That Time I Conquered the First Round of Revisions

Helloooooo, Secret Lifers!! Gosh, it's been a while, hasn't it? So much has happened for all of us here at the Secret Life of Writers, and I know a lot has changed for some of you. This blog topic has come at the perfect time, because before last night, I really had no idea what I was going to talk about. But as it is, last night around 8:50 p.m. PST, I sent in my first round of revisions for my YA debut, THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME.

As most of you know, I announced my book deal with Curiosity Quills back in November, and since then my life has been a whirlwind of emotions. It's crazy how things can go from OMG I'M SO EXCITED MY BOOK IS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED to OMG MY BOOK SUCKS WHY DID I WRITE THIS SOMEBODY PUNCH ME. If you follow me on Twitter, then you saw this tweet from me posted last weekend:

Yep. That happened. I was stuck on a chapter for SIX HOURS. One stupid chapter. I just couldn't get my mind to process how to fix it. None of the sentences were making any sense and all the words were just jumbled together. My neighbors were stomping around above us, and the cars outside were so loud, and the TV screeched in my ears, and I completely broke down. I got up. Removed myself from the living room. Stood in my kitchen. And cried. 

I cried because everything was just so damn loud. I couldn't write. Couldn't concentrate. I was completely convinced that I couldn't do this. That I wouldn't get my revisions back in time. That my book was going to make absolutely no sense. And I was terrified that not a single person would even enjoy my book. 

In all honesty, that is the real reason I broke down. Because for the first time since I've become a writer, I'm working on a book that is actually going to see the light of day. People are going to read my words. REAL PEOPLE are going to read something I wrote and either love it, or completely rip it apart. And as much as I want to be published, nothing can ever prepare you for that. Because you WANT people to like it. Hell, love it, even! But I know some people won't. It's so, so scary to picture your book on a website like Goodreads where people will tell you how it is and not blink an eye. Meanwhile, you're behind your computer doing this: 

Let's be real. People can tell you to ignore Goodreads, but it's easier said than done. A part of me wants to know what people love or hate about my books, because guess what? Maybe I can learn a thing or two. I'm not perfect. No writer is. And if people don't enjoy GATEWAY, that's okay. I've been there. I can't tell you how many books I've read that everyone loves that I...didn't. It happens. But for me, it's the people who will enjoy it, maybe even love it, that make everything worthwhile. 

So even though GATEWAY is on its way to becoming a real book, I'm unbelievably excited and equally as scared. But this is something I've wanted more than anything, and I cannot wait to share it with you. My friends. 

With all that being said, I'm really excited to share with you that THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME has an official release date. Are you ready for this? 

Mark your calendars, you beautiful people you, for AUGUST 25TH, 2014!! 

That's right!! GATEWAY has been bumped up from the fall to late summer. I am so freakin' excited I can't even! Follow me on Twitter at: @HeatherMarieYA to keep up with cover reveals and tour info as the year goes along. 2014 is going to be the best yet! 

Heather Marie is a YA writer who loves all things creepy. She enjoys writing horror/supernatural stories that make you question that feeling of someone watching over your shoulder. Heather spends most of her days reading and writing and plotting her next idea. When she's not in her writing cave, she enjoys watching creepy TV shows with her husband and picking apart plot holes in movies.

Her YA debut, THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME, releases August 25th, 2014 from Curiosity Quills.


You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/HeatherMarieYA
And visit her website @: http://heatherxmarie.blogspot.com/

From Querying to Book Deals and All That Fun Stuff

So if you follow me on Twitter, then you know I shared some big news last Friday. If you don't follow me on Twitter, well, why the heck not? Jay kay. Okay. For those who don't know, here's my big news:

My YA supernatural horror, THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME, will be released from Curiosity Quills in Fall 2014.

squeeeeeeeeeeeee!

It's absolutely crazy to picture myself as a published author, and I get a little sick to my stomach just thinking about it. I'm nervous and happy and scared and so AAAAAGH. But this is what I've always wanted and I'm so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing support team (aka YOU GUYS) and incredible friends/family. This was such a long journey and so, so worth it.

Here's a quick timeline of how/when it all began:

I started writing YA seriously back in 2011. This is when I actually sat myself down, stared at the computer screen, and told myself I was going to write a book. It was a horrible book, by the way, but a book nonetheless.

I then got an agent last year (2012) with my fourth manuscript that was a totally different YA supernatural. You read right. FOURTH. It took those first three, that were super sloppy, to pin down my writing flow and actually write something worthwhile.

For reasons that are better kept unsaid, I parted ways with my agent eight months later. This was a major personal decision that I feel was best for me at the time, and still is. For the record, people leave their agents all the time for all sorts of reasons. It's not the end of the world, though it feels like it might be. You work your ass off, snag an agent, go through the submission process, only to go back to square one. I'm here to tell you that it's going to be okay. You made the decision because something inside you told you it was right. Stick with your gut and remember that you WILL get another agent. Maybe right away, maybe not, but you will.

Have I gotten another agent yet? No. Would I like one? Of course. But I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'll sign with another agent when the time (or rather, the manuscript) is right. When it came to GATEWAY, I had several agents interested in it who asked for revisions. I even had some who were sad to see it go when I accepted my offer with Curiosity Quills.

But here's why I decided on a small press and not an agent:

The enthusiasm and love CQ had for my manuscript went beyond anything I could have ever expected. They had so many fantastic ideas that helped me realize how great my manuscript could be. Not only were they super excited and willing to spend the time walking me through revisions, but they immediately made me feel a part of the family. I connected with them from the get-go and ended up emailing back and forth like we were old friends. This is not something that happens often, at least not for me. I knew in my heart that CQ would be an amazing move for GATEWAY, and I was right. I'm so looking forward to this next year, and can't wait to see GATEWAY in print!

For those going through the query trenches, don't give up. THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME is my sixth novel, and I have since started working on manuscripts 7, 8, and 9. It never stops as long as you keep pushing yourself. (Remember that occasional writing breaks are okay, too.) But more importantly, always keep writing during the waiting process, because even if that manuscript doesn't get signed, it could be your next one or the one after that. Continuing to write will keep you distracted and it'll also keep you ahead of the game, if for some reason you have to shelf a particular manuscript. But whether you sign with an agent or a small press, the journey is different for everyone. Just make sure whoever you sign with is legit, and don't be afraid to ask someone to look over the contract. This is always a must!

So with that, cheers, my friends! Thanks for sharing this amazing moment with me. xo

Heather Marie is a YA writer who loves all things creepy. She enjoys writing horror/supernatural stories that make you question that feeling of someone watching over your shoulder. Heather spends most of her days reading and writing and plotting her next idea. When she's not in her writing cave, she enjoys watching creepy TV shows with her husband and picking apart plot holes in movies.

Her YA debut, THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME, releases Fall 2014 from Curiosity Quills.


You can find her on Twitter @: http://twitter.com/HeatherMarieYA
And visit her website @: http://heatherxmarie.blogspot.com/