Another Interesting Success Story

As always, from the author's own fingers:

Authoress,

I'd like to share an indirect success story which includes a potential opportunity for your followers! For years your blog has been my number one source for encouragement, information, and community and I can't thank you enough for all you do. I've participated in Secret Agent and logline contests and was also chosen to be in your first ever Baker's Dozen Agent Auction. The critiques I received through your blog helped me to polish my work considerably. My success, however, is more directly attributed to Teen Eyes (which, of course, I discovered at MSFV). I sought help from teen editor, Taryn Albright, after querying my book Thunderstone for over a year with absolutely no interest from agents. The short, form rejections gave me no clue what my problem was, but I suspected my query blurb - I'd rewritten the blurb so many times, I wasn't sure it even made sense anymore. Taryn was awesome. She pointed out the problems in my blurb and read my first ten pages – which she liked. I continued querying with new hope and also entered my book in the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. I made it to the quarterfinals in the contest and won a Publisher's Weekly review of my manuscript. Then, a few months later, I received two requests for a full – one from an agent and one from a small publisher. The agent passed, but the publisher didn't. I can't tell you how many times I had to reread the line "I think this is a good fit for us"!

My YA novel Thunderstone will be released in November 2013 by Scribe Publishing Company. Scribe has a unique approach to publishing, offering a larger percent of the profits as well as help with marketing, in lieu of an advance. For me, the dream of getting published has always been somewhat tarnished by the daunting thought of marketing, so I loved that aspect. I've also enjoyed other perks working with a small publisher like keeping my title and helping to design my book cover; the collaboration has been a wonderful experience.

Scribe Publishing is currently accepting submissions and I encourage your followers to check them out. As a first time author, I feel like this has been the perfect way to "get my feet wet".

Again, thank you Authoress. When writing my acknowledgements for my book; thinking of everyone that helped me on my road to publication, obviously you came to mind. So should you ever find yourself with a copy of Thunderstone, you'll find a shout out to MSFV in the back. I'm ever grateful. 

Barb Pietron