Not Another Newsletter!
Last Time I Left Off With a Cliffhanger
A few weeks after last Thanksgiving, as I was driving back east across the country, an author friend let me in on some interesting news. An editor who'd been at the peak of the publishing house that had published us both had now become a literary agent. It's not the first time such a crossover has happened in the industry, and in many ways it's a natural one because the agent really understands the biz from all sides. In this case, I knew the person my friend was talking about. My early work had benefited from his wisdom.
Many of you have read and supported me (thank you for that!) as I've sought the kind of author/agent relationship that lays out a writer's road in the best way possible, really lifts careers. It's not an easy thing to find, kind of like true love, if you believe in that. Success in this biz is counted in different ways and breaking out has always been a hard-to-solve puzzle, a Gordian knot to untangle. Most authors I know have worked with multiple agents before their careers reach that point, and I have much gratitude and appreciation for the hard work agents have put in on my behalf.
At the same time, I've gone through a sort of internal upheaval over the last few years, kind of road-mapping my psyche. It sounds a little new age-y to say—queue the divorced women's group scene in Jerry Maguire; I've finally gotten in touch with my anger!—but one thing I know I need to do better is identify things that aren't working for me without doubting and undermining my own compunctions. Maybe they're actually right. Maybe I'm right.
I wanted to reach out to the agent my friend alerted me to. He'd had a real feel for my work when I knew him before, and such a thing is pure, shining gold in this industry. He also knows inside and out this world that I've devoted my career and creative life to. Again, pure gold.
Next time I'll tell you what happened when he and I got in touch on the eve of the holiday season. (You didn't think I was done with cliffhangers, did you? I write thrillers after all). But for now, enough about me. The rest of this letter will shine a light on other authors, last issue's prizewinner, and a fun podcast for you to check out.
Dianne B., Come On Down!
You've won the contest! Please reply to this newsletter to claim your copy of Deadly When Disturbed by D.M. Barr or else I will email you to get your address! And congratulations.
Two Spotlight Authors for You to Discover
Bill Meissner
I met Bill through a writers organization where I was teaching about—what do you know—getting a literary agent, and oh, how I relate to his words below. "Suffocating" a slew of rejections! Bill is a poet truly. Read on to see what creating a novel can be like in its many shades of bruise and glory:
The process of writing my carnival-theme novel, The Wonders of the Little World, was a lot like a journey down the midway of a colorful carnival. There were sweets, disappointments, lots of circling, and finally, thrills.
The Sweets. The sweetness was writing the first draft. It was a free-wheeling process where I wrote from my three main characters' points of view. It was a joy to visit my fictional carnival each day and build that unique world around the characters.
The Disappointments. Sometimes, your favorite ride is closed for repairs. Publishers politely declined the novel. Eventually, though she loved the story, my agent returned the manuscript to me. I suffocated it under a pile of manila folders.
The Circling. Most carnival rides involve a circular motion. I circled back to the novel a year later, making hundreds of changes. Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night and, in the dark, scribbled descriptions on scraps of paper.
The Thrills. When the novel was finally accepted, it was a ride on the Zipper and the Kamikaze, all at once. My story was no longer silenced; it would venture into the world to—hopefully—entertain readers.
Perhaps even you, dear newsletter readers! Reply to this and I'll enter you to win a copy of your choice of one of these Spotlight novels from me.
Michael Mohr
Michael Mohr's Substack Sincere American Writing is not uncontroversial, from the platform, which has contributed its share of societal ills and a legitimate ethical debate, to his always well-thought-out opinions. He's recommended some books I wind up loving, written words I agree with, and others I dispute, but is without a doubt an examiner of our life and times. His look at his career below definitely hits. (Look, kids! I sound Gen Z).
I started what would become my first novel at the age of 25. The novel was sort of Catcher in the Rye meets The Basketball Diaries meets the Sex Pistols and Ramones meets Dead Poet's Society, but in the year 2000; punk kids who get into trouble but love literature and philosophy. At the time I was still drinking—something I explore in the novel—and living in San Francisco.
I finished about half of the novel by the time I hit a spiritual bottom and got sober at the age of 27. I spent several months feverishly writing all day and all night, in a sort of Hunter S. Thompson trance, until I completed the first [very rough] draft of what was then called The Cannonball Complex.
Between 2011 and 2024 many things happened. I got older and gained more life experience. I interned for a literary agent. I got my bachelor's in creative writing. I began attending writing conferences around the country. I devoured writing how-to books. The Crew had become a serious novel. Dozens of agents requested to read. One agent specifically loved the book, sending me long, epic, glowing emails.
Yet that agent dropped off a digital cliff, never to be heard from again. This was a big blow. It hurt. I set the book aside for a few years. I tried once more during Covid, but got no responses. At last, in 2024, I realized the obvious solution: Self-publishing.
The idea felt like giving up. All my literary heroes had been traditionally published. I wanted the whole deal: Agent, major publisher, exposure, PR, book tour, speaking engagements, the works. But I began to realize that life is short and if I kept waiting I might never get my work out there. Finally, I self-published The Crew. It has sold a few thousand copies, won 2 awards, as well as received very good responses from The Writers' Digest Indie Contest. I'm not a bestseller yet. But the pride and integrity I feel at putting my work out there is profound. If you're considering self-publishing, I highly recommend it. There's no feeling in the world like taking control of your own writing.
It's Been a Long, Cold Winter Where I Live
Some people fear Mother Nature, others say she is angry, and for sure there has been tragic ecological devastation recently that will take years to (at best partially) recover from. It's a heartbreaking reality and the sheer helplessness we face, whether we're directly impacted or watching at a distance, doesn't help matters. Maxine Margo Rubin hosts a podcast called "The Many Shades of Green" that discusses the environment along with books. I was proud to be a recent guest.
As the season unfolds, edging toward spring, I wish every one of you growth and rebirth in all the ways you may want it. Life is often a messy, imperfect process, and I feel as if I've deliberately set out to examine the muck over the last few months. But, of course, that's where all seedlings come from.
