My Writing Journey (Part 2)

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

As I mentioned last week in Part 1 of my writing journey, it took me about a year to write my debut book, The Preacher’s Bride. I was only doing about 500 words a day at that point. When I finished, it was the summer of 2008—which seemed eons from when I’d been actively pursuing publication years before.

After spending several months editing the book, I decided it was time to dip my feet into the publishing waters again. I didn't know if I was ready for publication. If you remember from the previous post, I'd started garnering a little editorial interest with the last book I'd written before taking my seven-year hiatus.

But after my long break, I didn't know how I compared with other authors. And quite frankly, I wasn't sure if my writing skills were up to par.

I hemmed and hawed and finally decided it wouldn’t hurt to send my manuscript out to publishers and see what happened. So I turned on my handy internet and began researching publishers.

And boy was I in for a surprise. Times had changed drastically since I’d queried and submitted years before. I quickly learned that everything had gone electronic—that I wouldn’t need to print out my manuscript, rubberband it together, and figure out return postage. Instead I’d have to figure out the new email guidelines for sending queries and sample work.

I also learned that most publishers didn’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, that I would likely need to get an agent if I had any hope of getting into a bigger traditional publisher. And so, I began to compile a list of agents who represented inspirational fiction.

As I started reading blogs about the state of the publishing industry, I listened to other writers talk about how hard it was for debut authors to get into traditional publishing houses. The statistics were grim and depressing. And even my chances of finding an agent seemed somewhat bleak. But I decided it wouldn't hurt to put my toes in and test things out.

So I sent the queries out. My list was fairly small (approximately 12), since I'd narrowed it down to the top agents I thought could represent what I was writing.

Slowly the rejections trickled back in. The Preacher’s Bride was rejected by every agent I sent it to . . .

Except one.

Only one agent showed an interest, a fairly new agent, who at that time was still building her client list. She told me she liked my query and asked me to send her the entire manuscript. So I did. But I was still very naïve and checked my email several times a day, excited and yet nervous all at the same time. I didn’t realize what a slow process submitting could be.

One week passed in to two. And then three. And then four. Months passed. And I didn’t hear one word from the agent.

I was getting a first-hand learning experience in the hard-knocks of the modern publishing industry. I quickly realized it was as tough as everyone had said—and then some.

In the meantime, I decided I would keep writing. So that year, as The Preacher’s Bride continued to languish in the agent’s slush pile, I put my heart and soul into writing another book. I also used the year to immerse myself in the industry. I read publishing blogs, joined writing communities, and even started a blog of my own. I began to meet other writers online and gained a firm grip on the pulse of the publishing industry.

So how did I finally get my big break?

I entered the Genesis contest through ACFW in 2009 (a national contest for unpublished writers). And The Preacher’s Bride and the other manuscript I had just completed finaled. Once I received the exciting phone call about my final, I contacted the agent that had The Preacher’s Bride in her slush pile and updated her on the status.

Fortunately the final perked her attention and she pulled my manuscript from her slush pile where it had been sitting for months upon months. She read it and three days later called and offered me representation. Three months later I signed a contract with Bethany House publishers. And they offered me a three book deal.

Now in 2013, after finishing two contracts, we're in the thick of negotiations for a third book contract with Bethany House Publishers.

Moral of the story? Good things come in three's? *grin*

Okay, so the real moral? My trip to publication didn't happen overnight. I had pit stops along the way, detours, and a long uphill climb. But through it all, I never gave up my passion for writing. And no matter what the future may bring, I know I'll always love writing.

So what do you think of my journey to publication? Anything surprise you? And now tell me something about YOU! Have you ever had to wait a long time for something? What was it and how long did you have to wait?

My Writing Journey (Part 1)

By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

It's getting to be that time of year again when my speaking calendar begins to fill up. And when I'm speaking, I frequently share a little bit about my writing journey—when I started, how long I've been writing, and the path I've taken to get to where I'm at.

After recently sharing about my writing journey in a couple of local talks, I realized I've never bared my past on my blog! So I thought I'd take a couple of weeks to give a personal glimpse into my writing journey for readers here.

My Writing Journey (Part 1):

Like many writers I was born with a pen in my hand. I filled notebooks with stories when I was growing up.

My mom was the most influential person in my writing career. When I was young, she helped facilitate my love of writing by reading aloud to me, giving me good books to read, and providing the kind of environment that fostered my creativity (in fact we didn’t have a TV for a number of years). She always believed in me, encouraged me to pursue my dreams, and rode alongside me cheering me on.

My passion for writing followed me into adulthood. I wanted to be an author. But like most aspiring writers, I struggled to know how I could use my gifts and abilities in a career. When my college years came, I knew I would need a career that could pay the bills while I worked on my novels. So I went to Taylor University in Indiana and then eventually to the University of Wisconsin in Madison where I got my Masters in Social Work.

I kept writing and learning about writing during the years when I worked as a social worker. And it was during those post-college years, when I was working and before I had kids, that I really studied the craft of writing. I read every how-to book about fiction techniques I could get my hands on.

During that pre-child time, I also wrote five books. The last of those five books garnered attention from an editor at a publishing house but was eventually rejected. So I knew I was getting close to being ready for publication. While the rejection was discouraging, I also knew that most writers have to write numerous books before they’re finally good enough for publication. I never looked at those early books as wasted attempts. Instead I viewed them as preparation and training for growing into a skillful author.

But as life (and God) would have it, I ended up taking a long writing hiatus. Shortly after the birth of my twins, I set aside my writing completely for about seven years. As I now look back over those years, I can see how much the hiatus helped me grow personally, spiritually, and deepened my life experiences.

During my break, I also gained ideas and fuel for future stories. Because about that time, I started homeschooling my children. During the course of our history lessons, I began to learn a lot about some of the great heroes from history. I was particularly fascinated by the wives of these great heroes, especially those who were long forgotten by our modern world, women who had stood by their husband’s sides during dangerous times and had helped shape those men into the heroes they became. I wanted to bring these women to life for our modern generation.

But it wasn’t until after I’d had my fifth baby, that I started to feel the urge to write again. Around that time, I read a biography about John Bunyan, the writer of Pilgrim’s Progress. I discovered a tiny excerpt about his second wife, Elizabeth, and it stirred my curiosity.

My imagination turned on in a way that it hadn’t in many years. I began to think about this particular woman (one of those strong woman who had been obscured by the popularity of her husband). What had life been like for her? And what was her real story?

So the first book I wrote after my seven year break was The Preacher’s Bride, a book inspired by the life of Elizabeth Bunyan. At the time I wrote the book, my youngest two children were still very little, so I had to sneak in writing during nap time and in the evenings after their bedtime. In all, the book took me about a year to complete, writing only about 500 words a day.

The book went on to become my first published book, hit the CBA best seller list, and won multiple awards.

Come back next week to find out how many agents rejected The Preacher's Bride, how long the manuscript languished in slush piles, and how I finally got my big break . . .

So, dear readers, do you have any question for me regarding my writing journey so far? Ask away! And now tell me something about you! What was your college major or line of study? Did you end up using your degree or did you do something different?