Today is publication day of Katie O’Rourke’s first novel Monsoon
Season. Happy publication day, Katie! A few
weeks ago, I approached Katie with a series of questions about how she became a
published author. Here is what she had to say…
Was Monsoon Season the first book you wrote and how long did it take you
to complete?
Monsoon Season is my
first book. I started writing it ten years ago and I think I spent the first
year walking around thinking about the characters and who they were and what
their story would be. I ‘finished’ it and submitted to some agents
unsuccessfully. I remember getting a couple responses of ‘we'd love to see your
next book’ and I was sort of overwhelmed by that because I didn't have a ‘next
book’. So I took a break from it and wrote two other books and then I went back
to it with fresh eyes and was able to rewrite it.
How many publishers/agents had you sent your book to
before you found one that wanted to publish it?
I mostly focused on agents and I submitted it in various forms
over many years. I've lost count, but I'd ballpark it at 50.
Please describe how your relationship started with your
eventual publisher Canvas (imprint of Constable & Robinson).
I posted Monsoon Season
online at authonomy.com. An editor found me there and expressed interest in
reading the full manuscript and then the other two manuscripts I had completed
at the time. I was actually a bit skeptical because a lot of the people who
approach you online are after you to pay them. I don't think I completely
relaxed until I had a signed contract and the advance was in my bank account!
That probably took about six months. I don't remember exactly how long I was
active on authonomy, but my book was ranked in the sixties when I had to take
it down because I had a publishing contract.
Who was the first person you told that you were getting
your book published and how was this moment?
I think it was probably my mother and we were on the phone.
I was also in the middle of purchasing my first home which was a roller coaster
of a process. In my memory, the two things are all mixed together and I felt an
extreme gratitude of everything falling into place at once. I was wrong though
– the house actually fell through. Luckily the book didn't!
How have you found the publishing process and working
with an editor on your book?
That was harder than I expected. I've developed a pretty
thick skin when it comes to critique and an ability to filter out advice that
doesn't resonate with my vision. I'm the writer. But there's a different
balance you have to negotiate when the advice you're getting comes with the
weight of being the reason you're getting published at all. Suddenly their
opinion counts for more and I found myself struggling with whether I could
trust their edits. I ran some advice by trusted writer friends and found it
really comforting when they agreed with my editor.
How has becoming an 'in print' writer changed you and
where to from here?
I'm still figuring that out. Publication is July 19th and I
have two more books coming out after that. It's so exciting. For the last six
months, I've been doing more editing than writing and I expect more of that for
the next books. I'm looking forward to having time to focus on the writing
again soon.
More from this blogger can be found here.
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