announce the publication dates for her books that I found her experience very inspiring.
MP: It’s really wonderful how we have so many credible paths to becoming published and successful authors these days. So, you said you had three requests for the manuscript. Did you send them all in when requested, or did you have to send them one at a time? How did that process work?
JF: I sent queries to four different small presses that included a synopsis of the story and the first few chapters. Three of them requested the full ms, so I sent it out to each of them at different times as the requests came in. I know with some presses or agents they ask for partial requests first, but that wasn’t the case for me. Each publisher asked for the full ms after I sent my initial query. It was very nerve-wracking hitting the send button each time I sent out the full ms! As soon as I hit send I started wondering if I had made a mistake in formatting, if the editing really was done, etc.
MP: How long was it from when you sent the queries to getting the manuscript requests? Then how long did the manuscript sit with the publisher before you heard anything back?
JF: About a month between sending the query and getting the request for two of the presses, the third was three months in between query and request. I received a contract offer from my publisher about a month after sending the full ms. I sent out my first ms early in the summer and it sat with the publisher for a good three months. I still didn’t have a response when I ended up signing my contract.
MP: So what happens next? Were you given an idea how long until the book is finished and will be released?
JF: I know it will be published in 2013, but I don’t have a date yet. This is just my speculation, but from my dealings with the publisher so far I would guess it will be in late winter or early spring, so I don’t think I will have to wait too long. Right now they are working on a cover picture but I don’t have any idea what it’s going to be yet. I’ve sent in the ideas I had for a cover but now I just have to wait and see what they come up with. I’m very anxious for that and I know it will be exciting to actually see a cover with my book’s title on it!
Nini reading Julie’s article in Cat Fancy
MP: More exciting will be to see your name on it. How long did it take you to get from aspiring author to about-to-be-published author?
JF: I started writing in earnest in 2010 when I started volunteering as a writer for Best Friends Animal Society. Before that, I had only shared a few stories I’d written with friends, and none of them were anything that could have been published. But I enjoyed the volunteering so much I started thinking about trying to make a go of writing and seeing if I could actually get paid for doing it. I got a few paid credits in 2011 that were a huge thrill and then one night in the summer of 2011 I had a dream that inspired me to come up with the story for Polar Night. It took me about nine months to go from inspiration to finished novel, and then I started submitting in the summer of 2012. So I guess the process of getting to a point where I even considered the idea that I could be a writer to having my novel picked up for publication has been about 2 years. But I’ve always loved writing and I’ve loved making up stories in my head ever since I was a kid, so I guess you could say it’s taken a lifetime to actually get to the point where I believed I could take the stories out of my head and write them down.
MP: I think the story of most writers… a lifetime to get what’s in our heads into publishable form. I’m immensely glad you stopped in for a visit today. Is your gin and tonic OK?
JF: My drink was better than okay, thanks. Nice job, Craze.
Thanks again for inviting me to be here at Spacedock 19 with you, Mary. It’s been a lot of fun and it’s always great to hang out with you and Craze.
Here’s a sneak peek as to what Polar Night is about:
When Detective Danny Fitzpatrick leaves his hometown of Chicago and moves to Fairbanks, Alaska he wants nothing more than to escape the violence and heartbreak that left his life in pieces. Numbed by alcohol and the frozen temperatures of an Alaskan winter, Danny is content with a dead-end job investigating Fairbanks’ cold cases. That all changes when a pretty blond woman goes missing on the winter solstice, and Danny stumbles upon some surprising connections between her disappearance and that of another Fairbanks woman three years earlier. Forced out of his lethargy, Danny sets out to both find the missing woman and solve his own cold case.
The investigation points Danny towards Aleksei Nechayev, the handsome and charming proprietor of an old asylum turned haunted tourist attraction in the Arctic town of Coldfoot. As he tries to find a link between Nechayev and his case, Danny’s instinct tells him that Nechayev is much more than what he seems.
Danny has no idea that Nechayev is hiding a secret that is much more horrifying than anything he could ever have imagined. As his obsession with finding the missing women grows, Danny finds his own life in danger. And when the truth is finally revealed, the world as he knows it will never be the same.
Did I notice your book? Bloghop hosted by Ciara Knight and Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Here’s a book I hope to get to reading real soon:
DEA agent Tino Kosta, is out to avenge the deaths of his family. He’s deep undercover as a jaguar tracker and sometimes jungle guide, but the appearance of a beautiful, brainy anthropologist heats his Latin blood taking him on a dangerous detour that could leave them both casualties of the jungle.
Kindle Smashwords Nook
Any questions for Julie on querying small presses or why it might be great to choose one? Visit Julie at What Else is Possible.
Knights wanted! Join the jousting tournament and launch party.
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Thanks for participating in our blogfest!
Congratulations, Julie! I never even sent queries to agents – just went straight for publishers – and my experience has been great.
Craze is always taking such good care of his customers!
Polar night sounds like a great read and Secrets of a Mayan Moon caught my interest too.
Thank you Mary for having me here today, and thanks to Craze as well! :D I had a great time hanging out with you guys.
Thanks Alex and Laura!
I’m so glad to learn about Mayan Moon! Sounds awesome and I hadn’t heard of Paty before.
What a great interview! Thanks for the shout-out, Julie. It is such a grueling process and I’m glad that my story can be of some help to other writers. I’m so excited for you that you got a contract. (Personally, I love, love, love my small press publisher.) I can’t wait to read your book! It is right up my alley! And the
Secrets of a Mayan Moon sounds great too!
Hi Mary and Julie! Great interview.
It’s so nice to hear of people having such success with small publishers – I’m a huge fan of them, and have been ever since I first starting submitting many, many years ago. I hope you’re enjoying the process Julie!
Good interview. I support anything that mentions Lisa Regan’s name. :)
Terrific interview, Julie and Mary. I’d love to hang out at Spacedock 19, sounds like one happening place.
My question to Julie is how did you research your publishers? Did you look at ones that were publishing your genre? I’ve only ever been with my current one and that’s because I won a contest. I’m four years into publshing and still very much a newbie. Thanks!
Mary, thanks for sharing Paty’ book. I love the Maya. :)
Stopping to find out what book you noticed! Great job at picking a good one out. Also loved your interview today.
Awesome interview! I love that there are so many paths to publishing, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about small presses. I’m going Indie with my first book, but I love hearing how other authors make it in different ways!
I’m definitely planning on getting a copy of Polar Night when it comes out.
And Secrets of a Mayan Moon looks really good too. My TBR list is growing by the minute today.
Thanks for sating my curiosity on this topic, Julie.
I’ve seen many of you do well with small presses, Alex. All these opportunities are fantastic.
Craze enjoys it, Laura. I think they sound great, too. I’ll be acquiring both.
Great to see you here, Lisa.
I enjoyed learning more about it, Annalisa.
Awesome, Libby.
Well, I need to have you visit the Spacedock sometime, Melissa. You’d be an awesome guest. And a great question. I’m curious, too.
Thanks, Lee.
I’ve considered small presses, Tyrean, and still might in the future.
I’ve read some of Patty’s stuff. This sounds like another winner.
I am a HUGE fan of Julie’s and cannot wait to read Polar Night.
Loved your selection for DINYB as well, MP! Really cool cover. :-)
Great interview! I like your choice for the blogfest, too.
Enjoyed the interview. CONGRATS to Julie!!
I’m a small press girl, myself. I like that the books come to market faster than from a mid-size or large press. I like the personal touch and the sense of a team working on your book. You lose some of the control you have in self-publishing but for now, I’m good with that! Good luck to you and your book, Julie.
Great interview and blog hop pick, Mary.
These little chats are a lot of fun. Great post on small press publishing and highlighting the book.
@Lisa, your story was such an inspiration to me! So glad you are interested in my book, thanks so much.
@Annalisa, thank you, I am so far, it’s been a big thrill.
@Libby, I do too, LOL.
@Melissa, thank you! I learned about this publisher because I subscribed to Total Funds for Writers by Hope Clark. She lists publishers, grants, magazine opportunities, etc. I’ve found it to be a great resource!
@C. Lee, thank you!
@Tyrean, oh, thank you, makes my day to read that!
@EJ, you totally rock, thanks!
@Sherry, thanks so much.
@Suzanne, thank you, I so appreciate it!
Great interview! I had better luck with small presses, too. Querying agents IS intimidating, especially if your genre isn’t “in” right now. I’m glad you found a home for your book, Julie!
Julie, I loved reading this interview and the book sounds great. On the one hand, it’s amazing to have so many different publishing opportunties and then on the other hand, sometimes it’s hard to sort through all those choices. Reading other people’s decision-making process is always so inspiring.
@Kai, thank you! And I’m glad you have been happy with your publisher, that’s great to know.
@Michael, thank you, it was so fun to chat with Mary and, of course, Craze. :D
Paty is a great author, Susan, and a wealth of knowledge.
I’m really excited for Julie, too, EJ.
Thanks, Sherry.
Thanks for stopping in, Susanne.
Hi Kai! Your new books are beautiful. After I finish the Hetty series, I may opt to go for a small press, but will continue Backworlds on my own.
I enjoy them, Michael.
Congrats, Julie! Can’t wait to read Polar Night!
Great Interview Mary and Julie! It’s so cool to hear about all the different routes to getting published and it’s even better to hear all the successes people have had with them! ^^ :D
@Emily, thank you, I’m so glad as well.
@Johanna, I agree, I found the whole thing overwhelming as there are so many choices. A good thing, but still intimidating! Thanks so much.
@Cherie, thank you!
@Amanda, thanks so much, glad you liked it.
Great interview. I got caught up and forgot about the DINYB post until I finished the interview. I really need to stay focused. “Squirrel!”
Anyhoo, great pick. Thanks for participating.
Yay!! Congrats again to Julie for finding a publisher for Polar Night. Such cool news. And it’s so true there are many paths to success in publishing. Happy she found hers. :))
@Ciara, glad you liked the interview, thanks. I’ve been having fun reading all the recommendations during your great blogfest!
@LG, thank you!
Great interview!
There is something I’ve been wondering about small publishers–if you don’t mind me asking. I’ve read that authors still have to do a significant part of promotion and things like that; so are the advantages of small publishers over self-publishing not having to pay for an editor/cover designer and worrying about distribution?
Hi Julie *cyber wave*,
A Starburst instead of a lime. That Craze is resourceful.
I enjoyed reading about your journey to publication!
Great stuff MP It won’t be long before Julies in Amazon’s top ten thriller list!
Great interview. Julie, did you do much research about the presses you submitted to? I’ve heard a lot of great experiences with small presses, but there are the few horror stories. I had one myself, so I’m always really cautious when submitting places.
Great pick for the blogfest, Mary!
The cover is a big eye catcher. And the story sounds fascinating.
I am so happy to see Julie on your blog. She is one of the most amazing people I have met through blogging! I am so happy she found a publisher for her book.
I have to agree that writing the query is far harder than writing the book!
Mary and Julie did a great job with the interview! Polar Night sounds like a wonderful read, and I enjoyed learning more about your publishing experience!
Secrets Of A Mayan Moon really caught my attention…
I love the elements of ancient stone tablet + drug trafficiking bad guys + undercover agent… sounds potent!!
Congratulations to Julie Flanders. I’m so happy for her! Nice to hear small presses take chances on manuscripts that have merit when agents pass.
@Golden Eagle, thanks! That was the advantage for me, I am so new to all this that I was uneasy about jumping right into self-publishing, so this felt like the right step for me.
@Brinda, isn’t Craze a great bartender? LOL. Thanks so much!
@spacerguy, wow, thanks so much! :D
@Christine, I did some research as I’ve heard about those stories as well, I’m so sorry to hear that happened to you! I still felt like I was taking a chance, but then I just felt like I’d take the risk. I’m glad you liked the interview, thank you!
@Lynda, it definitely was for me. And when I re-read my query now I still don’t like it!
@Julie, thank you!
@Theresa, thank you, I appreciate it!
There’s a lot to be said for small presses. Many writers overlook them, thinking they have to get an agent.
I’d still consider a small press, Emily. I guess we all have our reasons for how we go about this.
Johanna, I agree that there are a lot of factors to weigh. Eventually the right decision settles in, and it will be different for each person.
I look forward to it, too, Cherie.
I totally agree, Amanda.
A very fun bloghop, Ciara. And Julie was fun to chat with.
I’m thrilled for her, too, LG.
Hi Eagle. I would say those are advantages to going with a small press, and they’re rather significant. Depending on the publisher, it may get you more initial notice.
Craze is resourceful. He’s getting impatient to get going this morning, Brinda.
That’d be awesome to see her there, Spacerguy.
Great question, Christine.
I agree, too, Lynda.
It’s a new direction for the author, Michelle, but one she was thrilled to go in.
It is great to hear of these stories, Theresa.
I agree, Diane. They’re worth considering. I did and will again.
Polar Night sounds amazing~ I lived in Alaska, I look forward to it~
Nice to meet you Julie!
Well done on the interview Ladies! I enjoyed it~
And Craze, lol
Great to see you, Ella :)
@Diane, I agree!
@Ella, oh, thank you! Great to meet you!
@Susan, I’m so sorry I missed your comments earlier! Thank you so much for your kind words! :)