I have been a writer for decades. Decades. I have submitted one particular manuscript to traditional publishers several times over the past seven or eight years. With each rejection I went back to studying the craft of writing and asking friends and family members to read and critique, my manuscript.
It wasn't until the summer of 2020 that I finally submitted my manuscript to two publishers that rejected it, but offered the first truly helpful bits of advice. One secular romance publisher suggested that I spice up the heat, because my story wasn't "racy" enough for their readers. The other publisher was even more specific in recommending that I change the premise of the story to make it more believable. She even went so far as to suggest how I could do this so that she could more seriously consider the book for publication. As terrible as a rejection letter can be, this was the most wonderful rejection I could have ever received and I'm very grateful for it.
So, as you can imagine, I went back to work revising the story, changing my characters, cutting chapters, etc. In late 2020 I sent my manuscript to a professional editor and she gave me excellent advice and feedback on how to make my story even better. I revised the story again.
Then, in January 2021 I joined the "Red House Writers Collective," an online community of Christian writers headed by founder Kathi Lipp, author of Clutter Free and numerous other books. I have learned a ton about writing, publishing, platform, promotions, serving your audience, etc. in this online group. One is the definition of a "beta reader." I'd never even heard of such a thing before. Beta Reader - "a person who reads a work of fiction before it is published in order to mark errors and suggest improvements, typically without receiving payment." Instead of going back to my (very expensive but good) editor, I found a beta reader on Fiverr.com and promptly hired her to read my manuscript for $120. The candid (and brutally honest) feedback I received from this beta reader was unbelievably helpful to me and well worth every penny. Yes, I felt a little hurt by some of her remarks but I couldn't take any of them personally, because I didn't know her. And that is one of the most freeing things I can say about hiring a beta reader. They don't know you and they're not friends or family, so you can't take what they say about your writing personally.
What did I do next? Yes, you guessed it. I went back to work completely revising my manuscript again. It was painstaking and tedious work, but very cathartic, actually, because I cut over 10,000 words and rewrote another 5,000 to make the story clearer, cleaner and crisper with more momentum and more "high stakes" tension. I reshaped my heroine to make her more likable and admirable. I closed "plot holes" in the story. And, most of all, I added a lot more romantic tension. I can finally say that I really love my story and my characters in a way I never have before.
My next step was to search the internet again for historical romance publishers. I found a few new publishers in addition to the three from summer 2020 and read all their submission guidelines afresh. That was when I realized that every single one either highly recommended or required that manuscripts be professionally edited before submittal. So, you guessed it, I searched Fiverr.com again for a professional manuscript editor. (Editors are expensive! It took a lot of searching to find anyone who would edit my manuscript for less than $330, since my novel is 75,000 words long.) I finally found an editor to work through the first half of my manuscript for $100. That's where I am in the process right now. I sent off my document to the editor a couple of days ago and she is reading it now. I liked her right away for her regular communication with me, asking me very pertinent questions about my intended audience and other things.
I'm not going to lie. This whole writing thing has been hard. My husband is a mover, shaker, doer, and he does not fully "get" my reasons for choosing the traditional publishing route when it has been such a slow, difficult road for me. He wants me to self-publish and just be done with the book and move on to my next one. As much as I would love to get on with writing my sequel, I have a deep-seated desire for validation as a writer and I don't value my own estimation of my writing. (I'm sure I have psychological problems for this need, but I don't really care.) To be honest, I don't value the soft, kind, friendly critiques of friends and family anymore and, since they're probably the only ones who would read my self-published book anyhow, I wouldn't value their reviews. I need to develop a thicker skin and accept criticism from people who won't let me settle for mediocrity, but who will motivate me to be a better writer.
So why choose the "more challenging" road of traditional publishing? My perfectionistic tendencies, my need for approval, my personal experience, and my temperament compel me to seek out the higher standards of the publication industry. It's not about money or royalties. I know full well that most authors make almost no money on the sales of their books. Sad, but true. I'm seeking to be traditionally published in order to prove to myself that my writing is worthy of publication. You can judge me if you like, but I'm finding the process and journey very rewarding as I continue to learn and grow, honing my craft and hopefully moving baby steps closer to becoming a bonafide author.
BUT I've recently had that "brain wave," so I'm working to create a YouTube series based on a new writing revision and publishing experiment. I'll keep you posted!
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