Submission is a secretive place and for good reason. It's not polite to kiss and tell. (Imagine the stress of querying on steroids.) Ami Allen-Vath is here to shed a little light on the process. Thanks, Ami!
Being
here on Michelle’s blog is so weird and exciting, you guys! In May of 2013, I
was in the query trenches and bummed about not making it into one of the
awesome query contests that Michelle co-hosts. (There’s another one coming up:
Sun vs. Snow—check it out!) Then, about three months later, she posted a Query
Questions interview with Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency. I queried Victoria
and two months after, I was on here with my very own “Getting The Call” post talking
about my query to agent journey. Today I’m back to say that I’ve made it
through the fiery pit of “sub hell.”
Being
on sub started out very fun and OMG THIS IS CRAZY! I was a little awestruck
when I first got the list of editors Victoria would be pitching my book to. My
agent started with a mid-size round and then as responses came in (fairly
positive, seemingly subjective but yet NOPE) my agent would send more out. Fun
fact: my agent used my query as her pitch—it was basically word for word so
keep this in mind querying writers: Your query may never die!
The
time it took from starting sub to the offer was about five months. It felt like
soooooo muuuuuuch longer but I’m not going to complain. I would have never
gotten through this without some people who knew what I was dealing with. I had
something every writer on sub needs: A SUB SUPPORT GROUP. There is nothing like
dipping into the pool of obsession, overanalyzing and anticipation than with a
fun-loving writer friend or two. Writerly support is always good but if you
have someone who is also going through sub or just got out of it, hold that
writer friend tightly. Checking in and getting check-ins from others in the
trenches made everything so much easier.
You
know what didn’t make it easier? Going into Barnes & Noble and drooling over
book spines, publisher names, and all the gorgeous covers. Holding other pretty
paperbacks and hardcovers in my hands in the YA section was this beautifully awful form of torture. I’d be on the
brink of tears so many times just holding a book and knowing that someday,
somehow–please please please somebody–
that could be me.
That’s
why rejection is so hard. In querying or with your book on submission…it’s one
more person saying “Sorry, I wish I had better news!” “I loved this BUT…” Yes, getting
emails from my agent with a rejection gave me mini stomachaches. One made me
cry. Sometimes I felt like I just wasn’t quite good enough. It felt like my
book was becoming so ALMOSTY. I saw other writers in the trenches going through
similar stuff. So much second-guessing. But just remember, those feelings are
temporary. They usually fade or at least begin to ease up the morning after. I
strongly advise against sub rejection being interpreted as giant red signs that
say GIVE UP NOW.
The
day that Victoria emailed me to call her was my son’s birthday. She told me we
had an offer and I’m pretty sure I made her say it all over again and
“Whaaaat?” I was in a fairly calm state of shock and awe. Since offer day, I’ve
been on the brink of tears (but never legit breaking down) about the whole
thing a good handful of times. I had a decent amount of time from offer to
actual contract signing to get used to the idea of becoming published, but
still can’t quite wrap my head around it. (Yes, there is still more waiting to
be done after you get the offer—take note, as this can be fairly quick or
fairly lengthy).
So
to get into more detail of the sale, I am beyond thrilled that Kristin
Kulsavage of Sky Pony Press, an imprint of SkyHorse Publishing has bought my YA
debut, Prom Bitch. I had a conference call before we accepted the offer and
Kristin was so wonderful. She loved the dark edginess of Prom Bitch mixed with
the light and swoony romance and humor. She got my book and wasn’t interested
in trying to make it one thing or the other. This meant so much to me and was
important (crucial) in selling my book. I’m so thrilled to move into the next
phase of this journey with another person who believes in my book.
My
story about being on sub is just one in a bazillion. Sometimes it’s a first book;
sometimes it’s the twelfth. Sometimes you get an offer in week two and
sometimes in year two. There are so many ways to make it out of being “on sub.”
So keep in mind, that a success doesn’t always mean a big auction with a giant
advance or even a sale at all. Every journey is different. As long as you don’t
give up or stop writing, you’ll still be a writer and your dreams are always
within reach.
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Ami Allen-Vath is a YA contemporary author, represented by Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency. Her book, Prom Bitch is forthcoming from Sky Pony Press in fall of 2015.Ami loves books, good and bad TV, and ice cream. She does not like birds, cilantro, or cartoon character impressions. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and a dog named Yoda. She can be found on Twitter: @amilouiseallen, Facebook, and her blog: “Ami with an I.”
My official I have A Book Deal Post:
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