Michelle Sutton On Publishing and Her First Release!
Like most new authors, I wrote my first book with enthusiasm, polished it, sent it out (to Steeple Hill) and got a rejection. I didn’t know why they didn’t want my fabulous book, of course they only take like 1% of the submissions they get. So I decided what I needed was an agent. I sent in a few queries and they were rejected. Then I found out there was a publisher in my town who bought Christian fiction (I’d written three books by the time I figured this out) so I contacted her and we met. She told me I should join ACFW. So I did. I went to my first conference ever. I was dying to meet Francine Rivers (my hero) and I figured if I met some editors and agents interested in my work that would be fabulous, but I didn’t expect it.
Well, one night I had a great chat with an editor and he said to send him my work. I also met with an agent (Tamela) and she said she thought my work might be more suited to the ABA than CBA. I didn’t know she represented both so I thought she wasn’t interested even though she seemed to be. Long story short, she was interested but it wasn’t until I wrote her and mentioned that I was working with an editor to improve my work. She signed me on and I continued to work with this editor who was really impressed (he said) with how much I’d improved in such a short time with just a little mentoring by him. 🙂 He really encouraged me a lot. Anyway, the book he loved, ironically, is the one I retitled “It’s Not About Me.” Is that a hoot or what. I’ve since lost touch with this editor (who shall remain unnamed) but if he sees this I hope he gets my book so he can see that it made it out there and is now being read by people. Yay!
Also, the same year that I went to the conference with Francine Rivers as the keynote speaker, I hooked up with my publisher, who happened to be my roommate at the time. She was impressed with my stories and jokingly said, “If I ever start a publishing house, I’m buying one of your books.” Who’d a thought it would really happen? I sure didn’t. So while everything was very positive from the get-go and I garnered positive interest, it still took me about 2 1/2 years to actually sell a book. This biz is slower than molasses, but worth it when you finally get where you want to be. I wanted people to read my books and as long as they keep selling I can keep getting published. I have 8 more novels out there so help a starving artist and buy her first book so she can keep producing edgy fiction, K?
