Getting Published with a Little Help from My Friends

When you look at the cover of Dream or Destiny, you see my name as the author. What you don’t see are the names of all the other people who made this book possible.

I can’t possibly mention every person who contributed to the publication of Dream or Destiny, but I can demonstrate how many people have been part of the process.

If I go all the way back to the beginning, I recognize the talent and desire to write came from God. My late parents raised me to believe in myself and to strive for accomplishment. Both the encouragement and competition of my siblings have motivated me. The constant support and faith of my husband Jack gives me courage and confidence.

I might never have become a published author without the boost provided by Mrs. Newsom, my English teacher at Dilley High School. She assigned us to write a short story, then read my story to every English class in our small school, each time repeating complimentary words about the story.

With these early influences, I always knew I wanted to write. However, I didn’t believe I could make a living as a writer so writing remained a dream for “someday”—perhaps when I retired. It took a wake-up call in the form of a severe stroke for me to decide “someday” was now. I vowed to start pursuing my dream of writing as soon as I recovered enough from the stroke.

In the meantime, my college friend, Grace Anne Schaefer, started writing. When she finished a 100,000 word novel, I thought, “If she can do it, so can I.”

However, I didn’t know anything about writing for publication. Although several of my articles had been published in an industry trade journal during my years as an interior landscaper, writing a business article for a trade journal and writing a novel were quite different.

I joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA). I parted ways with RWA years ago because of their negative attitude and policies toward small press and electronic publishers, but I give the organization great credit for its excellent training for writers. The programs and workshops of the local chapter, the articles in the organization’s publications, and classes at regional and national conferences gave me a solid foundation in creative writing. I also learned a lot in classes, including an online class taught by novelist and writing teacher Lary Crews and a local offline class taught by mystery writer Jay Brandon. Writing magazines and books contributed to my education as a writer.

All that background was necessary before I could write a publishable novel. I started improving dramatically when three other writers and I formed a critique group. Angela Hoover, Jan Kilby, Polly Price, and I meet weekly in my home. We each brought a chapter to share, and we learned as much from reading and critiquing each other’s work as from the critiques we received on our own. I finished Stroke of Luck and Dream or Destiny during the time our critique group met regularly.

The publication of Stroke of Luck involved a number of individuals, and I’m grateful to each of them. But this blog book tour is for Dream or Destiny.

I had an agent for a couple of years, but all I got from that experience was a stack of rejection letters. I put the manuscript away for a time and temporarily gave up the idea of getting this book published. When I decided to give it another try, I spent time with my friends Herb and Billie Houston (who write as Barri Bryan) after a writers conference. During the day, I holed up in the hotel room and edited the manuscript, and at night we experienced Las Vegas. Their encouragement brought me a step closer to publication.

Then two published author friends, Diana Lesire Brandmeyer and Anita Gunnufson (aka Anita Lynn), read the manuscript and gave me valuable feedback. After I incorporated many of their suggestions, I submitted Dream or Destiny to a publisher, who offered me a publishing contract. However, before the book went into the production, the publisher made changes to its business model that I wasn’t comfortable with, so I asked to be released from the contract.

After another long period of ignoring the story, I submitted it to GASLight Publishing, LLC, a small press started by my friend Grace Anne and her husband Ken Schaefer. Several obstacles delayed the publication of the book, but in the meantime, I posted on my blog asking for readers. Helen Ginger, Tammi Reynolds, Misti Sandefur, and Mihaela Lica, my host today here at eWritings, responded. Their suggestions made the story much better.

Three different editors/proofreaders reviewed the book during the production cycle. Artist Aundrea Hernandez designed a fabulous cover. The publisher handled critical details such as assigning the ISBN as well as arranging for printing.

Their names may not appear on the cover, but Dream or Destiny would not have been published without the help of each of these individuals. They made the book much stronger—any weaknesses or errors are mine.

I thank everyone who contributed to the publication of Dream or Destiny, and I thank everyone who reads, reviews, and recommends the book!

Leave your thoughts and questions in a comment. I’ll be back during the day to respond.

Lillie Ammann blogs at A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye and freelances as a writer and editor.
She is on a blog book tour for her romantic mystery novel Dream or Destiny.