Still with me? Keep chewing…
I sent my book query off to a publisher, Familius. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I prepared myself for a rejection e-mail. After all, almost every speaker I had heard repeated numerous times, “Nobody gets a contract on the first time.” One even said they’d been rejected over fifty times. So I got ready for the “I’m sorry…”
Imagine my surprise when I received a note back with a request to see more of my writing. I rev
iewed my book proposal for a final time, making sure I’d dotted every i and crossed every t, attached it, hit send and held my breath. The idea of a published book seemed distant, far away.
After what seemed like months, in reality, a few days, I heard my proposal was under consideration and a contract may be offered. “What? No way!” were my sentiments. The publisher wanted a phone conversation before we solidified the deal, so now we played a game of tag. He was busy, I was busy, he was gone, I was gone. After a couple of months, we finally connected.
I explained why I thought I was qualified to write this book about mental illness. My qualification? I lived it, I breathed it, I already shared my story with others as a volunteer for our local NAMI organization, on church retreats and in conversations. I wanted others to know recovery is possible and support is vital.
On August 1, 2015, I received the contract! Excited doesn’t begin to cover it. I shared my joy with a gathering of cousins and aunts within the hour. How convenient the luncheon was on my day’s list already. I had a hard time wrapping my head around my good fortune. One book query sent. One book proposal sent. A contract for me who still didn’t have confidence that I had reached maturity in the life of a writer. The deadline for my completed manuscript was March 31, 2016.
I signed the contract on September 22, 2015, with the deadline for my completed manuscript on March 31, 2016.
Time to buckle down and finish recording my story using the required format: Times New Roman 12, double-spaced, one-inch margins.
Virginia Pillars, Author 