Being a published novelist has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. But the road to getting here was full of unexpected twists, turns, and outright roadblocks. In Part 1 I wrote about writing the first draft of “Spanking New,” my obtuseness regarding the publishing world, and getting my first break. Part 2 includes some hard-earned lessons and a tick. And Part 3, the happy ending in this tale of tenacity and desire, includes (Gasp!) some words of wisdom for those who want to pursue this path. I can’t say I’m an expert, but (despite myself at times) I have learned a few things. 

In reading over my last two entries, I realize I have not fully emphasized that throughout this treadmill of hope…despair…hope…despair, I kept writing. I’m part of a writing group that meets weekly. We read each others’ chapters on our own time, then come together on Thursday nights and critique the hell out of each other. We are fortunate to be able to meet in an upstairs office at Bookshop Santa Cruz, one of three local, independently owned bookstores here in Santa Cruz. (Such a wealth, I know.) So when “Spanking New” wasn’t getting kicked around by the industry, I was churning out “The Middle of Somewhere.”

It’s tricky going back and forth between manuscripts, but I needed “The Middle of Somewhere” to keep me sane. The two old maid sisters Piggin and Heifer were snitched from a short play I wrote and then performed with my partner in our two-woman show, “Detour Ahead.” I love these characters. And I loved writing about small town Texas.

Unlike the rewrites of “Spanking New,” which were driven by trying to please whomever I was trying to please at the time, “The Middle of Somewhere” was written to please me. It came out easily and benefited, I might add, from what I was learning from all my rewrites of “Spanking New.” From the get go, I knew who my protagonist was, knew her quest, and, even if Eadie T. Pratt’s tale of breaking down in front of a Baptist church in the panhandle of Texas still surprised me at times, the arc of the story, and her journey of healing and redemption was solid. I knew how she had to change. And I made sure every chapter—every word—supported this.

So, surprise surprise, all my bellyaching over “Spanking New” was teaching me something. (What’s that they say? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Apparently it makes you smarter too.)

So, back to the article about gay literature in Writers Digest Magazine. They had quotes from all kind of publishers, writers, and editors, and while the tone of the article was trying to stay positive, the quotes seemed, to me, to be in contrast to this upbeat message. I remember reading things like (and this was a while back, and I was feeling quite beaten down, so these quotes may be skewed by my rotten memory and state of mind) “A gay male protagonist is a much easier sell than a lesbian protagonist”, “The market for lesbian fiction is tiny but dedicated”, “Gay fiction is a hard sell.” But there was one woman quoted who gave me hope. Her name was Len Barot and she ran a publishing company called Bold Strokes Books.

I looked Bold Strokes up on the web. At the time, they brokered mostly Romance, but had just put forth a new line called Victory Editions. I scoured the requirements. Could it be true? Was it really created for mainstream stories with lesbian protagonists? I was in heaven. I’d just finished “The Middle of Somewhere” and it seemed a perfect fit. Not only that, they weren’t going to judge my work off a dinky synopsis. They wanted the whole novel. And they didn’t want me to snail mail it, (my wallet was feeling pretty thin from all the copies and mailing) I could send it electronically—and sans agent. What did I have to lose?

I did a little dance around the house then got down to business formatting the novel to their requirements and writing a cover letter. I will admit, when I hit send on the email with my novel attached, (that little blue attachment felt so vulnerable hanging onto the bottom of that screen) I was thoroughly expecting disappointment.

But that disappointment was disappointed. Two weeks later, I got a phone call from Ms. Barot herself. Bold Strokes wanted to publish my novel! I’d like to say the rest went off without a hitch, but, just to make things difficult, I did a bit of self-sabotaging. We set up a phone call—and dummy here forgot to figure in the time change. When I came home from teaching an improv class and found her message on my machine, I flew into a panic. I finally get a break and I screw it up! They’re never going to want me now. They’re going to think I’m a total flake. But when I talked to her a couple of days later (Man, did those days move slowly!) she was very understanding—nice even. Could I trust her? She said she’d send me a contract to look over.

A few days after that, the contract was signed and I was flying high. I will admit, I was concerned about how a company known mostly for Romance was going to market my novel, but, considering the alternative of self-publishing, which at that point I’d been seriously begun considering, this looked like cake. They’d provide the editor, the cover artist, the marketing—the risk.

Once we were well underway with “The Middle of Somewhere” I told Len about “Spanking New.” I never expected her to take it. Its subject matter seemed a stretch for the Victory Editions line. (My protagonist couldn’t be a lesbian; she wasn’t born yet.) But Len said to send it along. I rewrote it one last time—just to make it mine again—and hit that send button. Bold Strokes snapped it up too—never once questioning the subject matter. I now have a third novel coming out with Bold Strokes in January 2011. “Maye’s Request” will also be published in the Victory Editions line.

So, what have I learned? So much I’m still sorting it out. Am I happy with how it’s all turning out? Mostly. Bold Strokes has been nothing but awesome. They’ve provided me with a wonderfully astute editor, a great cover artist, and have done quite a bit of marketing, even entering “The Middle of Somewhere” in contests I knew nothing about. And I’ve had my share of wins. “The Middle of Somewhere” won the gold in ForeWord Magazine’s book of the year contest. It also picked up two Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards, and was a Golden Crown finalist in two categories. I wouldn’t even have known about these opportunities if it weren’t for them. And I’ve had emails from readers all over the English-speaking world, something I never could have made happen on my own. And I’ve been introduced to an amazing community of writers. This is one of Bold Strokes’ strengths. They encourage this community by creating live events where writers, editors, and readers can schmooze. They’ve also done something fairly new to the publishing world. They’ve created a Bold Strokes brand. There are readers who purchase everything they publish. Bold Strokes has also been fortunate to be able to pick up a slew of marvelous authors at a time when bigger publishing houses have shut down their gay and lesbian lines. And they’ve expanded. Their general fiction line now encompasses many "queer" titles and they also publish gay and young adult works.

Still, I do sometimes lament the fact that a lesbian protagonist means you have to be published as a lesbian novel. I know, I know. There’s always Sarah Waters. But who else has written a lesbian protagonist and been picked up by a major publishing house? Seems to me I read about straight people all the time and it doesn’t keep me from enjoying the experience. And I have plenty of straight readers who write to me saying they think my novels are good reads for anyone. But then, we’ve just now elected a president willing to take on “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” so I suppose I need to keep this in perspective. I’m not giving up hope, though.

Here are some of the things I’d like to pass on to those trying to get published.

1.     Be patient. Keep your eyes on where you want to go and put one foot in front of the other. Don’t let the rejections keep you down. Sure, a terse rejection can bring you to your knees for a day or two. But don’t let it stop you. Just brush off your slacks and keep walking. No matter how long it takes you to get back up.

2.     When going into any kind of pre-contract negotiations, be it with agents or publishers, one must ride a delicate balance of being open to feedback while hanging onto a bit of skepticism. Is the fit between you and said agent/publisher a good one? Does the feedback feel right? Would it serve your book? Be honest. Don’t let your ego answer this question. Ask your gut. (Note that I say pre-contract. After you’ve signed, I believe there are very few circumstances when you shouldn’t take your editor’s advice.)

3.     No matter what, keep writing! It is the salve for everything.

I end this saga with a big old dose of grateful. Each person I connected with played a part in my getting where I am now—even the agent from hell. He not only helped me strengthen my work, but my resolve. And the journey’s not over yet. Just got an email from my editor. My notes for “Maye’s Request” are on the way. What’s more, I had a new story premise pop into my head the other day. Who knows what adventure it will take me on?

For those of you who’ve followed me through this three part series, thank you. I have loved your comments. They’ve helped me get the perspective I was looking for in writing this. You are part of my gratitude pie too.

Over and out, Cliffi