Story time…😊
Fly with Me was my 5th complete adult manuscript that I wrote/queried over the past 5+ years. I threw 150+ rejections worth of spaghetti at that trad publishing “wall,” and, for a long time, nothing stuck. My dream felt impossible.
BUT THEN in Nov 2021, my query found the right agent’s inbox at the right time. I’m so grateful D4EO's Mariah Nichols saw something in my WLW romcom, and that my book fit her list. After some edits, Mariah subbed it an SMP editor at the perfect moment. And they wanted a meeting! After a fantastic talk with an incredible editor, I did another round of edits and resubmitted.
And then I waited. But not very long. 😄
In a matter of weeks, I was shocked to find out that the wonderful people at SMP wanted to publish my book and another after! I’m THRILLED I’ll be sharing it with the world soon!
I did work hard, BUT I want to be clear there was so much LUCK (and privilege) involved in this process. SO to all the querying writers out there, I’m sorry it sucks sometimes. For me, the more I wrote and created, the more I learned. And (I think) it strengthened my odds! I didn’t have contacts in the industry. I sent my first ever query in 2007 at age 21 on a middle grade novel. Now it’s 2023. And when my first book comes out! (I’ll be 37.) AHHH 🤯
It’s easy on this side of things to say all the rejection was worth it. But as I drafted, edited, and immersed myself in my genre, I was learning SO MUCH about the industry. Before Fly with Me, I don’t think I was ready. (And tbh, I still feel like a peewee hockey player thrust into the NHL…sry for the sports metaphor🙃)
So yeah, this impossible thing is happening! I wake up every day, and it doesn’t feel real. I can’t believe I spent last week planning my cover reveal. I can’t believe some of you already pre-ordered. 😭 I’m excited and TERRIFIED. Constantly. 😳😅 Without the support I’ve gotten on bookstagram
from readers and other writers, none of this would be happening. Thank you all for rooting for my impossible thing. 🥰 And please know that whatever the impossible thing is in YOUR life right now—sometimes it really happens! And I’m rooting for you too!! 😘🙌💕
