Today we welcome author Patricia Lee to the blog as she shares her publishing journey and tells us about the contract that almost wasn’t.
Take it away, Patricia!
My Story…
In 2016 I planned to attend the Oregon Christian Writers summer conference in Portland, Oregon. Like most conferences, authors were invited to pre-submit a manuscript for consideration by an editor of their choice. A writer only gets one chance to make a first impression and I’d learned early in the game to polish everything. I combed the cover letter and the three sample chapters like a veterinarian might search for a dog’s fleas.
Certain my material was perfect, I submitted two manuscripts to two different publishing houses. Not long after, I received a note from the manuscript coordinator. The appointment calendar of one of the editors I had chosen had filled. Would I like to submit to another?
I looked over the list of available publishing houses and didn’t see one I thought would be a good fit for my story. I queried my agent for suggestions. She recommended someone about whom I’d heard little. She went on to say that she’d had several clients publish with this company and all thought the publisher was a great person to work with. “You won’t be sorry if you publish with Mountain Brook Ink.”
I followed her advice and informed the manuscript coordinator of my plan, indicating which manuscript I wanted sent.
A few days later I received an e-mail from the new publisher. Confused, she’d received a cover letter for one book and the sample chapters for the other. She was interested in either one. Which one did I want her to consider?
My heart sank.
My opportunity to impress this woman had just taken flight. All my work had turned to ashes—my dreams and hopes shredded into little bits of paper floating on the wind. Where was the nearest exit? Stage left.
Certain that I was doomed, I quickly responded (wouldn’t you?), telling her that I had planned for her to see the contemporary story. I sent her the file, making sure she received the correct cover letter, along with its corresponding sample chapters. I knew the mistake had been an honest one by the manuscript coordinator, but I couldn’t help feeling as if this snafu would be one more rejection in a long list of them. I’d had my share of those.
I was in for a surprise. At the conference the editor said she really liked the premise of my novel. Then she hit me with the bottom line. How could I make it a three-book series?
On the outside I’m sure I appeared calm and considerate, but on the inside a minor explosion was happening. Three books? You’ve got to be kidding! This is a stand-alone! There aren’t enough characters in the book to make a series. Once again, I could feel my heart plunging to the depths of darkness.
My brain spun into overload. I remembered the finished contemporary story I had shelved after a publishing house rejected it the year before. If I changed the names of some of the characters on both books, I could make the older book part of the sequel. I told the publisher what I planned, outlined the second storyline, and asked her opinion. She requested the first three chapters of the projected sequel as well as a proposal for book three—which would require another set of characters.
I didn’t go home excited. In my mind I didn’t believe I could find a third character in book one from whom I could write another story. I scoured the pages to see if one of my cameo characters had enough to make a storyline. Eureka! I found a bit character and my imagination soared. By the end of the week I had crafted the paragraph of a storyline for which I had no idea what I would write. I tweaked the second novel, changed the characters names to match, and sent it off. I’d done the best I could but doubted anything would come of it.
And then something wonderful happened.
Three weeks later, the subject line in an e-mail from my agent said “CONTRACT OFFER!”
The rest, as they say, is history. An Anchor On Her Heart released July 15, 2017. The second novel, which saved the contract, Love Calls Her Home released February 12, 2018. In October 2018 A Kite on the Wind will join its predecessors to complete the series. In my mind I had done the impossible, but I was reminded that with God all things are possible.
Author Note: Anyone who comments on this blog will be entered in a drawing for a copy of Love Calls Her Home. Tell us what you think!
Winner announced Friday, April 13th.
Leave a comment for a chance to win Love Calls Her home.
PLEASE SHARE
Author Patricia Lee shares how her début novel led to a three-book series and to storylines she didn’t see coming.
When she thought her work turned to ashes, this author thought her dreams had died, but God saw the bigger plan. What happened when Patricia Lee went to the Oregon Christian Writers Conference.
How important is it to just keep writing? Check out Patricia Lee’s inspiring story. You be the judge!
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AUTHOR BIO
Author Patricia Lee
Patricia Lee has had a fascination with words and what they can do since she wrote her first short paragraph at the age of six. She doesn’t remember the content, but her teacher became excited at what she’d done. “Obviously,” Pat says, “words made people happy.”
She worked as a stringer for a local newspaper during her middle and high school years representing the school’s news to the community. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oregon, then went on to work as a tabloid newspaper editor at her local church.
After she married, she began her freelancing career and sold to various publications, including Expecting, Moody Monthly, and Power for Living. More recently she has published in two anthologies, Cup of Comfort Bible Promises and Heavenly Company, as well as featured articles in Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine. An Anchor On Her Heart, her début novel, released in July, 2017.
She lives were her husband and a handful of furry friends in the Pacific Northwest. They have two grown children.
*Find out more about Patricia’s books here.
Thanks so much for visiting, Patricia!
Original author/media images provided by author
Original laptop image: StockSnap/Pixabay
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Can you think of an example when God’s plans where bigger/better than your own?
How did that experience shape you?
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Upcoming News and Guest Blog Update
Details about Cynthia’s début novel and three-book series, including future blog guests.
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Please stop by on Friday, April 13th, when another fabulous guest will join us. (You can also sign up for blog updates in the top right-hand sidebar so you never miss a post.)
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See you back soon!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Comments 25
Love this – thank you for sharing your story, Patricia!
It’s interesting to remember how
I felt then and how far I’ve come since I first received the contract. It still seems surreal.
And congratulations on your three-book contract!!
Author
Laura, it’s incredible when God opens doors we can’t even imagine. Pat’s story is proof of that! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Patricia, I just love this story of your three-book contract! Your flexibility is admirable. Yes, I appreciate the encouraging reminder that with God all things are possible!
Author
Sherida, I can’t stop smiling at Pat’s story. Aren’t “God-things” awesome?!
Keep our eyes on things above. Not always easy to remember.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing, friend!
Author
Heidi, Pat’s story is an inspiration to all, isn’t it? 🙂
Heidi, you have your own success story. Thanks, friend.
In our journeys to publication, we often lose sight of God’s perfect timing. Then when He comes through for us, we are surprised, but He’s been working on our success all along.
Author
Pat, your story is so encouraging! God’s always working on our behalf, despite our own vision of “perfect timing.” So happy for you!
Pat, I’ve never heard this full story, so it was also encouraging to me, your publisher! I’m so glad the Lord worked out all the details for you to become on of our authors. I love your work. The question was asked… Can you think of an example when God’s plans where bigger/better than your own?…..Here’s my answer. I signed a contract years ago for a book–and I was not happy with the contract terms. My agent and myself almost turned down the contract. However, I decided that possibly God had opened that door and I needed to walk through it. Five years later, that book is what led me to a contract for a movie deal on a different book. God is so good!!
Author
Miralee, hear-hear! AND, of course, inquiring minds would like to know more about your movie deal! What huge encouragement!
Miralee, this reminds me of a song we sing at church. Our God is an awesome God, He reigns in heaven above. . . People who don’t stand in the shadow of the Cross don’t know what they are missing.
What an encouraging post, thanks Patricia! A good reminder that a writer must always be ready for anything!
Author
Katie, so true! Thanks for stopping by ~ Looking forward to your visit next week!
You can’t know the mind of God. But He promises to have plans for you. Jer. 29:11
I have read the first two books and thoroughly enjoyed them. Both are great stories. I can’t think of a single situation where God’s plans were bigger and better than my own. I simply look back over my 71 years and see numerous situations and choices where He was working things out long before I reached a point of decision. Then He guided me in the decision that resulted in what He desired for me.
Author
Edward, that’s a great perspective. In my own reflection, I think sometimes God has allowed me to have what I wanted only to realize He had the better plan all along. If we’d just trust Him to guide us in the first place, we’d save ourselves a lot of heartache and wrong turns.
You’re a very wise person! 🙂
I’m so glad you’ve been on my team, Edward. You made the stories stronger, just by reading them for me. Thanks.
Congratulations on getting your books published. Getting a contract is always exciting. It never grows old.
Thanks, Vickie. For most authors it is a dream come true. Especially in today’s publishing climate.
I was impressed at how a “snafu” can bring about a positive response. It is remarkable that you achieved a great contract with the prospect of writing two other books to complete a series. God works in mysterious ways and I hope you find joy and satisfaction in all your writing. It gives me hope that maybe my novel can be acceptable in the eyes of a publisher. Thanks for recounting your tale of how details worked out for your good.
We lose sight of God’s ability to make all things possible in His time. Discouragement, fatigue, life crises can all set us back and take our eyes off the goal. Would love to have you join my newsletter group. Go to http://www.authorpatricialee.net/mailing list and follow along.