“In order to be open to creativity, one must have the capacity
for constructive use of solitude. One must overcome the fear of being alone.” Rollo May
Literature is only art form that
is both created and enjoyed alone.
Over the course of over a year, I spent numerous hours alone
creating a novel manuscript that I hoped readers would enjoy. I spent thirteen
long and lonely months waiting for responses from agents and submissions
editors. After more than forty lonely rejections, it was nice to get a contract
offer to publish the novel. It was exceptionally nice to get two offers.
I was sitting alone in a hotel room on July 2nd
when I opened the email. The sender was Angie from Cedar Fort Publishing. Because
I sent a hard copy of the manuscript to Cedar Fort in January, I figured, like with
so many other publishers and agents, that no response was the same as a
negative response, only much more cold and impersonal. I had forgotten about
the submission, and was considering an offer from a small regional publisher.
When I opened the email, I had to read it twice to believe it. I immediately
called my wife to tell her the good news.
After careful review of the two offers, I was happy to sign
a publishing contract with Cedar Fort Publishing. Before the ink of my signature
was dry, I was getting help. Angie gave me a packet to read about their process,
along with several tasks to complete. Kelly from marketing contacted me and
began to coach me and help me put together a marketing plan. Melissa contacted
me about the editing process. All of sudden, I wasn’t alone in this fight.
As luck would have it, my wife and I had a trip planned to
Utah, the home of Cedar Fort, a week or so after signing the contract. So I
scheduled a visit. My wife drove the tiny Nissan Versa (an upgrade from rental
car she originally booked – I would hate to have seen what she originally booked) down to
Springville for the appointment. I must admit I was nervous when we pulled up
to the office/warehouse. Writing had always been a solo endeavor. Now, other people
wanted, even demanded, to be a part of the process. Unable to sit down, I
wandered around the lobby looking at some of their new releases.
After just a few minutes, Angie came down the stairs and
welcomed us. She exuded the same even-tempered personality that comes across in
her emails and over the phone. The kind of personality that makes for great
emergency personnel (Relax sir. You’re
going to be okay. I’m a trained professional.) She gave us a tour of the
facility, which included a warehouse/discount store, along with a bit of company
history and future vision. I thought my wife was going to stop right there and
let me finish the meeting without her, but she stuck with me.
Next, Angie introduced us to the rest of the team that would
be working on publishing the book – Melissa the editor, Kelly for Marketing,
and Kelsey handling cover design. After meeting this team of professionals, I
didn’t feel so alone anymore. It was nice to know that four previously total strangers
had a vested interest in seeing this work succeed.
When I broke out my list of questions, Angie ushered us into
the conference room. She spent an hour answering questions about the process,
the contract, and the timeline. She was patient, and if she was ever frustrated
with my novice line of questioning, she never showed it. She also quickly
learned that I had brought along a secret weapon – my wife. Several times
during the conversation I sat back with a smile on my face and watched the two
of them brainstorm about how to get the most traction during the release and
how to close the most number of sales at events. They came up with a brilliant
idea for the book launch party. I’m not sure it will sell a lot of books, but I
do know it will be one heck of a party! (More to come…)
Kelly, the marketing guy, was more laid back than I expected
from someone that markets goods for a living, but I think it comes from
experience. His casual manner and soft-sell approach boosted my confidence. As
we discussed the marketing plan, it was obvious that it wasn’t his first rodeo.
He suggested several standard items, like social media promotion, a website,
and press releases, but he also wanted to capitalize on some of the current
media buzz and its connection to the themes of the book. He also introduced me
to some techniques with presales, and advised me to lay groundwork now with
simple things, but be prepared for a blitz when the book was released.
Kelsey, the cover designer, had a face as cheerful and
upbeat as a good self-help book with a personality to match. I found a photo
that I thought was perfect for the cover several months ago, and when I showed
it to her, her face lit up. She immediately captured the vision for the cover
design and was anxious to get something designed in time for their next
catalog. I hope she infuses the cover design with her inviting and cheerful
demeanor, because if she does, it will definitely sell.
When I first met Melissa, the Editor, she had a document
pulled up on her computer screen. I started to worry when I saw more red than
black on her screen. I had visions of my freshman English teacher and her red
pen, but Melissa was soft-spoken and very helpful when we discussed both the
content and technical structure of the manuscript. She put me at ease about my
weaknesses and assured me that, like a good diamond cutter, she would help me
polish the rough spots into smooth brilliance.
I am comfortable with solitude. Writing in many ways is a
lonely endeavor, but publishing takes the effort and collaboration of many
talented people. I’m excited to be working with the talented group from Cedar
Fort.
After two hours of questioning, brainstorming, and planning,
my wife was ready to hit the discount bookstore. I hope she sells a lot of my
books to help pay for all the stuff she bought.
