Recently, I posted an interview here concerning the process of acquisitions as it pertained to a small publisher. Kisa Whipkey, managing editor at REUTS shared their process here: http://wp.me/p35Mk4-gn. I will be interviewing their cover artist and owner soon, so be sure not to miss that! It’s been wonderful and enlightening, to say the least.
One thing that hasn’t been discussed yet is this: As the author, what comes next?
Imagine this scenario (many of you won’t have to dig too deeply because you have lived this!): You’ve been in the query trenches for a really long time, and finally your beauty of a submission gets picked up by a publisher. I’m sure there is a lot of excitement. But when all the confetti finally lands on the floor, what was your next step? As the author, I’m sure contracts needed to be signed, more edits needed to be made, etc. until eventually your book baby found its way to the public.
Here is where you come in. I’d love to hear your stories! Once accepted by a publisher, whichever publisher it was, what were/are your next steps? Were there any obstacles during this phase? Everybody’s path to publication is different, and hearing these stories is not only interesting, but very inspiring.
So bring it on, authors! Share your literary success stories with my readers! The comment section is ready and waiting to hear from you.
Thanks a million!
S.M. Nystoriak's Writer's Block 
I queried with my memoir, Losing the Dollhouse, for nearly two years. I signed with Michelle Johnson at Inklings Literary after pitching her my project at the South Carolina Writers Workshop Conference in 2012. She was relentless in finding my book a home. I have some very beautiful rejection letters from all the big houses to show for it. Finally, she found a home for my book with Touch Point Press. There is no marketing budget or big media presence, but they believe in me, gave me a lot of creative say on the cover and were very patient with me during the editing process.
The book launched last month, and I have turned into a promotional maniac. Writing polite inquiries and making phone calls garnered me blurbs from some big name memoir authors, a handful of blog reviews, five radio shows, three bookstore signings and five other book events at other venues, and I’m just getting started. I have gained a little traction, but am currently shopping for a marketing consultant and getting quotes for some help with that. It’s hard to be an indie author in the gigantic haystack of books being released every day. Getting your book in front of your target audience (beyond your family and friends) is the biggest challenge of all. But I’m giving it all I’ve got.
Thank you for taking an interest in authors who are “fighting the good fight.”
LikeLike
Thank you so much for sharing your story! Best of luck to you with it. Keep us posted!
LikeLiked by 1 person