An Odd Path to Publication

Excited and sad. Getting ready to push send tonight for my latest manuscript. It’s a weird feeling of loss that overtakes me once I know the manuscript is truly out of my hands. I give up my characters, much like saying goodbye to friends who are moving too far away. Although this one will yo-yo a bit as it’s not going directly to Amazon. It will be published in several hometown newspapers. I do not know how many at this point only that the newspaper publisher has picked it up.

They came to me last year and asked for a novel. I couldn’t give them anything at that time, as I was too busy with prior commitments. So tonight my manuscript is going to my manager who will read it once (just to be certain nothing is missed), and then pass it to the format person. Formatting for a newspaper is slightly different from formatting for the web/Amazon/print. My manger will then pass it to the newspaper company. When the newspapers are done running it as a serialized novel, I will be able to release it for everyone to read.

I’ve never done anything like this. So it’s all very exciting in an odd glamorous way. Someone with that company has been following me for quite some time because when I was approached, they already knew I’ve had books in the top 100 best sellers on Amazon, had a book listed as a recommended read by USA Today, and that it was also placed in an American Indian encyclopaedia. When I asked if they wanted contemporary or historical, they said it didn’t matter. It was my choice. I only had to keep in mind that it is a newspaper and needs to be written for a general audience. No problem!

So while writing everything else last year, I worked on this novel. It’s a historical western set in my town of Creed’s Crossing, Wyoming. But it all starts in the small town of Franklin, VA, not far from where I live. My heroine discovers that her father, the local doctor, has promised her hand in marriage to his best friend’s son who has gone to Wyoming to start a ranch. Can we say livid?

Tonight I’m a nervous wreck. Sadly I’m giving up a favorite heroine and a hero worthy of her. I’m sending them off into the world to survive. But I’m excited about the opportunity to be in so many hometown newspapers. I’ve promised some book signings and appearances within a certain mile radius. It’s not the Wall Street Journal, but it’s the largest publisher of small town newspapers.

So cross your fingers for me. A Rancher’s Request is going down an odd path to publication, but I hope it will find readers within those towns.

My editor said this is my best book ever and her favorite of all that she’s ever edited. Yippee! And she’s not alone. Everyone who has read it has loved it.