Authors' Journeys

Donna MacMeans

The following article appeared in the July issue of Write From the Heart, the monthly newsletter of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers. Permission is granted to all RWA chapters to reprint with proper credit.

The Agony and the Ecstasy (or how I got The Call)

What a difference a year makes.

Last year at this time I was a bit depressed about my writing career, and, as you'll see, I had some very good reasons. I had thought the premise of my third manuscript, a Victorian historical, would be highly marketable. It was witty. It was sexy. It was a finalist in the 2006 Golden Heart contest.

And it was collecting rejections at unprecedented levels.

One rejection in particular threw me for a loop. I had worked on my manuscript with a particular publisher in mind. I had done the market research. I had an excellent pitch session with the editor. She asked not only for the full of my manuscript, but also a synopsis of the sequel. I was so sure this was it. The editor would call and tell me she absolutely loved the story, especially once I had emailed her about finaling in the prestigious Golden Heart contest. However, precisely two months before National, that familiar self-addressed stamped envelope showed up in my mailbox, the one with a single sheet of paper that said "I liked it, but not enough." It said some other things, nice things, but when you come down to it, a rejection letter is – a rejection. For the first time in my ten-year writing career, a rejection letter brought me to tears.

Of course, I still was in the running for the Golden Heart. I had that to look forward to. Let me explain something about the Golden Heart contest: Once the finalists are announced, a loop is created so all the finalists can chat and bond with each other. These are very talented writers and I was honored to be included in their group. However, it was through this loop that I learned that the manuscript of one of the contestants had just gone to auction with three New York publishing houses actively bidding on it. The manuscript, by the way, was in my division. She was my competitor. My black cloud of gloom settled a little lower.

When an editor who is judging the Golden Heart is interested in reading the full of the manuscript, the editor calls National and National calls the author to see if they'd like to submit an updated full manuscript or go with the one previously submitted with the entry. The excited author then posts the words we dream of on the loop: "An editor is interested. Wish me luck!" Several contestants received calls with requests for full manuscripts, but no phone calls for me. Nope. It seemed painfully obvious that I was once again to be an "also-ran" in the Golden Heart.

You see I've been an "also-ran" before. Years earlier, my very first manuscript had finaled in the Golden Heart. But this year, I vowed, would be different. I couldn't do anything about the outcome but this year I wouldn't bother thinking about an undelivered acceptance speech. I certainly wouldn't bother with the expense of a new dress, just to sit unnoticed in the audience, and I most certainly wouldn't bother with spandex and other torture devices designed to make one look good but feel awful. This year I would be comfortable. This year I would just enjoy the camaraderie of friends.

This year I won - with no prepared speech – with unkempt hair and little makeup – with obvious bulges in poorly concealed places. I won!

So upon my return to Columbus, my husband said, "What happens now?" To which I (ever the optimist) replied, "I don't know, probably nothing." After all, I know people who have won the Golden Heart and never sold. And I know I have a huge stack of rejections, that say some nice things, but still say that this manuscript just isn't good enough.

The week after National I began playing phone tag with an agent. As a result of my editor pitch appointment at National (I managed to miss the agent appointment – another story), I sent in my full manuscript to Dorchester. The agent and I continued to keep missing each other for two weeks. Finally, on a Tuesday afternoon in the third week of August, the phone rang. I assumed it was the agent so I picked up the phone, a joke about our missed connections on my lips — but it wasn't the agent, it was Dorchester with an offer for my historical. Sweet Heaven Above! We chatted. I did have the presence of mind to say "I'll think about it." But inside, I was screaming!!!! This was it!!! The call!

I hung up the phone and jumped up and down. My dog jumped up and down. I called the agent and got – her answering machine.

I called my husband, and got — his answering machine.

I called his cell phone, and got a very restrained "I knew you could do it." (I was going for screaming shock and awe, but then I was screaming enough for the both of us.)

I called my mother, and got her answering machine.

I called my critique partner, no answer.

Where the heck was everyone?

Then I knew. I called Rosemary Laurey who is always busy writing. Sure enough, she was home with lots of good advice. My phone buzzed. It was the agent, who said she could get a read by another publishing house – if I signed with her. Fortunately, we talked and I really liked her. The fact that she pursued me even before the offer went a long way in her favor as well, so I signed. The other publishing house made an offer. I remembered Berkley had a copy of my full. The agent called Berkley and they said they also wanted to make an offer.

My historical was in the midst of an auction. Can you believe it? I was going to be published. It took a full week to find out by whom, but I was going to be published.

The Education of Mrs. Brimley, my witty, seductive, much-rejected, Golden Heart winning historical, will be released October 2, 2007 as a Berkley Sensation – one year and four months after a rejection had me in tears.

Never let go of the dream. Be tenacious. Be determined. Be resolute. But never let go of the dream.