A long, long time ago, when Green Girl had only two sons, she began to write a book. Her intention was to write something marketable so she could attract an agent and a publisher. The germ of the idea came out of all the home parties people invited her to attend. Candles, cosmetics, jewelry, hair extensions, knick-knacks, kitchen goods--the entire spectrum of shopping presented in living rooms across America. Fodder for funny in her view of things, so she cooked up a little tale about a gal who works at Wisconsin Public Radio and decides to start selling kitchen tools on the side. Green Girl modeled her fictitious company after Pampered Chef and named it "Coddled Cuisine." She threw in a love interest and decided it wasn't half bad.
In the summer of 2004 Green Girl trekked that manuscript to the University of Iowa's Summer Writing Festival. While there, she made new friends and a year later co-founded/joined the Screw Iowa Writers Workshop. Marni, Mariana, Lauren and Nina helped Green Girl polish her manuscript and she then mailed it off to approximately 86 literary agents. The process was slow and sluggish and demoralizing. On her 86th try, Green Girl signed with Mitchell S. Waters who advised her on revisions and then shopped around her book.
The short version of this part of the story: nobody wanted to publish her book. Back it went onto the back burner and Green Girl worked on other projects.
A year ago she submitted it to Cornerstone Press on a whim, believing it had appeal to a smaller audience via a regional press. They told her, "Thanks, but no thanks." Then, over the summer, the press contacted her and asked to see the book again. You know the rest of the story so far--they'll publish Whipped, Not Beaten within the year, giving Green Girl the satisfaction of achieving a publishing goal (just in the nick of time--she's two score exactly this year).
Julia asked an interesting question:
Super news about your book! That's very cool to hear. Do you know already if it will come out in a Kindle format? And if it does, is that a good or bad thing from a writer's point of view?
Green Girl doesn't believe Cornerstone does Kindle...yet. She thinks her book might be made available in that format down the line. As a writer, Green Girl is a realist. Most of her book club reads their fiction on Nooks or Kindles. E-readers will continue to grow in popularity. It's a medium for getting books to readers and while she's got a strong preference for paper copies of books, she understands that readers use both methods. She feels the best bet for any author is to offer their work in both hard copy and electronic.
Green Girl thought she was the coolest thing since sliced bread now that she nailed a publishing contract. She had begun to cop a bit of a diva attitude--Excuse me, I'm going to be a published author so I don't think I should have to clean bathrooms or grocery shop anymore. Then she sliced her thigh last night while working on her sword form in karate. That's right, she stabbed herself. Tore a hole in her pants and gashed the top of her left thigh. (Yes, she's totally pissed at Mr. O who convinced her to start using her son's rusty metal sword instead of the lightweight, harmless foam sword she'd purchased for herself. She's fretting, trying to recall when she had her last tetanus shot.) A little public humiliation brought her back to earth, thanks to her clumsiness you won't find her wearing black turtlenecks and chain smoking clove cigarettes while waxing pretentiously about themes and character development and depth through metaphor. Nope, she's still the same geeky gal she always was, sporting a t-shirt, jeans and now a small flesh wound.
In the summer of 2004 Green Girl trekked that manuscript to the University of Iowa's Summer Writing Festival. While there, she made new friends and a year later co-founded/joined the Screw Iowa Writers Workshop. Marni, Mariana, Lauren and Nina helped Green Girl polish her manuscript and she then mailed it off to approximately 86 literary agents. The process was slow and sluggish and demoralizing. On her 86th try, Green Girl signed with Mitchell S. Waters who advised her on revisions and then shopped around her book.
The short version of this part of the story: nobody wanted to publish her book. Back it went onto the back burner and Green Girl worked on other projects.
A year ago she submitted it to Cornerstone Press on a whim, believing it had appeal to a smaller audience via a regional press. They told her, "Thanks, but no thanks." Then, over the summer, the press contacted her and asked to see the book again. You know the rest of the story so far--they'll publish Whipped, Not Beaten within the year, giving Green Girl the satisfaction of achieving a publishing goal (just in the nick of time--she's two score exactly this year).
Julia asked an interesting question:
Super news about your book! That's very cool to hear. Do you know already if it will come out in a Kindle format? And if it does, is that a good or bad thing from a writer's point of view?
Green Girl doesn't believe Cornerstone does Kindle...yet. She thinks her book might be made available in that format down the line. As a writer, Green Girl is a realist. Most of her book club reads their fiction on Nooks or Kindles. E-readers will continue to grow in popularity. It's a medium for getting books to readers and while she's got a strong preference for paper copies of books, she understands that readers use both methods. She feels the best bet for any author is to offer their work in both hard copy and electronic.
Green Girl thought she was the coolest thing since sliced bread now that she nailed a publishing contract. She had begun to cop a bit of a diva attitude--Excuse me, I'm going to be a published author so I don't think I should have to clean bathrooms or grocery shop anymore. Then she sliced her thigh last night while working on her sword form in karate. That's right, she stabbed herself. Tore a hole in her pants and gashed the top of her left thigh. (Yes, she's totally pissed at Mr. O who convinced her to start using her son's rusty metal sword instead of the lightweight, harmless foam sword she'd purchased for herself. She's fretting, trying to recall when she had her last tetanus shot.) A little public humiliation brought her back to earth, thanks to her clumsiness you won't find her wearing black turtlenecks and chain smoking clove cigarettes while waxing pretentiously about themes and character development and depth through metaphor. Nope, she's still the same geeky gal she always was, sporting a t-shirt, jeans and now a small flesh wound.
