BIG BIG NEWS!

I had so many titles for this post.  This post I've been longing to be in a position to write since I landed my agent in October 2010.  I thought of calling it:  Delayed Gratification.  *smirks*  I thought of calling it:  "And Then",  a reference to my last Surviving Query Hell series post.  But in the end I chose the old stand-by:  Big Big News!

Hey, what's that?

No one ever talks about submissions.  It seems to be an unwritten rule and I can see why--you don't want to tip your agent's hand by blabbing every detail of your submissions experience on your blog for the entire world to see, especially if your agent is in the midst of some kind of negotiations.  But also, quite honestly, not a whole heck of a lot happens.  And if you think agents take a long time to read a full . . . well, anyway I was on submissions for 18 months and all I had to show for it was what I like to call my "bucket of glowing rejections."  My books were in the hands of lot of editors and the responses we got were very positive.  Almost all the editors who passed on my work had some pretty nice things to say.  There was really only one rejection that I found puzzling but hey, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. 

At some point we began approaching smaller presses.  I really felt like a smaller press might be a better home for my books and a better fit for me.  Particularly because many of them are well-focused on the ebook market which, let's face it, is growing in leaps and bounds.  (I know seventy year old women who only read on their Kindles or Nooks!)  We had feelers out to some small presses.


Then, as many of you know, my BFF and fellow writer, Nancy Thompson signed a contract with Sapphire Star Publishing, a brand-spanking new small press specializing in genre fiction.  Nancy had a great experience signing with SSP and I loved the idea of approaching a publisher that was new and hungry--and one that didn't have a list so full that you might get lost in the deluge.  So I mentioned them to Jeanie and she approached them. 

You know where this is going . . .

Finally, an offer!  Sapphire Star Publishing made us an offer.  And I took it!!!!

That's right.  I JUST SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH SAPPHIRE STAR PUBLISHING! 


For both my books. 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!



I've read so many blog posts about the moment you find out you have an offer.  Writers at the eye doctor or on their way to the dentist.  Me?  I was home.  It was late evening.  My husband was rushing around, frantically preparing for a trip.  I was getting my daughter ready for bed.  She had had blood taken earlier in the week and had a bad reaction to the bandaid they put on her arm.  When I went to change her shirt, I saw that the tiny sore in the crook of her arm was now a quarter-sized, festering, pus-filled sore.  A photo was quickly texted to her R.N. grandmother for assessment:  ER visit or wait till morning for the pediatrician?  Regardless, I wanted to get some bacitracin or neosporin on it ASAP until we decided what to do. 

My daughter and I were searching for the "O-sporin" as she calls it.  We couldn't find it.  My husband pointed out that it should be in the first aid kit he had so meticulously prepared.  Of course my daughter and I had taken out the O-sporin the week before for some lesser emergency and not returned it.  Words were exchanged.  My parents live nearby so I called my dad and asked him to check his own cabinet for some O-sporin which he had.  So there I am waiting for the delivery of the O-sporin and my phone buzzes--an email.  Absently, I check it.  See the email from Jeanie.  Figure it's another glowing rejection. 

And then . . .

I got an offer!!!

So it took a few days to iron out the details and I was bursting at the seams for nearly a week wanting to tell the whole wide world that finally, I have a publisher!  (And my daughter's sore healed very quickly with no intervention needed!)


My first novel, Finding Claire Fletcher will be released on December 6, 2012 and my second novel, Aberration will be released on June 6, 2013. 

Not only have I now realized a dream I've had since I was 11 years old, but I've managed to sign with the same publisher as my very best friend, Nancy Thompson.  As those of you who read both of our blogs know, we are quite close (I know you're rolling your eyes, thinking of the many of professions of love we've tossed back and forth!) so this is extra, extra special for me!

Strangely enough, the day my contracts arrived for signing, I also got a box in the mail with these lovely, hand blown wine glasses from Prague, courtesy of my former English professor, mentor, and great friend, Dr. Danny Robinson and his wife, Vickie.  They were technically a wedding gift but we used them to toast my big news! 



I'd like to thank my family and friends for standing by me so steadfastly all these years.  I'd also like to thank all my fellow writers who have kept me going through this process and have helped me and taught me so much.  You guys are awesome!  I hope you'll stay tuned for the next leg of this journey, because as Roy Halladay said when the Phils clinched the NL East in 2010, only days before he pitched a post-season no-hitter and I landed my agent:  "It's only gonna get funner."

Comments

  1. Okay, I didn't finish reading the whole post because I just wanted to shout CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! That is awesome news! Such a great accomplishment!

    Okay, now I'm going back to read the rest! LOL

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  2. OH MY GOD!! Congratulations! And how cool is it that you and Nancy are both being published by the same publisher. That's freaking awesome. I want to cry. You're my perseverance hero!

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    1. Thank you! I wanted to cry too. I can't believe it!

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  3. YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAWWWWW!!!!

    You have had a mighty long journey. Congratulations! I've read your writing. You deserve it!

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  4. Yay!!! Lisa I'm so super stoked for you, this is GREAT!!!! Happy dancing and throwing confetti for you around my computer. I'm singing too!

    Also... I'm going to be the first one to buy it, just sayin' :D

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  5. This is the best news ever! I will buy a copy and send it to you so you can autograph it for me! WoooHooo!

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    1. Thank you! You know I'll sign a copy for you! You're one of my readers!

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  6. I've had the hardest time sitting on this news for a week! And even though I've said this many times over the last few days, CONGRATULATIONS, my friend!!!!! WAAAAAHOOOOOOO!!!! This is the best news ever! I'm so excited that we get to be publishing sisters, that we get to progress on on our journey TOGETHER!!! Oh happy happy day!! Your books are so awesome & I know they'll sell well. You're brilliant & it's about time someone recognized that!!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, I know, this is so exciting! I'm so happy!!!!!

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  7. Hooray, congrats! What a great feeling!

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  8. Congratulations! Fantastic news!

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  9. Wonderful news! So excited for you!

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  10. So very exciting! CONGRATULATIONS!!! ^_^

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  11. That's wonderful! Congratulations!

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  12. Yippee! Congratulations! Enjoy your writer's high! :)

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  13. Congrats. I hope this is just the beginning of a long series of books to be published.

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  14. Congrats! I'm sure both you and Nancy will take the publishing world by storm!

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  15. What great news! Congratulations, Lisa. This is a great conclusion to your hard work on these novels.

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  16. Congratulations!! I'm so very happy for you! And you won't even have to wait too long for them to come out, either. YAY!!!!

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  17. I've been buzzing around everywhere, sharing your news, and I completely forgot to comment HERE! Haha! Some friend I am...

    Anyway, congratulations! You really, really deserved this break. I can't tell you how happy I am for you. :D

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  18. How thrilling, Lisa. Congratulations! No wonder Carrie posted about it. This is exciting and thrilling, and I'm very happy for you. Enjoy. Now the hard work begins.

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    1. Thank you! You were one of my inspirations to persevere!

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  19. Happy news--congratulations to you :-)

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  20. CONGRATULATIONS! What wonderful news!

    (And I'm glad your daughter's arm got better too).

    YAY!

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  21. Congratulations! :) That's wonderful news!

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  22. WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Congratulations! You've had a big year and it's only getting better! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOo excited for you :)

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  23. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I am sooo happy for you! Absolutely wonderful. Cheers, cheers, and again cheers!

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  24. I stopped by yesterday but did not have time to comment. Let me do so now: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  25. Congratulations! I have been following your blog and remember your many tales of rejection. Now, this unbelievable news. You have given a lot of hope to other aspiring authors. I look forward to reading your books!

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  26. A most excellent congratulations! :)

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  27. Oh my gosh, this is so awesome!! It made me smile so much to read this post. Congratulations and I can't wait to read your books!!

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