Yes, you heard right. DSR isn’t written yet. But it's been sold.

Yes, it was news to me as well that editors are willing to buy a book based on some notes, a synopsis, and sheer faith. After all, I'd just gone through the obstacle course known as Getting a Publisher to Buy Your First Book. With Three Souls, there were workshops, a reality check read-through from an esteemed author, another round of revisions by a freelance editor, and then begging published authors for blurbs so that Agent Jill could include some nice quotes about the book when she started pitching to editors.

This time around, Agent Jill got the ball rolling. Write a synopsis, she said. Actually she kind of ordered me to do it. In a really nice, I-have-been-at-this-longer-than-you kind of voice. Apparently, once you’ve written your first novel, editors will believe you’re capable of completing another one. Jill says this is pretty common, but I balked.

The big worry: what if I change my mind about the story? Characters and situations develop organically as you write and sometimes they do what they want, not what you want. Never thought I’d say that, but it’s true. Sigh.

So I checked in with some other authors and they all said not to worry if your story changes between synopsis and finished manuscript. The main thing is to make sure that if you’ve promised a historical novel set in China, not to deliver an epic space opera set in a colony on Mars.

Two synopses revisions later ... Agent Jill phones me in the middle of a marketing workshop at The Day Job. An offer! There was a lot of squeee-ing. Many, many thanks, Jill ! Big, big hugs next time we meet.

OK, just so you know, for the next 6 months I'm going to be kind of scarce socially and on social media because: IT'S BUTT GLUE TIME!

NOTE: This blog was migrated from an older website and comments didn't survive the trip. Feel free to repopulate the comments!