What Happens Next? by Judith Works

After uncounted rewrites and revisions, I finished my novel, The Measure of Life. I’d exercised the right side of my brain until sometimes it seemed as if it was emptied out with the creative effort that took about four years. But now what? I wanted to get it out into the world but there’s no magical process unless you are world famous and publishers are clamoring for your work. Now, like most other authors, I had to engage the other side of my brain and apply the famous “blood, sweat, and tears” aspect of finding an outlet for my work. Authors of creative narrative – whether fiction, memoir, or nonfiction – must hunt through a morass of information and disinformation. It soon becomes clear that the publishing industry is one of constant change, frustration, and opportunities.  

The Gold Standard is securing an agent who successfully auctions the book to a major publisher for a big advance. The publisher whips the manuscript into a shape they think will sell and starts publicity. They send out advance reading copies (ARCs) to bookstores, the author secures blurbs of praise and after a year or two, voilà, the professionally designed book appears in bookstores. Sometime later a paperback, digital, and maybe an audiobook are produced. The author goes on book tours and hopes to sell enough copies that she won’t have to pay back the advance.

Finding an agent is difficult – some get 30,000 submissions a year. The reality for most of us is to try to pick the best self-directed publishing option based on goals: Is the book just for family? Only to be digital but for a wide audience? Paperback or hard cover to compete with all the other titles available? The opportunities range from do-it-yourself with Amazon or other sites, hiring a printing company to run off a few copies as gifts, or use “assisted publishing” where the author submits their manuscript and for various fees depending on the services required and the company will produce a quality book including some marketing. And there's true vanity presses that require a big investment usually with little to no return.

My goal was to find another kind of publisher, one who did not require an agent, but who produced both paperback and electronic formats to be marketed to mostly women readers. The search required writing the dreaded query letter and a synopsis. The object of these two documents, both usually just one page, is to attract an acquisition editor’s interest in the book’s concept, story arc, characters and setting. I already had the synopsis prepared but trying to craft the query was difficult no matter how much advice I received from various websites and books.

Eventually I succeeded in finding an interested publisher, The Wild Rose Press, and was referred to an acquisition editor. She suggested changes in a gentle manner: would you be okay with changing this scene or paragraph, etc. I mostly acquiesced knowing that too many times balking wasn’t going to help me proceed to publication. My efforts were validated by receiving a contract. I signed and the publishing process was underway. One of the publisher's in-house artists designed the cover, and a publication date was established. This whole process took a year, not atypical. But after the excitement of holding the book in my hand (and of course posting a photo on social media), I knew that after part one of the process (writing) and part two (an actual book is put together in electronic or print format) another part remained: Marketing. 

In a twist on the philosophical question “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around does it make a sound?” becomes “if you publish a book and no knows about it have you really produced anything”? The basic marketing question is who is the target audience? Thrillers are often read by men; romance by women. My novel is often categorized as women’s literary fiction – primarily attracting an audience of women beyond the Young Adult category

There are so many opportunities, it’s a problem to pick out the most suitable, especially if you don’t have unlimited time or the money to hire a high-powered publicist for thousands but who can get you on major TV and radio shows and reviews on major literary sites like the New York Times.

Fortunately, there’s a myriad of other options in between word of mouth and professional publicity: writing contests, book review sites and blogs that either don’t charge or have a modest fee. Social media is popular because of the ease and low cost; women tend to like Instagram and Threads. Bluesky is becoming popular and of course Facebook has zillions of users. TikTok and You Tube often attract younger people.

As is typical, I began with a book launch at my local bookstore (almost all the attendees were women.). Happily, the room was full and all the books were sold and more ordered. But if I wanted to sell to the demographic beyond my hometown, I needed to do more.

So far, the “more” has been an interview in our local paper and appearing on writer friends’ blogs for interviews. I’ve submitted the novel to review sites like the Midwest Book Review, and Kirkus Reviews and have received good reviews including a 5-star review from the Readers Favorite contest just last week. I make sure my Amazon Author Page is up to date and post regularly on my favorite social media – My Facebook Authors Page and Instagram/Threads. In addition, I have appeared on several other blogging sites through a blog tour company. I’ve found it is a great way to get the word out and make new friends and followers.

I do hope that those who take a chance and read the book will relate to the characters and enjoy the story as I figure out next steps and work on my new novel.   

Blurb: A story of love and loss begins in Rome with Nicole's unhappy marriage to an older widower. As the new city brings new opportunities, Nicole faces an exploration of who she is and wants to be, new friendships, and immersion into Rome's bountiful food scene. But life abroad also forces Nicole to confront her mistakes, broken relationships, and the consequences of her actions. In search of forgiveness and healing, she returns home to Seattle. But, then she finds that the only way to truly heal is to go back to Rome and face her past.

Excerpt:

Alessandro and I met twice a week. To control my raging emotions, I stayed away from subjects which could be misconstrued as provocative. I asked questions about Rome and told him about life in the United States. I honored his request to tell him how patients like to be spoken to in America by imagining how I would want to be told.

I struggled, wanting to be with him—not to talk about the newspaper headlines or hamburgers but to learn the details of his life and his hopes for his future. Not cardiology but other matters of the heart. It wasn’t hard to sense he too was finding our meetings ever more difficult as he began a sentence on some innocuous subject then stuttered to a halt. As the space between our discussion topics lengthened, the tension increased.

One day he said, “Nicole, you never talk about you, what you want in life. Let’s not talk about American food anymore.” He placed his warm hand over mine. I could feel his pulse beating at the same rapid pace, throbbing throughout my body.

I wanted to tell him I needed love, comfort, and encouragement but couldn’t articulate the words. I wanted to say it was important to be a good mother, and I wanted to say some time I’d make up for dropping out of school—become a professional like most of my friends who’d gone on to graduate and start careers.

To break the dangerous spell, I reached for my coffee with the other hand, but accidentally knocked over the cup, spilling it on the table. He withdrew his hand to wipe the mess away.

“Will you come again next week?”

I mumbled, “Yes.” He gathered his books and hurried away. I was rooted to the chair, my mind racing with anticipation I could not tamp down.

****

When I got back to our apartment Martin was home. “Where were you?”

“Working on my Italian. I need the language if you want me to manage here.”

“There’s laundry in my suitcase.”

I could feel my face contort in anger. He looked alarmed and added, “Nice to be home. What’s for dinner?” It didn’t quell my rage. It was easier to manage without his presence and I hoped he’d be off again soon.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://a.co/d/4NLK4Z2

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5211825.Judith_Works

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-measure-of-life-judith-works/1146224295?ean=2940185988794

Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-measure-of-life-1

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-measure-of-life/id6673911691

Judith Works

Bio: After I earned a law degree in midlife, I had the chance to leave the Forest Service in Oregon and run away to the Circus (Maximus). In reality my husband and I moved to Rome where I worked for the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization for four years as a legal advisor to the director of human resources. I could see the Circus that had hosted chariot races during the Roman Empire from my office window. My husband and I reluctantly returned to the US after four years. But we pined for the land of pasta, vino, art, and sunny piazzas. Then the gods smiled and offered a chance to return to Rome with the UN World Food Program. Six more years of food and frolic in the Eternal City passed much too quickly. The indelible experiences living in Italy and working for the UN were the genesis of my memoir Coins in the Fountain.