Shallee McArthur: Learning What's Important When You Debut

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today's guest for the SAT (Successful Author Talk) is Shallee McArthur, author of THE UNHAPPENING OF GENESIS LEE. Shallee originally wanted to be a scientist, until she discovered she liked her science best in fictional form. When she’s not writing young adult science fiction and fantasy, she’s attempting to raise her son and daughter as proper geeks. And because people always ask, her name is pronounced "shuh-LEE." But she answers to anything that sounds remotely close.

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

When I first wrote, I was a straight-up pantser, but eventually my planner brain took over. I usually spend months brainstorming and plotting a 3-act-structure plot diagram (I’m a visual person). But with my most recent story, none of that worked out! I couldn’t get a plot planned, couldn’t plan out characters, and eventually I just let the story pour out. Pantsing means I take longer on first drafts, but for that story, it worked out to be exactly what the story needed. So…I’m both.

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

The first book I queried took 4 months to draft and about 9 months to revise. The next book—The Unhappening of Genesis Lee, my debut!—took 6 weeks to draft, and a year to revise (and another few months to revise with my agent). My most recent story took over 6 months to draft! But it only took about 2 months to revise (though a few more revisions are needed).

Basically, I’m unpredictable.

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?

I usually work on different stories at different stages. I can only really draft ore revise one story at a time, mostly because I get super obsessed with that idea. But I’m pretty much always, ALWAYS musing and planning and exploring a new idea (or several) in my brain!

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

More like I have to overcome fears EVERY time I sit down to write! I’m one of those been-writing-since-I-could-hold-a-pen types, and when I was young, I had no fear. All I had was a love of stories. But somewhere along the way, I started to doubt myself. I’m always afraid I’ll never have another good idea, or never be able to pull off another story, etc. etc. 

But it’s kinda funny how once I am in the midst of writing, all that matters is the story and how much I love it.

How many trunked books (if any) did you have before you were agented?

I’ve got dozens of wonderfully clichéd, poorly written stories of varying lengths that I love dearly and no one will ever see. But if we’re talking stories that I attempted to get published, I have one trunked novel. I queried it, but it wasn’t quite ready. I thought it was, of course, but at one point I re-read it and realized it was a story that I loved, but it just wasn’t “there” yet.

So I trunked it and wrote the next one.

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

I have a folder full of stories at varying lengths of “completeness.” I haven’t really quit on them—mostly they just need more development time.

But the trunked novel I mentioned above…that was hard to decide to let go, because I still love it. I suppose I could have gone back and tried to revise it some more, but I knew the best thing was to move on and write the next one. Writing the next one is the best way to actually use all the things you learned writing the last one. And my next one is the one that’s getting published, so it worked!

One thing that helped me let it go was “selfie-publishing” my trunked novel. Not for selling to others or anything, just for my own self. I made a cover, printed it through Lulu, and now I’ve got a copy sitting on my shelf!

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them?  

Hannah Bowman is my agent, and she is my agenty soulmate! I found her in a bit of a unique way. Before she was an agent, she actually read my trunked novel and gave me fabulous feedback. When she became an agent, I knew I wanted to query her. She saw me tweet a pitch for The Unhappening of Genesis Lee, and requested the full right there! I shrieked and freaked, but didn’t send it for a few months until it was ready. When she offered rep, there was  much more shrieking and freaking!

How many queries did you send?  

I queried around 20 agents, and Hannah offered in a week! I talked to two more great agents who offered over the next week, so it was just over two weeks from the start of querying when I officially signed with her.

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

Timing and numbers of requests and all that jazz…it doesn’t matter. So what if someone had seven requests within a week? So what if someone queried for a year and finally got that one perfect offer? It’s hard to remember that when you hear all the stories, but when it comes to your career, those things don’t matter. You can still have a kick-butt debut that launches a kick-butt career, no matter how long it takes or how many offers you get. 

How did that feel the first time you saw your book for sale?

Well, it’s not for sale until November 4, but I did just get my ARCs in the mail, and found out my eARCs are on Edelweiss. The knowledge that my book is in the world for people to read is exhilarating. I wrote this book—all my books—because the story feels like something I love and need to share. So now that it’s being shared, it’s like the book is finally fulfilling its destiny.

Which is also terrifying. Because I want everyone to love this book the way I do…and they won’t. 

How much input do you have on cover art?

I got to send in a document full of descriptions, pictures, and covers I liked as a “mood board.” The designer from Sky Pony worked from that and delivered a cover. There were a few changes my agent and I requested to the final cover, and they were wonderful about making some tweaks. I’m so happy with the way it turned out!

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

How all the things you think matter SO MUCH…don’t. There were some things that happened that I didn’t expect, like the cover going online before I knew about it or could schedule a reveal, and I had legitimate panic attacks (my poor agent and editor!). I thought it was going to be such a huge deal, and it didn’t go the way I wanted, and it was SO IMPORTANT. And it wasn’t. It made no difference to anything at all. So basically, I’ve learned to relax!

How much of your own marketing do you? 

I do most of my own marketing, though my publisher has done some of the big things, of course (ARCs, etc.). I actually enjoy the “business” side of things, and I love social media! I’m on pretty much every social media platform out there, but the ones I use the most are my blog, Twitter, and Tumblr. I’m also on Facebook, and plan on being more active there!

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

I totally say before. It takes a long time to build up connections and make friends, and publishing is a long process…but not that long (my own deal ended up being 11 months from signing with the publisher to my release date!) Besides, it’s the best way to not feel alone in the writing world!

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

Absolutely. I don’t think there’s always a one-to-one correlation, but I don’t think that’s the point of social media. Not all the people who follow me on Twitter are going to buy my book, but I’ve made some great friends through social media. They might buy my book, and they might tell others who’ll buy it, and in the end, I have more people talking about my book—and most of all, more friends who support me in all kinds of ways.

Kim Rendfeld On Leaving Your Debut Behind

Welcome to another of my fabulous acronym-based interviews. The second novel is no easy feat, and with that in mind I put together a series of questions for debuts who are tackling the second obstacle in their career path. I call it the SNOB - Second Novel Omnipresent Blues. Whether you’re under contract or trying to snag another deal, you’re a professional now, with the pressures of a published novelist compounded with the still-present nagging self-doubt of the noobie.

Today's guest for the SNOB is Kim Rendfeld, who has a lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends, which set her on her quest to write The Cross and the Dragon, her debut novel. She grew up in New Jersey and attended Indiana University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and English, with a minor in French. In 2007 she joined the marketing and communications team at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She gets paid to agonize over commas and hyphens, along with suggesting ways to improve writing, and thoroughly enjoys it.

Her second novel, The Ashes of Heaven's Pillar is set in the wake of Charlemagne in the year 772. Set against a backdrop of historic events, including the destruction of the Irminsul, it explores faith, friendship, and justice. This companion to Kim Rendfeld’s acclaimed The Cross and the Dragon tells the story of an ordinary family in extraordinary circumstances. You can read the first few chapters of both Kim's books on her site for free!

Is it hard to leave behind the first novel and focus on the second?

Everyone has their own way to decide on when to start book No. 2. Whenever I finish writing a manuscript, I go through a form of grief, one that can be remedied only by starting on another book. So The Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar was the only way I could cope with leaving The Cross and the Dragon behind. Working on another project also took some of the anxiety out the query process. It gave me something else to concentrate on besides all those rejections.

At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut and writing / polishing / editing your second?

It took so long to get Cross and Dragon published that I had gone through three major drafts of Ashes and started on a third manuscript. Still, once my debut was published, I focused on promotion for three months. Then I realized promotion is never really done, and I simply needed to get back to the manuscript.

Your first book landed an agent and an editor, and hopefully some fans. Who are you writing the second one for? Them, or yourself?

I don’t have a particular audience in mind when I’m writing fiction. I’m mainly focused on telling a good story with characters who are true to their time – the early Middle Ages in this case – but still appealing and relatable to modern readers. Even with book No. 3 (tentatively titled Lady Queen Fastrada), my first priority is the story.

Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re a professional author?

I was busy even before publication – a full-time job, a blog, a social media presence, and oh yes, my novel. In addition, I enjoy gardening and do some volunteer work at my local library. So time management feels like a juggling act. Each night and weekend, I must ask myself what gets priority: a blog post, publicity, my work in progress, critique of a friend’s work. In other words, what do I put off for another night? Sometimes the answer is deadline driven. My crutch is my handwritten lists. Note the plural.

What did you do differently the second time around, with the perspective of a published author?

I wrote most of the second manuscript while I was still unpublished, so the writing process wasn’t that different. However, one thing I got to skip in this go-around was the query process, and that is liberating. Of course, Fireship Press needed to review the finished manuscript before making an offer, but to have a publisher truly interested in your work is a great feeling and a boost in confidence. It allowed me to focus on polishing the manuscript rather than agonizing over a cover letter.

On the publishing and promotion side, there was a four-month wait between sending the finished book to the printer and releasing it for sale. The reason was to allow time to arrange the virtual book tour and other publicity. I am very grateful to Fireship Press for believing in my work to make such an investment. I didn’t mind the wait. In fact, it gave me time to write guest posts, work on novel No. 3, even take a vacation or two to see family.

Mindy McGinnis, Wizard-Librarian- Now With Tear Gas: Or, Lost in Translation- Why You Should Always Double Check Translation Machines

So, the German edition of NOT A DROP TO DRINK is titled BIS ZUM LETZTEN TROPFTEN, which translates as "to the last drop." I love that the German publisher kept my original cover, making it a hazy yellow. Like a good author, I've been trying to find ways to promote the German edition online. One of the easiest ways is to write up my bio in German for the German Amazon site.

Easy. Copy / paste my bio into Google Translate and plop it into my German Author Central page, right? Um... no. Luckily for me, my friend Lenore Applehans warned me that translation machines aren't always accurate, and in fact can completely twist your words. With that in mind, I used one to translate my bio into German, then re-translated it back into English using a different site. I did this with a few sites, hoping to get the most accurate rendition possible.

What I got was not exactly helpful, but definitely humorous.

Original Bio:

Mindy McGinnis is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio and cans her own food. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English Literature and Religion. Mindy has a pond in her back yard but has never shot anyone, as her morals tend to cloud her vision.

The Slightly-Less-Official Version, with Better Details:

Mindy grew up in the woods, and had a deep desire to see if she could survive out there on her own if the situation ever presented itself. That never happened, and the introduction of the internet has quelled that urge.

She loves being a writer, because it’s the only occupation where you can legitimately stare into space and claim to be working.

Translation #1:

Mindy McGinnis is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio and own food cans. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English Literature and Religion. Mindy has but a pond in her backyard has never shot anyone, as their morals tend to dull their vision.

The slightly-less-official version, with better details:

Mindy grew up in the woods, and had a deep desire to see if they could 
survive out there on their own, if the situation ever presented. That never happened, and the introduction of the Internet has depressed this urge.

She loves being a writer, because it was the only occupation where you can look right into the room and pretend to work.

Translation #2:

Mindy McGinnis is a wizard YA librarian who lives in Ohio and your own food cans. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English literature and religion. Mindy has a pond in your garden but has never shot, as their morals tend to cloud your vision.

The Slightly-Less -official version, with better information:

Mindy grew up in the woods, and had a deep desire to see if they could survive there are on your own if the situation never presented itself. That never happened, and the introduction of the Internet has tear gas, please.

She loves it, a writer, because it’s the only profession, you can do pretty rigid in space and right to work.