The Road to Publication: Part Two

[This is part 2 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Where’d we leave off? Big news, squeals, and a scared kitty. In an instant I went from wondering if I’d ever publish a book to having a one-in-three chance at a contract with a Penguin imprint.

And I had a trip to plan.

My parents have always been among my biggest supporters. Dad has some health issues that make travel difficult, so I decided to ask my mom to go to Seattle with me. Once I stopped squealing, I called her at work and delivered the news, and she started squealing – which was ever so slightly awkward, since I wasn’t allowed to go public with the news until the official announcement was made the following week. Shhh!

If the earlier ABNA rounds were a mix of fun and fretting, the final round took that to an entirely new level. The winners, after all, are chosen by a public vote. ABNA is sometimes called “American Idol for writers,” and the last round makes that comparison especially apt. So yeah, I campaigned. I encouraged friends, family, and customers to download Spookygirl’s excerpt and cast a vote in my direction – and to spread the word as well.

The positive response to Spookygirl during this round was overwhelming and staggering – not only from people who knew me, but from total strangers as well. Having so many people connect with Violet’s story was nothing short of amazing.

The voting period closed, and then I was able to breathe – well, sort of. I knew I wouldn’t really relax until after the winners were announced.

Up next: Seattle and the big announcement