A WRITER’S JOURNEY
Thomas Edison once said in regards to his work on the light bulb: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” The same could be said for me when it came to publishing a book. On another day, when I’ve been bombarded by rejection slips and bad reviews, I’d say that the road to publishing “The Keeper of Lost Daughters” actually began with failure.
My journey began back in 2015. Yet another novel of mine had been resoundingly rejected by every agent under the sun. There was no hope for it. I wanted nothing more than to be a published novelist, but I only had a handful of essays in print. After a decade of work, the only thing I was successful at was failure. What can I do? I couldn’t stop writing. Writing was like breathing to me. It was necessary to my survival. I came to the realization though that I should stop trying to write just to get published. The plan would be to write whatever I pleased.
That mentality led to short pieces and two novels. Many of the short pieces ended up in print. One of the novels was based in Poland during the Holocaust. In 2015, I took a trip to Poland and toured Auschwitz-Birkenau and Krakow. I purposely waited until after I got back to begin on this new project. It took me four months to complete the first draft. Characters had come to life, ones that became near and dear to my heart. More drafts followed and I was convinced that my novel was ready for an agent. My plan simply to write something to please myself gave way once more to the longing to be a published novelist.
But this time was it! This time I would make it happen! This novel would end up in print. Around 2017, WWII became a very popular subject to write about. There was a market and that was a good thing. More than a few agents wanted to look at my novel, but rejections soon followed, all dropping that dreaded “P” word. Potential. My work had potential, but according to them it wasn’t ready. I racked up ninety-five rejections before I finally listened.
Time went on…three years in fact and I revised my book occasionally. Indie publishers were on the rise and by then I had a number of short pieces under my belt. I took the plunge, submitting it to a variety of indie publishers. The response was the same, except for one kind hearted editor who gave me detailed criticism. She liked my style and the concept and believed my book could eventually be something. She said if I’d be willing to revise, she’d give it another look. For a few months, I worked on it, applying her suggestions and implementing some of my own changes. By the spring of 2020, when the covid pandemic hit full force, I sent it back to her.
I sensed the response would be another rejection, but I secretly hoped and prayed that this was it. Nine days later, the editor got back to me. It was another no. She thought the book was much improved, but it hadn’t come together like she had hoped. I pressed on, sending the revised version to other publishers. More rejections and more failures followed. I put my book away, coming to the conclusion it wasn’t meant to be in print. Some dreams never do come true.
Two and half years passed. My sister sent me a new piece of writing advice. It instructed an author to take the current version of their work, use it as a template, and basically rewrite the whole novel. Off and on I thought about my novel, regretting that I had abandoned it after putting so much time and effort into it. But can I do it? Could I rewrite my novel? Would it be worth it? All I could do was try. The results were extraordinary. My story looked completely different; the prose flowed, the dialogue was smooth, and the whole thing had been cut down to a reasonable length. The characters had been resurrected; new life having been breathed into them and the novel itself.
One more try, I reasoned. After this, I would move on for good. For a year I sent it to fifty-some publishers. Forty-three rejected it outright, six never responded…but one publisher wrote back saying that they wanted it. ReadMore Press accepted my novel! The following summer it was in print, debuting as “The Keeper of Lost Daughters.” It has also made it to a few Amazon Best Seller Lists. My nine-year journey hasn’t come to an end though. No, this is a beginning.
A writer’s journey isn’t a straight line. We don’t go from point A to point B. There are twists and turns, disappointments, false starts, outright failures, countless rejections, and many hours of pain and tears. When we do find a measure of success, it’s not going to be perfect. There will be hiccups, bad reviews, and mistakes made. But the work, the stress, and all of the struggles are worth it when you hold your first book in your hands. For me, it was like holding my firstborn child.
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Veronica Leigh has been published in numerous anthologies, journals, and magazines. She recently published her first novel, “The Keeper of Lost Daughters.” She aspires to be the Jane Austen of her generation and she makes her home in Indiana.
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Website: http://veronicaleighauthor.
THE KEEPERS OF LOST DAUGHTERS
The moment Lidia laid eyes on the abandoned baby on her doorstep, she knew she would risk everything to protect her forever.
1941, Krakow. Lidia Sobieska hears a knock on the door and is shocked to find a baby in a basket on her doorstep. Attached to the basket is a letter from the baby’s mother, begging to save her daughter Suzanne from the Nazis. Always wanting children of her own but unable to conceive, Lidia knows there is only one right thing to do. She names the baby Sophie and vows to do everything she can to love and protect her.
As living conditions in Krakow worsen and food rations dwindle, Sophie becomes Lidia’s light. Witnessing the inhumane conditions of the nearby ghetto, Lidia is determined to do what she can to save more lives. With help from the local priest, she adopts Eva Diamant, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl in need of a safe home. As the girls form a new family, Lidia will go to extreme lengths to conceal her daughters’ real identities and get them through the war.
1946. It’s been years since Lidia had to fear for her girls, until a sudden knock on the door threatens to change their lives forever. On her doorstep stands a man who calls himself Adam Altman, claiming to be Sophie’s biological father. His story is full of horror and bravery, and he has gone through hell to retrieve his daughter. But Lidia did not risk everything for a stranger to tear apart her family. She will not give up her daughter without a fight.
The Keeper of Lost Daughters is a poignant story of motherhood, courage, and the power of finding the light during the darkest time in history. Fans of Kelly Rimmer, Ellie Midwood, and Anna Stuart will be captivated by this emotional and inspiring page-turner.
Category: Contemporary Women Writers
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