After being on submission for a LONG time, my middle-grade book finally sold! It’s been a journey! In the first month, an editor requested I do an R&R (revise and resubmit) which I did. Unfortunately, when my agent resubmitted the revision, the acquiring editor was long gone and had completely quit publishing! The upside was the R&R made my book stronger, so I tried to focus on the positives. However, I had no idea it would or COULD take so long. This started in 2022! Honestly, I sometimes worried Florence would never find a home. I’d read of so many authors writing 2-3 middle-grade books before they made a sale. Florence is my first middle-grade book, and the odds didn’t seem that great.
The important thing about this industry is all it takes is ONE yes, and that only happens when the RIGHT person gets your book in their hands. For me, that right person is Laura Helweg at Tommy Nelson Books. Laura and I had an opportunity to meet via zoom and she is as excited about Florence as I am. I feel my book has found the right home and am truly thankful to Laura for seeing my vision and wanting to bring it to life. I’m also thankful to my agent, who insisted we’d find Florence a home even when I started to doubt.
Lest I forget, my book has inspired a series that will feature other gutsy girls like Florence. I can’t wait to read what my fellow authors have written. Stay tuned for lots of snippets of research from my many, many years of working on this story.
Off-topic, my word for this year is Silence. I want to bask in silence and solitude more this year. I want to make space for the still quiet and my growing ability to not engage where it isn’t necessary.
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