Straight from the Mouth of Ray Sutherland, Author of 'Secret Agent Angel'

Name: Ray Sutherland

Book Title: Secret Agent Angel

Website: raysutherland.com

Find out more: Amazon / B&N / Kobo 

Writing my novel Secret Agent Angel was a lot of fun and a labor of love. However much I loved the writing, it was labor. Writing is a job, much like any other and that means you go to work even when you don’t feel like it. As a self-employed writer I had to be my own boss and motivator, and on some days it took a mean boss to get me to working. Still, some of my best work was done on those days when I wasn’t motivated at first. To get to the end of the book, then to get it proofread, corrected and formatted took a lot more work.

Once I had the novel done to my satisfaction, the hardest part started. Several writers have pointed out that we thought writing a book was hard, but getting it published and sold is even harder. And a good bit less fun.

As a first novel writer I was rejected several times and I learned the best way to deal with rejection: I kick, scream, and cry, then curl up in a ball and suck my thumb. Then I get up and submit the book again. And again. And again. However many times it takes. Some of the rejections included advice on how to improve the book and once I was through crying, I read those parts and tried to learn from them.

I was very fortunate to run across Black Opal Books, which is a small publishing company in Oregon. My experience with them was vastly different. No crying or thumb sucking. All of my communications with Black Opal were very gratifying, not just in their acceptance of my book but in the sense that I was dealing with real people who acted as if I were a real person.

The editors were very good and very thorough-and tactful, even when pointing out major problems. Everybody concerned was very helpful from start to finish. I wish I had gone to them first.

One of the best things about Black Opal was that my book was actually read by the acquisitions editor, Lauri. Most of the rejections came before anyone at that company tried to read the book.

Many thanks to Black Opal Books for reading my submission and publishing Secret Agent Angel and making it a fun experience.

 

Ray Sutherland is a Kentucky native who grew up on a farm outside of Bowling Green. He served in the Army, spent two years in Germany, received his B.A. in religion from Western Kentucky University, and his PhD in the Bible from Vanderbilt University.  Ray has served of Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke for over thirty years, pastored a small church for nine years, and is retired from the Army Reserve. He and his wife Regina live in North Carolina. They have two sons and four grandchildren. Visit him at www.raysutherland.com. Find out more about his book on Amazon.