Straight from the Mouth of John Ford Clayton, Author of MANIPULATED

"Sometimes Things Don’t Go as Planned"

For close to 20 years I worked on creative teams in churches helping to write full-length dramas as well as 5-minute sketches. That process led to a nagging question that just wouldn’t go away; “I wonder if I could write a novel?” After doubts and procrastination, I finally decided to give it a go in January 2015. I worked full time during the day, so writing would be late in the evening and on weekends. I found writing difficult but rewarding. I was surprised to find that after two months I had written 75 pages.

In late February 2015 a death in the family put the writing on pause for a couple of months, but I resumed the process in May. Another 75 pages seemed to come more smoothly. I was feeling encouraged. The story was starting to take shape. But then my own personal story took an unexpected turn. I got to hear the three words no one wants to hear; “You have cancer.”

The cancer would involve surgery, a six-week recovery, and six months of chemo. After the usual range of emotions that a cancer diagnosis brings, I thought, at least this would give me more time to write. I was wrong. Cancer and chemo are physically and emotionally draining. I was surprised to find how much energy and focus it takes to write. As many times as I tried to sit in front of the keyboard, the words just would not come.

For those dealing with a cancer diagnosis or who have a loved one dealing with cancer, I wrote occasional Facebook posts to friends and family while I was going through the process. If you are interested in reading those posts they are here.

Surgery and chemo filled in the time from June 2015 to January 2016. After a few months of regaining my strength, my wife and I took a trip in April of 2016 to our usual spring destination, Isle of Palms, South Carolina. Although I hadn’t written in close to a year, my unfinished manuscript was always in the back of my mind. I had almost concluded that I was going to put aside what I had written and start something different. During the trip I asked my wife to read the 150 pages just to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake by starting something new. I can always count on my wife for honest feedback. After reading the partial draft she was insistent that I resume this book and finish it. Not only did she think it was a fun read, she wanted to know how it would end. Frankly, so did I. Her encouragement lit the spark to get busy writing again.

I dusted off my manuscript and starting the writing process again in May 2016. Long nights and weekends led to progress, doubt, more progress, and more doubt. I was motivated by a handful of friends who I had asked to read as I was writing. Once a week I’d send out the latest chapters I had finished. I still recall getting a text from a friend after a less-than-productive week. The text simply read “Finish your dang book!” On August 13, 2016 I e-mailed my friends with the subject “The End”. It contained the last few chapters of the book. Although it was the end of the book, it would be far from the end of the process.

I spent the next few weeks re-reading the manuscript and making many edits. I then sent the finished work to professional editors to perform their magic. Wow, did they ever make me wish I had listened more intently in high school and college English classes. When their work was done I could start the process of trying to find a publisher.

For those unfamiliar with the publishing process (I was) here’s a very quick primer. To approach a publisher an author must go through a literary agent. Literary agents screen manuscripts through a process called a query. Queries typically involve a short cover letter and the first one to three chapters of the manuscript. The odds of an unpublished author who’s not already well-known (e.g. an actor, musician, sports star) are lottery-esque. Nevertheless, I would try.

In October 2016 I sent out around 20 queries. I got nothing back…I mean literally NOTHING. Most agents have a response protocol something like, “If you haven’t heard back from us in eight weeks, assume we’re not interested.”

There are many stories about well-known authors who have dealt with literary rejections. A google search of “famous author literary rejections” will turn up names like J. K. Rowling, Ernest Hemmingway, George Orwell, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King, Dr. Seuss, and John Grisham. Rejections are part of every writer's publishing journey.  

After getting no feedback on my initial queries I was faced with three options; 1) give up, 2) try self-publishing, 3) try another round of queries. All three options were given very serious consideration. In early 2017 option 3 won out. In April-May 2017 I sent out around 25 more queries. I actually got two responses, both “no’s”. I was back to the three options again.

Our family moved in the summer of 2017, so several months were spent packing and unpacking. In September 2017 after we were (somewhat) settled into the new home, I decided to give self-publishing a try. After researching several options, self-publishing through CreateSpace, an Amazon company, won out. With the self-publish option the success of the book comes down to the author/reader relationship. It is up to me to write, market and connect with you, the readers. I look forward to developing that relationship and to hearing your feedback.

About the Author:

John Ford Clayton lives in Harriman, Tennessee with his wife Kara, and canine companions Lucy, Ginger and Clyde. He has two grown sons, Ben and Eli, and a daughter-in-law, Christina. He earned a BS in Finance from Murray State University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He is active in his East Tennessee community having served on the local boards of the Boys and Girls Club and a federal credit union, on church leadership and creative teams, and on a parks and recreation advisory committee. When he’s not writing he works as a project management consultant supporting Federal project teams. John is a huge fan of Disney parks and University of Kentucky basketball.

Connect with John Ford Clayton on the web:

www.johnfordclayton.com

www.facebook.com/johnfordclayton

www.twitter.com/johnfordclayton

Straight from the Mouth of John DeDakis, Author of 'Bullet in the Chamber'

Journalist, Novelist, and Writing Coach John DeDakis is a former Senior Copy Editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." DeDakis (pronounced deh-DAY-kiss) is the author of four novels in the Lark Chadwick mystery-suspense series.

His fourth and newest novel, Bulletin the Chamber, deals, in part, with the death of his son in 2011 due to an accidental heroin overdose.   

DeDakis is a writing coach, manuscript editor, and writing workshop leader.

During his award-winning 45-year career in journalism (25 years at CNN), DeDakis has been a White House Correspondent and interviewed such luminaries as Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan.

He lives in Baltimore and has taught journalism at the University of Maryland – College Park, novel writing at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland and at the Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

John’s website: www.johndedakis.com

Questionnaire:

Thanks for letting us interrogate you!  Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you wanted to be an author? 

I wanted to be an author because I felt I had interesting stories to tell, and, well, yes – I wanted to be the next John Steinbeck.  I believe I’ve accomplished the first.  The second? Not so much.

Tell us (we won’t tell promise!)…

….uh huh….

Is it all it’s cracked up to be?  I mean what are the perks and what are the demands? 

Perk # one is the kick of knowing that I’ve actually written books that people will pay money to read.  The “demand” is the realization that not as many people as I’d hoped have actually done so. Good thing that writing is its own reward.

Another perk is that even though I’m not a best-selling author (or haven’t been), many doors have opened for teaching, speaking, and editing opportunities that wouldn’t have opened had I not gotten published. The demand that goes hand-in-hand with that is that much writing time is sucked up by having to market myself.

Which route did you take – traditional or self-published – and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what’s that like? 

I went the traditional route because I felt I needed to prove to myself that I was enough of a professional that my writing could attract the attention of a traditional agent. I am and it did. 

If I hadn’t been able to land an agent, I probably would have gone the self-pub route. In many ways, traditional publishing and self-publishing share one common component: You have to do most of the work of promoting your book.  That is unless you’re a brand-name author and don’t need a publisher’s dwindling promotional dollars.  It seems to me that traditional publishers promote their stars while the rest of us – traditional and self-pubbed – have to do it ourselves.

Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending so much time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published, what have you?

To be honest, it was a sore spot with my wife when I was writing my first novel back in the late 1990s. At one point, she referred to it as “your mistress.” So, finding the balance between work, writing, and family was always a struggle. I’m “retired” now and she’s become more, um, accepting. Maybe even proud of me. At times.

In writing your book, how did you deal with the phone ringing, your family needing dinner or your boss calling you saying you’re late?

That’s a good and very realistic, practical question.  Cindy and I have been married 38 years.  We’re a good team.  But, honestly, she’s a better mom than I am a dad.  In those years when the kids were little, I often felt as if the walls were closing in.  I can only imagine how much more so that felt like for her. 

I was fortunate, though.  For many of those writing years, I worked the overnight shift at CNN, so when I got home at, say, eight in the morning, the kids were in school, Cindy was at work, and I had a few quiet hours to write. But, often on weekends, or on family vacations, I was “there,” but not “present.”  I’m not proud of that.

What was the craziest or most insane thing that happened to you in the book publishing process?

Picture this: 

I’m at a Barnes & Noble, standing behind a table piled high with copies of my latest novel. It’s a daunting task to hand-sell your book to a stranger when thousands of other books are clamoring for attention.  So, I don’t sit back passively and wait for customers to beg me to sign a copy of my book for them. It’s not gonna happen. 

As I stand there, I make eye contact (if possible), and, if I’m really lucky, say something clever like, “Hi, how’s it goin’?” Many times that turns into a mutually satisfying conversation – and sometimes even a book sale.

But as this particular day grinds on, I see a woman a few yards away from me, studying the array of books piled on the “recently released” table.

Suddenly, I come up with what I think is the question that will lead to pay dirt:

Me: “Are you browsing?” (I’m thinking that if the answer’s yes, then chances are she’s at least open to hearing my 30-second pitch.) 

Her: “No, I’m just looking.”  (She smiles then resumes browsing the “just released” books.)

Crazy.

Oh well…..

How about the social networks?  Which ones do you believe help and which ones do you wish you could avoid?

I love Facebook. It’s extremely dynamic.  But it can be a time-suck if you let it.  I grudgingly use Twitter, but rarely.  I’m just not presidential material, I guess.

Book sales.  Don’t you just love them (or lack of?)?  How are you making the sales happen for you?

Let’s face it: John Grisham has nothing to worry about from me.  I make more money editing people’s manuscripts and leading writing workshops than I do selling books.  But, if I hadn’t gotten published, I wouldn’t be doing those things that I love. 

Even so, writing novels is its own reward. The payoff there is intangible: the satisfaction of knowing I’ve written a good story, and the wonderful experience of being able to make so many new friends.  So, I might not be as effective as I’d like to be “making the sales happen,” but that shortcoming is made up immeasurably by the richness of the people who are in my life.

What is one thing you’d like to jump on the rooftop and scream about?

Even though I have an agent, my first two novels are print-on-demand. That has led some bookstores to incorrectly assume that my novels are self-published. They’re not.  But many bookstores don’t like to stock self-published books because, for one reason, they’re not returnable. So, sometimes getting mistakenly lumped in with self-published books has been frustrating. But I’m over it now.  I’ve moved on. (Got any wine?)

Okay, too much sugar for you today!  Here’s a nice cup of Chamomile tea and come on over and sit under the cabana and watch the waves roll in.  Now…can you tell us what you love about being a published author and how all those things above don’t matter because it’s all part of the whole scheme of things and you wouldn’t have it any other way?

You just said it best.  Now, peel me a grape.