Getting Published

I finished my second novel El Tiburon about a year ago and began the laborious process of having it edited. Once that was completed I began looking for which publishing company would be the best fit for me.

Absolute Write is a tremendous resource for any writer. This is where I first stumbled upon the publishing company, Vinspire. Their website drew me in like a moth to a flame … that’s gross, how about a moth to a light bulb? Anyway they have a great tag-line “Your Travel Guide to Adventure”. As most of you know, I travel a lot. I also write a travel blog; A Dashing Bold Adventure.

El Tiburon takes you to Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. I read the Vinspire submission guidelines to see if they were interested in my genre (a must when submitting a query letter). They were, so I spent several days crafting my query letter and sent it off.

I was completely stunned when they asked me to join the Vinspire family! Since then it has been like starting a new job. They needed cool stuff like my acknowledgment page and biography. They also needed not-so-fun stuff like re-formatting my manuscript and tax info.

For me this is a major adventure. I get to read about what the other authors are up to … Jennifer Bryce, Terry Spear, Diane Wylie, and many others. It feels like sacred ground.

My New Author Blog!

Hello Everyone,

I've been a little slow at getting this up and running, but getting a publisher for my second book has given me a kick in the britches.

My first book, Counterpart was published 3 years ago through Smashwords. I think they were a good choice. Smashwords has simple and easy to follow directions and a huge audience. You're on your own regarding quality, layout, and cover, but if you have your work pre-edited it helps. I made my own cover.

I'd done the usual learning curve of sending out queries to any and every agent or publisher. No one showed the slightest interest ... except my readers. Now doesn't that seem odd? My readers were pushing me to get published. They were telling me "This would make a great movie!" From the publishers I heard crickets.

I finally accepted the fact that though I may be able to write a full size novel (105,000 words), clearly I couldn't write a query letter. Am I the only one who has this problem? I even thought of hiring someone to write the query for me.

I don't regret being an indie author. It had to be done. The best part was it allowed me to get my book out there and to receive the much coveted book reviews. Here's some from Smashwords:

Review by: Judy Schussman on Aug. 05, 2012 : 
A riveting adventure. Very well written. One can visualize every scene and action in this beautifully descriptive piece.
An extremely enjoyable experience.

Review by: anna z on March 29, 2012 : 5 star 

GREAT... All the best for your next book. Looking forward to it

Review by: Bob Cashatt on Jan. 01, 2012 : 5 star
Great book. Great plot. I am looking forward to the next book 

(this is an ex Homeland Security agent)

Review by: John Hancock on Sep. 27, 2011 : 5 star
I honestly enjoyed this thriller of a book. Well developed and interesting characters and storyline. Once you get into this rabbit hole you’ll enjoy spending time as the plot twists and turns. It grabbed my attention from the start and held it throughout. I look forward to the next effort by this talented writer.

Review by: Kim Highsmith on Sep. 26, 2011 : (no rating)
A great fast read. Kept my interest the whole time. It had everything from action to romance. If you liked the movie true lies you'll like this book. Can't wait to read her next book!

Review by: Jeanette Lawson on Aug. 19, 2011 : 5 star
I really enjoyed this book. Could not put it down. It was very exciting and I fell in love with the characters. Can't wait until her next book.

Review by: Deanna Dick on Aug. 11, 2011 : 5 star
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was gripping from the beginning, and fast moving without losing you in the plot twists with a tasteful touch of romance. I await the sequel.

Review by: MaryLu Lopez on Aug. 08, 2011 : 5 star
I loved this book. It was a fun read with lots of twists and turns. The characters were fun (or detestable!), but certainly interesting. The scenic descriptions were easy to picture in my mind's eye. The plot had me going from the beginning. I think this would make a great movie! Can't wait until Heidi's next book comes out.

So here I am on this crazy journey. I have very little idea of what to expect, knowing little about the publishing industry. Certainly feel free to ask me questions. Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted!