I really pulled a rookie mistake last month.
I got enamored with the idea of trying to republish a novella, Looking For Home, that had appeared in a novella anthology, as a standalone book. I thought it would be a quick and easy way to get another book out–the book had already been edited well and didn’t need any more work on it, right?
And so in typical Julie fashion, I got ahead of myself. I sent it out to eight publishers that take novella submissions with a total list of about seventeen publishers I could find that would be interested in a short-form book.
What I didn’t anticipate was how enamored I would get with the story itself, thinking about how I could improve it. And that whole idea began to grow–of turning it back into a novel-length book like I originally wrote it after I completed Still Waters back in the mid-2000s.
So after much careful thought and cogitation (and talks with writer friends about the options), I have started revising the material I already have back into the novel form–but better organized and better written (I hope).
I wrote notes for the new parts I was going to have to create, pulled source material from the original manuscript (that I had to dig out of my computer archives), and did a little thinking over how that material would have to be restructured to have a character arc of its own, that would necessitate changes in the novella part as well.
The project started to feel like a giant snowball rolling uphill.
But I am interested in how I can make this work. Much more interested than I am in trying to revise my bipolar memoir.
So I’ve committed to that.
But I still have those eight premature novella submissions in my Submittable queue, grinning at me. Do I withdraw them, or just let the selection process run its course?
I think I am going to see what kind of progress I can have on my revisions throughout December, and if I can stick with the project and not give up on it, I think I am going to withdraw them after the first of the year.
What have I learned?
–Always get input on my project before submitting it. I may think it’s ready. But someone else might can look more objectively evaluate my ideas.
–Always think through the ramifications of what I am doing. Selling this story as a novel exponentially expands the number of publishers I can send it to. What I should have done was get all the list together so I would have realized that before I made any submissions.
–Remember nothing worth doing comes easily. I didn’t need an “easy” sale. And selling two books released too close together is not the smartest move I could make. I don’t need to make impulsive decisions on submissions.
So I am to continue working on this book, and if the motivation/passion for it is still there in the new year, i will cancel those submissions. Wish me writing favor as I embark on another writing journey!
Julie Liddell Whitehead 