Courage!

Trying to get published takes courage. Putting yourself out there for beta reader, editors, agents, and the public. It's enough to make one want to run screaming for the hills.

We all take different paths to get to that final step, a book in hand. But, that doesn't mean one path or another takes any less courage.

When I started this blog I said my ultimate goal was to have that book in my hand.

Whether by traditional method or self, that was my goal. I worked long and hard, spending more than two years on this first novel. Granted it wasn't the only project I was working on. I have a total of 5 stories I will eventually put out, but Immortals is my baby.

Once I had that first draft, I steeled my courage and sent it out to be critiqued and beta read. It takes a lot of courage to share your early drafts with others.

Those of you at this stage, give your self a pat on the back. That process is really nerve wracking.

Critiques came back and they were not always nice. There were times when I wanted to cry after reading particularly hard ones.

But, I continued, thanks to a lot of support from friends and family. I went back to the drawing board and revised.

Rinse and repeat for months on end before taking the next courageous step. Querying.

That step is one of the hardest ones to take. It is fraught with rejection and can really mess with your self confidence.

Pat yourself on the back if you have taken this step or are considering it. No matter what your results are in this venture, you have a lot of courage to take this step.

Though I did not get all I wanted from this process, I learned a lot. I would not trade that time for anything. It made me go back and take a closer look at my work. It forced me to work on other things and expand my writing.

Remember, I said my goal was to see Immotalis in print. And I will.

As you know, I lost my job last November. Jobs are few and far between right now and I am still sifting through the classifieds, with no luck. So, after discussing things with the hubby, we decided to take another frightening and courageous step. We are starting our own small publishing venture. Since I am home, I have the time to devote to writing, and promoting. I'm making good use of it. It's a bit of a gamble, but I have hopes that it will pay off, or at least break even. =) I am realistic.

As soon as all the paperwork is finished, we will be launching Rising Sign Books LLC, and publishing my first novel Immortalis.

You can see our website, still under construction. www.risingsignbooks.com






To all of my wonderful readers...

Remember, you have a lot of courage and should be proud of you work, no matter what path you take.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not as corageous as you are - but it is a word my husband has used to describe what I'm doing lately. I'm working on the query level, and still writing like a woman possessed. I'm driven, and more than a little obsessed, but it seems to be working for me in some ways. People have been very encouraging and that really does help me to take any bad criticism, along with the good.

Remember that, if you are asked to critique another's work. You may decided that you are much better than them, and not have much to say that is nice, but I know that I was once in their shoes and that it took time and persistence to improve. Persistence is easier to achieve if you have something positive to cling to, and a particular goal to work towards.

Jonathon Arntson said...

That gave me shivers and a sore shoulder from all that patting. The process from blank page to hardcover is certainly more emotional than I would have ever thought. I knew coming into the lit world would be a lot of work, but I never imagined it would be so confusing. I have avoided certain steps over the past few months out of fear and confusion, but that query letter will be no match for shear will. I appreciate your words here, you put yourself out on a wobbling limb.

Good luck with your publishing venture, I intend to keep it in my sights as I finish up a few YA WIP's.

Tana said...

Congrats to you on your endeavor!

Unknown said...

Good for you! The whole publishing process does take a truck load of courage. I look forward to following your journey with your new venture.

Angie said...

Congratulations and best of luck!

Stephanie McGee said...

Congrats and good luck!

The Rejection Queen said...

I was lucky. I got a publisher to take on my first book which is taking even longer!

Elana Johnson said...

Good luck with it! Sounds amazing. :)

ali cross said...

Whoa. Now THAT's courage!

Congratulations and Good Luck!

Melissa Hurst said...

Best of luck with your publishing venture! I hope you find much success with it:)

L.A. Mitchell said...

That *is* courage. I enjoyed your post...I think it's something I needed to be reminded of today. I wish you all the best with your publishing venture :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! I'm happy for you and excited for your journey!

Denise Verrico said...

You are so right! It is scary to put yourself out there. It took me fourteen years to send out my vampire novel Cara Mia, but today I held my published baby for the first time.

Unknown said...

Good luck. I look forward to reading about the journey ahead of you.

Katie Salidas said...

Thanks for all the kind words. It's a scary venture, but one I feel I have to try.

I've said it before and I will say it again. This writing/blogging community is wonderful. You are all so supportive. Big Hugs!

Jessica Nelson said...

Wow Katie!I have no clue how I missed this post. So cool! Congrats. :-)

About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.