Nat's Notes:
Adventures in Publishing

December's Nat's Notes
January's Nat's Notes
February's Nat's Notes

Readers Room.com is excited to announce this new feature which will follow an author through the process of New York publishing, from a book sale to the book release. Many people wonder what happens after a book is sold to a large publisher. Natalie is wondering, too. Read along on the 15th of every month, as she explains the process--or at least gives it her best shot.

By Natalie R. Collins

THE NEXT CHAPTER: BOOK TWO-- When I sold my first book, it was a one-book deal, with an option for the second. After chatting with me on the phone about the sale, my editor told me what she wanted from me in my second book. And she told me to write a proposal and the first chapter, and send it to her. Many "first time" authors get two-book deals on their first sale, but I didn't. This caused me a considerable amount of angst as I worried about coming up with a book that could match the novel that sold. I opined on this endlessly to some very patient friends, who listened for a bit before telling me to "snap out of it" (in much more brutal wording) and just DO it. Easier said than done. Having had a fair amount of experience with rejection, as most aspiring writers do, I knew how swift it could come. In other words, my own belief in my ability to write something that my editor would like--let alone love--was a little shaky.

My agent, realizing in her wisdom and years of experience in this business that the first books that I wrote (the ones that NEVER sold, or at least not to a big New York publisher) were not what my editor wanted, told me three things: One, that I had become an "out of the box" writer; two, that I needed to write something else that was "out of the box" and unique to make my editor happy; and three, that I better write up a brief sketch and find out if what I was planning to write was even CLOSE to being in the ballpark of what my editor wanted.

So I did. But my brief email sketch turned out to be about six single-spaced pages. Turned out I really LIKED the idea I came up with, and so I sent her a very detailed synopsis. Then the wait started. Every day that passed, I became more and more convinced the idea was stupid, my writing was stilted (okay, it's a synopsis, but they still have to sing, don't they?), the plot was contrived and boring.... I checked the email account I reserve for communication with my editor every day. Several times a day. Nothing.

"You are not her only writer, Natalie," one less than kind friend told me. Yeah, I know that. Never thought I was. Have compassion! I'm suffering angst here.

"It's not like you're her only author," another friend said. Sheesh, what is this? A conspiracy?

Finally, after nearly two months had passed, I got a phone call. It was my birthday, February 17, and the caller was my editor, who told me that she was going to go ahead and offer me a contract based on my synopsis. She really liked the idea. I had been driving myself crazy for nothing. Happy Birthday! Interestingly enough, the phone call came in the middle of a Coffee chat with Jerry Jenkins, who writes the famous Left Behind series of books. It was a little hard to concentrate on the chat, but I couldn't ask for a better present. I've started the newest book, which I have tentatively titled The Fourth World. Given my past experiences, I am not getting too attached to the title. So far the book is going well, although I am experimenting a little with shifting viewpoints. I've sent an email to my editor asking if she has solid objections to my shifting viewpoints. I should hear back in a bit. Did I mention I'm not her only author?

Do you have questions or comments about Natalie's adventure in publishing? She'd love to hear from you. Contact her at: ReadersRoom2@aol.com

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