I Should Be More Excited
This week, I got the draft cover for When We Were Murderous Time-Traveling Women. The cover’s cool, particularly for a small press. Sometimes, to me, covers on small presses look like an image grab off Shutterstock. This cover is bespoke, tailored to New Orleans. It’s gonna be awesome.
Still, I should be more excited than I am. I’ve seen the birth of my cover! Y’all, it’s so wonderful! I can’t help it. I’ve had my hopes dashed so many times during this publication journey, I’ll believe I have a novel when I see it.
The first three agents I had could not sell the work. Three agents, three different manuscripts, three different genres—-pfft. At least I learned there was a term for what had happened: “dead on submission.” A little too graphic, that. But it means my experience had happened often enough for them to name it.
After that, I had a novel that kept landing on the runner up and finalist and short lists of great contests…and it couldn’t even get an agent. Ha, ha—so much for my bellyaching about my pitiful experience with agents. The Universe said, you think that’s bad, and rolled up its sleeves.
This time, with When We Were Murderous Time-Traveling Women, I skipped all that. I did send it to the Big Moose Prize contest; it was a semi-finalist; no one had read it but me; no Beta readers, no paid editors, nothing—I told y’all I did this one differently. I submitted to small presses. The first one that expressed interest, I went with them, after appropriate research, of course. Ever since, I’ve been waiting for them to declare bankruptcy or decide they really don’t want the novel or for the world to end.
I’m not a naturally Eeyore-ish person. In fact, I tend to believe the Universe wants the best for us; it’s on all our sides; and I can do anything I set my mind to. I still have faith in the Universe. It’s the publishing business I’d lost faith in. Fortunately, this publisher is pushing my butt back up the hill of belief.
Oh, the pub date is April 1. Will y’all send out good vibes so a meteor doesn’t strike the Earth before then?
Luanne Castle
Don’t be down on the small presses! They are the saviors of the field!
Huge congratulations, Ellen! I will be waiting for your novel with bated breath (whatever that means)!
Coincidence, the memoir (hybrid flash memoir) that i started in 2008 is coming out March 20 via a small press, ELJ Editions :). Maybe we can do some kind of promo thing together if we can think of something.
Ellen Morris Prewitt
I’ve really been impressed with this small press. The editor was fabulous, and I do love this cover we’re working on. It’s more my jadedness about the whole business, which I’m sloooooowly working my way out of.
I hadn’t heard about your upcoming memoir release, and I call myself keeping up with your posts. Congratulations! (A literal spring release) I love your work and can’t wait to read it. Even more fun would be to do a joint promo thingy. My novel is based on kernels of truths about my ancestral grannies, so maybe there’s a family angle there. Yay for us!
Donna Weidner
One more good reason to look forward to April!
Donna Weidner
Besides Spring, One more good reason to look forward to April!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
My own excitement is gradually building. I showed the draft cover to my barista today. 🙂
Mary Lowry
I am SO excited for you, Ellen, and I can’t wait to read your novel. I don’t think it is my preferred genre but coming from you I know it will be fabulous!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
Thank you, thank you! It’s a “Southern literary fantasy.” A mishmash, just like me. 🙂
Joanne Corey
April first is soon! Congratulations! Poets live by small presses, so I’m a fan of them. Deep breaths and happy holidays!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
And April just keeps getting closer….I do love small presses. This group has been great to work with, so I’m grateful. Sending wishes for happy holidays to you and yours as well.