Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Our 50th Success Story!

In the author's own words:


Happy Blog Birthday, Authoress!

This morning, I donated to your truffles and vino fund, but felt I'd be remiss if I didn't send along a note of thanks as well. Five years ago, I was an eager witness to your blog launch, having also been through Miss Snark's most excellent wringer. At that point, I'd been querying for two years, up to my scalp in rejections. So it was with great enthusiasm I entered your first ever Secret Agent contest, and an incredible morale booster to be one of the three co-winners. Although things didn't work out with that agent, the feedback I received from your readers was very helpful. Nine months later, I signed with an agent who was perfect for me.

After that, a lightning quick deal, onto the best seller list and a movie adaption starring Johnny Depp.

Okay, back to reality.

During the two-year submissions purgatory that followed, you hosted an agented first pages event where I benefitted once again from the MSFV community. That manuscript (my fifth) is the one that finally sold and debuted last fall. Although Johnny Depp hasn't come knocking (*yet*), I'm happily working on my next book.

Thanks for building such a supportive community where aspiring writers can improve their craft in the company of like-minded writers and industry professionals. I'm guessing that if you calculated the percentage of contest winners who've gone on to sign with agents and land book deals, the success rate of your blog would be impressive, especially in a business where the odds of making it are slim.

Kudos to you and congratulations on five years of awesomeness. I'm very much looking forward to when we can celebrate your writing success and learn your secret identity.

Best,
Jeanne

10 comments:

  1. Very fitting letter to Authoress. Can someone please tell me what "upmarket women's fiction" is? I have a WF novel similar to the Mitford series and want to know if that would fit. Thanks, and have a happy writing day, everyone!

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  2. Congrats!! Can you tell us the name of the book that sold?

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  3. I so love reading your success stories. And to have had 50? That's amazing!

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  4. Stephsco....your previous picture was so nice....it made you look genuine and nice.....rethink this one....it makes you look like Ivana Trump....it is the absolute opposite of natural and candid

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  5. I look forward to success story 51! This is great...I write men's fiction so I am hoping this will translate to success for me.

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  6. Thanks, y'all!

    Rose - Upmarket women's fiction used to describe women's fiction with more of a literary than romance edge. (or so I was told by those in the know). I'm unsure whether this terminology is still in vogue. Since 2009, I've focused on young adult fiction.

    Stephsco - The book's called NERVE and was published by Dial/Penguin.

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  7. Thanks Jeanne!

    @Jasmine -- funny, it actually was a candid photo with me squished onto a couch with my friend's adorable daughter. We were both posing. :) I guess I should leave the kid in!

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