I have a real treat for y’all today – a guest post from Jerico Lenk, author of the upcoming book The Missing: The Curious Cases of Will Winchester and the Black Cross. Today, he’s chatting about his road to publication, which should offer some insight into what publishing looks like from the backend. 🙂
Road to Publication
Step 1. Write the book.
Step 2. Proofread.
Step 3. Query agents.
Step 4. Query for a long time.
Step 5. Call your mom and rant about how no one is replying even though it seems highly unlikely this book would not sell in the current market, maybe it’s because the protagonist is a boy, etc., etc. Heave a sigh when your mom says, “Just make it a girl, then.” Say, “Mom, I’m not selling out.”
Step 6. Listen to your mom and change the protagonist’s gender. (The first time)
Step 7. Get off work at 11 p.m., pop a caffeine tab and crack open a Red Bull and stay up until 1 or 2 a.m. rewriting the book accordingly.
Step 8. Find an excited agent, and sell the book to an excited publisher.
Step 9. Pub edits.
Step 10. Doubt yourself.
Step 11. More edits, and cover stuff.
Step 12. Chain smoke and cry and doubt yourself because you think it’s not good enough, and get a sore neck from hours of researching.
Step 13. Super intense editing.
Step 14. Finish edits and celebrate.
Step 15. Galley proof (in which you’ll wonder why you ever doubted yourself at all), cover reveal, publication date, the book is out, party and breathe and start all over again!
Pro tip: Don’t think about this while you’re writing the next book. You’re not writing for the publication process. You’re writing for you. You’ll only end up overwhelming yourself. (Like I am right now.)
Thank you for that bit of insight into the publishing process, Jerico! I have to admit, my own road to publication was pretty similar (minus the smoking, I went running instead), but that’s for another post. Read on for more information about Jerico and about the book!
About the Book
The Missing by Jerico Lenk
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books
Dark proclivities, excess, and outlandish curiosities prevail in 1890’s London. Around the city, a battle rages between the living and the dead. The Black Cross, tasked to keep the peace, are quickly losing ground.
Sixteen-year-old Willow Winchester, lives life as a boy called “Will” in his father’s house of distinguished ladies, all but invisible to the wealthy Londoners who frequent. It’s an easy ruse since his mother’s death left his father’s attention to fall upon business matters. But this isn’t his only secret.
When Will unwittingly becomes involved in a Black Cross ghost hunt, his uncanny ability to sense supernatural beings comes to light and the Black Cross wants him in their service. Suddenly, Will’s free to be himself.
But such freedom will come with a price, as Will fights for the acceptance of the only father he’s ever known.
Now, part of a team of misfits and unlikely allies, Will finds he isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Someone does not want him to uncover the truth about those who aren’t just missing from the world of the living, but missing from history itself.
Can he find the Missing before he ends up becoming one of them?
About the Author
Undergraduate studying Creative Writing, Classics, Russian and Western European History. Unabashed weeb probably burning incense and drinking too much coffee at this very moment. Out for queer representation and great sex hair. Beyond ready for the upcoming Vampire Chronicles TV series.
Lenk writes Young Adult/New Adult, spec fiction, poetry, and screenplays. He is currently unagented.
His poems have appeared at/in USF Tampa’s Thread Literary Inquiry, biannual 6×6 creative writing showcase, and placed second in National Poetry Month 2015; Tethered By Letters’ F(r)iction Spring 2016 poetry contest finalist; winner of the 2017 Bettye Newman Poetry award.
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads
Giveaway
Giveaway Details:
One (1) winner will receive an Echo Dot
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I hope you enjoyed this guest post! I’ll be back with regular reviews on Thursday, after my normal “top” posts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Happy reading!
-A.
Snark & Squee 