Writer’s Digest just published my fifth article in their magazine about my personal journey transitioning from indie to traditional publishing. Special thanks to my agent and the authors who let me interview them for this story. I hope it encourages every writer or artist who struggles along the way!
My new article appeared in the March/April 2023 issue within the regular IndieLab column that follows trends in the self-publishing business. This piece focuses on several tips I’ve learned while transitioning from self-publishing The Black Lens to traditionally publishing my new novel with senior agent Paula Munier from Talcott Notch Literary. Here’s a brief summary:
Every single author is stuck in that agonizing transition between writing and publishing we all experience. Each day that goes by without an update from our agent we feel like giving up, wondering if our words are worth anything to the publishers they’re pitching. And yet each day we could get “the call” from our agent saying they landed a deal for us.
As an independent author who successfully self-published a crime thriller in 2016, I too am stuck in that same transition. I made the decision about three years ago to move out of the indie world to traditional publishing because I wanted to take my writing career to the next level.
Maybe you’re considering that same transition. Maybe you’ve already embarked on that journey but heard nothing back from the agents you’ve queried or editors they’ve pitched. Or maybe you’re just struggling to move from one word to the next so you can cross that finish line of a first draft. Regardless of where you’re at in your own path to publishing, this column will help you keep hope alive along the journey—no matter how long it takes.
Writer’s Digest reaches about 70,000 subscribers across the country. The magazine published my first article in 2019 about how to craft the perfect media pitch, my second article in 2020 about how to create successful book media kits, my third article in the 100th anniversary edition of their magazine about how to research like a reporter, and my fourth article in 2022 about three simple strategies for marketing your book.
Take the next step
Read the full article here, buy a copy of The Black Lens on Amazon, or book me as a speaker.