My Rocky and Twisted Path to Publication By Jeneva Rose

My path to publication was not traditional nor easy by any means, but it was on-brand for me. I’ve always been a person that has to learn things the hard way, outwork luck, and take the path less traveled. I’ve been a writer since I was a child, but I didn’t attempt to truly write a novel until 2016. It was women’s fiction, and it was close to my heart, the book I had to write to prove I could and the one I wrote for myself. In early 2017, I sent out my first queries, hoping it would find a home, but feeling like I was fine if it didn’t, because its home was with me.

After eighty plus rejections, I was okay to shelve it and not really disappointed because I was more proud than anything that I had finished it. That book had already done what I needed it to do for me, it made me believe in myself as a writer.

Later that year, I decided to try writing a new book in a new genre, a psychological thriller, for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It was born from an idea I had been holding in my head for over eight years, one that begged to be written. I wrote fifty thousand words in November, took a small break, finished it in January, edited it in February and by April, I had several offers of representation. I thought I had made it. Finally, after one-hundred rejections, I had someone in my corner that would take my writing career to the next level.

Eighteen months later, I decided to part ways with my agent due to differences in communication and working styles. I had gone on two small submission rounds, which came back with rejections or no responses at all. In that year and a half, I had done two major rewrites and wrote two more books, one of which was ready for submission. Before it went out on sub, I made the difficult decision to part ways with my agent. 

With my new book in hand, I was ready to query again for representation a week later. I felt so confident in this book. Feedback had been glowing from first readers and from friends and family. After receiving fourteen full requests, that confidence soared. Every day I woke up and thought, today’s the day I get an offer. Half of those full requests came back as rejections, half never replied. Over one-hundred rejections, most with no reply at all came pouring into my inbox and were quickly moved to my most heavily populated email folder, ‘Rejections.’ However, some of the feedback I received is what fueled me and took me in another direction. “I love this, but I don’t know how to sell it.”

With a dash of angst and an overload of drive, I decided to submit my first psychological thriller, the one that had gone out on sub twice and had been rewritten twice, directly to publishers that accept un-agented manuscripts. “I’m going to sell this myself,” was what went through my head over and over as I researched editors and put together my pitch letter.

I told you I was fueled by angst and ambition. Two days after submitting to editors, I had an offer of publication from Bloodhound Books. Two weeks after that, I had an offer from Bookouture for a two-book series. Finally, I felt validated, like someone saw in me what I thought I had seen in myself. After working with a lawyer, I accepted both offers, officially, securing my rocky and twisted path to publication. 

My journey was unique. My path was lined with letters of rejections and a series of ‘almosts’ and ‘not quites’ but there was a thread that ran through it all – determination. Even if I had to hear ‘NO’ hundreds of times, and I did (did I mention that already?), I told myself early on, ‘NO’ was just another two-letter word, that was essentially the same as ‘NOt right now’ or ‘NOt today’ or ‘NOble attempt.’ I am still pursuing representation with another completed project because I do want someone in my corner, but as of now, I’m thrilled and I’m happy with where I’ve gotten and how far I’ve come on my own. The path to publication is different for everyone and there’s not a “right” way to do it. There’s just the right way and the right time for YOU.

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Jeneva Rose writes women’s mysteries and thrillers. Her debut novel The Perfect Marriage is a psychological thriller that tells the story of a top criminal defense attorney who faces her most challenging case when she vows to defend her husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. It publishes July 13th, 2020. Jeneva also writes under the pen name J.R. Adler and has recently signed a two-book series deal with Bookouture. The first in the series, Dead Woman Crossing is out September 23rd and the second in the series, Black Heart Lane is out April 2021. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, Andrew, and her English bulldog, Winston.

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Pre-order The Perfect Marriage here: https://amzn.to/2VQeO8d 

Pre-order Dead Woman Crossing here: https://amzn.to/2Dip3Mh 

Find out more about Jeneva Rose:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jenevarose__

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jenevaroseauthor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jenevaroseauthor/

Website – https://www.jenevarose.com/

THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. As a named partner at her firm, life is going exactly how she planned.

The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He’s a struggling writer who has had little success in his career and he tires of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.

Out in the secluded woods, at the couple’s lakehouse, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But one morning everything changes. Kelly is found brutally stabbed to death and now, Sarah must take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. The Perfect Marriage is a juicy, twisty, and utterly addictive thriller that will keep you reading all night long.

 

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips