IT’S NOT ALL FANFARE AND APPLAUSE
…OR SUNSHINE AND ROSES
When
you ask a successful author—even using the word success here loosely—to reflect
on what it took to reach the pinnacle, they will usually give you the good
stuff. You know, the sterling reviews, the excitement of that book signing, the
enthusiastic response of readers.
I’m
no different. I’ve been thrilled by the early response to my new novel, Blood on the
Chesapeake. Early reviewers have been kind and even effuse in their praise. (“Blood on the Chesapeake is a tale to be savored in a darkened room, with an eye to all the possibilities lurking just out of sight.”—William Kent Krueger, Edgar Award winner and best-selling author of Ordinary Grace) And I can’t wait for the first book signing to look across at an excited reader and ask, “Who should I make this out to?”
But that only tells one part of the
story.
When
asked, I usually leave out the soul-crushing responses I received from almost
100 (count them) agents, who politely, or not so politely, turned down the
manuscript, after I meticulously researched them, selected them and sent them a
carefully scripted query. (Not to mention the agents who never even bothered to
acknowledge my query or send a “no thanks.”) I’m usually too embarrassed to
mention the several writing conferences I attended—and the money and time
invested—in hopes of talking with an agent, face to face, who might recognize
the possibilities of my new novel. I also don’t usually bother explaining about
the numerous agents (fifteen, maybe) who asked for partial or complete
manuscripts, only to have NONE do anything with it. “I really liked your
manuscript and believe it has potential, but I’m just not in love with it, so
I’m passing.”) Give me a break.
I’ll
also leave out the funds I put out for an editor to review my manuscript with
the hope of “fixing” it so it will be closer to what “they” are looking for. And
I certainly do not tell them about the “Query Conference” I attended in New
York City in the frigid cold—which boasts that one-third of participants secure
an agent by the conclusion—only to have to admit I wasn’t in that hallowed
number.
Still,
with the launch of Blood on the Chesapeake,
published by a small, but formidable press, The Wild Rose Press, set for
this month, I’d say the struggles have been worth it. When I’m sitting at the
book signing, autographing copies for some excited readers, I probably won’t be
thinking of all the trials then. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten. Even if my Blood on the Chesapeake does have some
success, I’ll know I have to climb that proverbial mountain all over again to
get the next one to print. Maybe, I’m a glutton for punishment, but I’ll probably
stick my shoulder against the boulder, ala Sisyphus, and start pushing all over
again.
Dr. Randy Overbeck is a writer, educator, researcher and speaker in much demand. During
his three plus decades of educational experience, he has performed many of the
roles depicted in his writing with responsibilities ranging from coach and
yearbook advisor to principal and superintendent. His new ghost story/mystery, Blood on the Chesapeake, will be
released on April 10, 2019 by The Wild Rose Press. As the title suggests, the
novel is set on the famous Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, home to endless
shorelines, incredible sunsets and some of the best sailing in the world. Blood is first in a new series of
paranormal mysteries, The Haunted Shores Mysteries. Dr. Overbeck’s first novel,
Leave No Child Behind, a thriller
about the terrorist takeover of a Midwest high school and one teacher’s stand
against the intruders, won the 2011 Silver Award for Thrillers from ReadersFavorite.com.
Dr. Dr. Overbeck is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and an active
member of the literary community. You can follow him on Twitter @OverbeckRandy,
friend him on Facebook at Author Randy Overbeck or check out his webpage, www.authorrandyoverbeck.com
No comments:
Post a Comment