Hi, everyone!
Welcome to another edition of Spotlight Saturday at Darlene's Book Nook, where we feature authors and their books!
We will be joined today by Dorine White.
About Dorine:
About Dorine:
CONNECT ONLINE WITH DORINE:
Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Dorine!
Dorine has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her!
What Does It Take to Become a Published Author?
It Takes the 2 P's: Patience and Perseverance
by Dorine White
My quest to publication took a long time. The Emerald Ring is actually the third manuscript that I’d written. My first manuscript, The Awakening, was sent out to agents and editors for over two years before I set it aside. It was during this time that I took a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) class at a local college. During this class I finished my second manuscript, a YA fantasy of over 50,000 words. If you’ve ever participated in NaNoWriMo, you know it takes a lot out of you. I put that manuscript away, and didn’t look at it again for over a year.
That brings me to The Emerald Ring. I spent about 6 months writing the story and a few more editing. Then I took a lengthy break to take care of family things. I pulled it out again when I attended the Summer PNWA writer’s conference. I needed something to pitch, and this one was complete. It was at this conference that I learned about book doctors. I lucked out in finding a book doctor, Jason Black, who was just starting his business and able to take on new clients at a low cost. I jumped on the chance and first had him do a developmental edit. He read the manuscript and gave me ideas to make the story complete. After several more rounds of edits, I then submitted it to him for a line edit. It was at this point that I felt ready to send it out to publishers.
I was so excited, so sure an agent would swoop it up, but alas, no. After a year of submitting to agents and getting rejections, I moved on to publishers. This time I got great responses. Several editors sent back personal rejections and a few requested the manuscript. Did I mention it can take up to a year to hear back from a publisher? It got sent to the acquisitions committees of a couple houses, but then fell through. Ah- patience.
I set aside The Emerald Ring after 3 years of trying, and began working again on my second manuscript. I was just ready to start sending it out when my sister-in-law suggested I give The Emerald Ring one more try. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and sent it out for one more round. This time luck was with me. After three months, Cedar Fort requested my manuscript and then signed me a week later! My perseverance had paid off, but it took a lot of patience to get that far. Nothing happens quick in the publishing world.
Now that the release date for my book is here, I can look back and smile. Wow, what a road! The rejections can really get to you, but you have to keep trying, even if it takes years. Move on to other projects, and don’t get bogged down with just one story. Most authors I know took at least 8 years to break into publishing. Don’t give up!
Thanks so much for joining us today, Dorine!
One lucky winner will win a paperback copy of Dorine's debut novel, The Emerald Ring!
SERIES: Cleopatra's Legacy, Book #1
AUTHOR: Dorine White
PUBLISHER: Cedar Fort, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: May 14, 2013
FORMAT: Paperback, 348 pages
GENRE: Upper Middle-Grade Fantasy
GENRE: Upper Middle-Grade Fantasy
ISBN: 9781462111336
Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.
A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins.
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Catch up with and follow the rest of The Emerald Ring blog tour by clicking on the Tour Badge above.
Catch up with and follow the rest of The Emerald Ring blog tour by clicking on the Tour Badge above.
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