Please help me welcome author Lorraine Nelson, another contestant with So You Think You Can Write Global 2012.
Lorraine is a published author with Evernight Publishing and Breathless Publishing. Q. Overall, how would you rate your experience with So You think You Can Write Global 2012?
A. It was well organized. I enjoyed participating.
Q. We were required to upload the first chapter as our entry in SYTYCW. Is that chapter still in its original form or has it gone through more revisions?
A. Does anything ever stay as is? Yes, it’s gone through more revisions. Still tweaking and polishing.
Q. How about the rest of the book? Is it finished? Going through more revisions?
A. The book is finished and I’m revising it in its entirety.
Q. Oh Lorraine, I am doing the same so I more than feel your pain. Any thoughts on submitting your entry to another publisher or agent?
A. Harlequin American is considering my ms for publication, hence the revisions. If that falls through, I will certainly sub it elsewhere.
Q. Congrats on your full request, Lorraine. How long have you been writing?
A. I’ve been writing all my life, but romance since February, 2009.
Q. Have you ever entered a contest like this one before?
A. Yes, I entered SYTYCW two years ago and New Voices before that.
Q. What are your thoughts about the promotional aspect of the contest?
A. I think Harlequin and the participants promoted themselves well.
Q. If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently, if anything?
A. I would’ve allowed more time for writing and polishing.
Q. Is there ever enough time? What are you working on now?
A. Revisions for Suited to be a Cowboy for Hqn American and Cameron’s Quest, Book 5 in my Thunder Creek Ranch series with Evernight Publishing.
Q. Where can we find you on the Web?
Website: http://lorrainenelson.weebly.com Blog: http://lorrainenelson.wordpress.com Twitter: @lornelca Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LorraineNelson.Author Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Thank you for being here today, Lorraine. Please come by again sometime soon!
Thanks for being here, Lorraine. Good luck with Suited to be a Cowbow!
ReplyDeleteNot cowbow, cowboy, LOL! Silly me.
DeleteThanks for having me, Maria. And thank you. Hoping this is 'The One'. :)
ReplyDeleteThings sound promising all around! Great news.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Heather
Thanks for stopping in Heather. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your HQN AR revs, Lorraine.
ReplyDeleteI have a separate question for you! I was wondering how you would rank your venture into ePubs as part of the winding journey to HQN. Has it improved your writing? Do you feel like you're better prepared for a contract with HQN now than you would have been without that experience?
Thank you, Amalie! The revisions have gone well and I'm just now doing a final read-thru and hoping it all jives. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, for sure. There's nothing like working with an editor to see where you're at and what you need to improve on as a writer. Writing involves a continual learning curve and you need to grow as an author by listening and taking the advice of editors and peers.
My early writings were riddled with head-hopping and hard to follow, among other things. I've enjoyed working with the epubs. (Had to find a home for all those Hqn rejects. LOL) And it's nice to have the income while waiting for that big break.
I'm happy to say I've gained quite a following since signing that first contract in July, 2011. The majority of my reviews have been great and I'm more comfortable calling myself an author these days. So yes, I'm more than ready for a Hqn contract or two. :) Thanks for asking.
I keep wondering if I should have gone that route, if it would have helped my writing improve faster than I could have on my own if I didn't have sites set squarely on 1(now 2) publishers.
DeleteI've got my fingers crossed for your SYTYCW revs. And thanks for answering the questions. I always want to ask people this without like... stalking them in DM's on Twitter or the harl forums to ask questions they may or may not want to answer! :)
You are very welcome. :) PM me on FB anytime, Amalie. I don't have a problem with answering questions. Harlequin is definitely my dream publisher, but I had all these manuscripts on my hard drive that I truly believed in. Ergo, epubs. And I have learned a lot. Everyone has to work and learn in their own way and in their own time. You'll get there. :)
ReplyDeleteI've got to chime in, too. I have another full request for the MS that Harlequin turned down. But it's a small press, (both print ad Ebook) and I worry. Print books are expensive with a small press and how many take a chance on a new author? I don't know, but I may be about to find out.
ReplyDeleteI personally think it would look better to Harlequin to go with a small press than to self-pub (i.e. Indie).
Congrats on the full request, Maria!
ReplyDeleteI've done both. I have 3 Christmas titles and an antho (with friends) self-pubbed, my series (5 novels) with Evernight plus two others (a novella in an antho and a stand alone novel), 4 novels with Breathless Press and an historical short in an Antho releasing next month through Pagan Writer's Press. I think it's important to have a book accepted by a publisher first before epubbing as it does add validity to your work. Plus, they also have a reader base, which helps get your name out there faster.
Print books are expensive with POD, but that's what the small pubs and indies are going with. Sign of the times. :)
I enjoyed the interview. Good luck with your revisions to both Maria and Lorraine!!
ReplyDelete