Search This Blog

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Contract Update and Summer Plans

After the big news about signing and sending in the contract, everything else has been a little mundane. However, I did get an email from Leticia today saying she's received the contract and will ship it off to Spencer Hill after she looks over it. I wonder what happens next after they get it. Does anyone reading this have a clue?

Summer vacation is almost upon me! Other than looking for a summer job, I'm going to be writing my 5th book manuscript (yes, I already have three other completed ones besides SA, though only two I consider good enough for print). Don't want to give too many details away on what this story is about, but it's going to be sci-fi, post post apocalyptic with science and romance and all that good stuff. It's probably gonna be the biggest big I've written so far, and perhaps the biggest challenge. But it's time to try and prove once again that not only men can write sci-fi. Hooray for gender equality!

Cheerio (and not the cereal),
Colleen

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Making The Deal: A Dream Come True

Yes, I know I didn't post anything on Saturday, but that was because I was waiting for a VERY important contract to be emailed to me from Leticia. What contract, you say?


(I'm aware the pictures are backwards, but the only camera I have is the one on my laptop, and we all know how good those are.) :P

BUT ANYWAY!

After four years, dozens of turn downs, and a crapload of editing and rewriting, it is done. I, Colleen Elizabeth Boyd, have officially sold my first book, The Swamp Angel, to Spencer Hill Press. The contract is signed and has been mailed. By Leticia's predictions, TSA should be out in stores by the end of 2013.

What am I feeling? Amazed. Wonderful. Glorious. You probably couldn't tell if you talked to me, but I've never really been the squealy, bouncy, jump-for-joy-at-good-news type (just ask the parents). But that doesn't change that I feel so proud, so awed, at how far I've come to this point. I have a feeling greater writing and greater days are to come.

Now if only I can survive my math final. :P

Later days,
Colleen (now a writer) Boyd

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Wrapping It Up: Choosing the Publisher

So on May 10th, I got an email from my agent Leticia, telling me that (gasp) another publishing agency wants to work with TSA! To quote:

"I have received another offer for Swamp Angel and would like to speak to you about it. The offer comes from an independent e-publisher who is soon going to become a traditional print publisher as well. Attached is their publishing agreement for you to review prior to us speaking on the phone. As you know, the offer from Spencer Hill Press is still on the table so what I would like to do is go offer both offers and compare. Since we have now received a good number of rejections from the larger more established publishing houses, I thought now would be a good time to really evaluate the offers already on the table, just in case."
 
Trestle Press/ Helping Hands Press in the name of this other press. That makes two publishing offers to choose from. Since we've heard back from most of the presses Leticia has written to, I've decided that next week I'll be making the final choice on which company to go with and talk it out with Leticia.

Truth be told, I'm leaning more towards Spencer Hill than TP/HHP. My mom and dad looked over the contract the latter sent (when in doubt, contact your parents), and they said their press doesn't sound nearly as good as Spencer Hill. And TP/HHP says that they're an e-publisher that's switching to traditional print soon, but how do I know TSA won't end up a e-book that can easily be passed over? I'll have to talk with Leticia about it and see what she has to say.

Later,
Colleen Boyd

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Writer Tips #1

Nothing really grand to report this week except that no other publishing companies made any offers (I'm looking at you, Harper Collins!). They did give feedback and praise, however, and that's always good to hear and to reenforce my belief that I CAN write, and that's not just something the family says to make me feel good!

All jokes aside (because that is a joke), I figure that as long as I have this blog, I might as well post some tips/tricks for all the writers out there reading this. I'm no expert, but I know I would've loved some beginning novelist looking over my shoulder telling me how to improve my writing and whatnot. And even if you aren't planning to become a professional writer, it never hurts to improve this important skill. :)

SO TIP NUMBER ONE IS (insert drumroll) ...

Read more books!

Yes, I know this might be obvious. Yes, I know it may seem like it has nothing to do with writing. But it does! Reading more books gives you different types of writing styles to examine and practice to see if it fits you. Reading also increases your vocabulary, thus giving you more words to work with. You experience different characters, learn proper grammar (which I have found many do not know of), learn how to make good dialogue and plot, etc. The list can go on and on.

I know I wouldn't be the writer I am today if I hadn't read and dreamed over so many books in my youth. Heck, I might've not even wanted to be a writer (oh the humanity!)! I owe a lot to books; paper or digital (I prefer paper), they are a treasure that everyone, writer or not, should expose themselves to.

Signing off,
Colleen