Road to Publication: Never Give Up!

What dream are you pursuing? What is that special something you’re working so hard at, a goal that would mean the world to you, if only…?

Are there times you get discouraged? Times when you are SO close to throwing in the towel?

Well, I’m here to tell you: Never Give Up! Yes, you’ve heard it before. But, really, if your dream is your passion, keep at it. Don’t quit. Don’t. Give. Up.

Always remember why you have the dream, or why it's important to you. Always think of that star you're reaching for, and some day you will hold it in your hand.

My dream was to publish one of my children's books. There was (and is!) a bit of the ego thing going on, I have to admit. To see my name on the cover of a book will be a real thrill. More than that, though, I love to write, and after publishing articles for various children’s magazines, I realized I’d found my niche writing for the best audience I could imagine. I hope to bring to children the feelings books gave me when I was a child, the worlds they opened, the things they taught, the feelings they expressed.

For years, I wrote, received rejections, cried, revised. Wrote some more, received more rejections, wept, and revised. I could go on, but you get the idea. (The crying jags stopped after the, oh, 50th rejection.)

Now, finally, my dream is coming true. One of my books has been accepted for publication by Pugalicious Press.

The name of my story is Call Me Butterfly and is written for a teen audience, although I believe adults will enjoy it as well. Here is a blurb of what the story is about: 

It’s 1775 in Mexico, New Spain, and 15-year-old Fernanda Marquina can’t seem to live up to her mother’s expectations or fit into the limited female roles of her culture. A tragic accident sets her on a course for the adventure she longed for but at a greater cost than she could ever have imagined. With her family, Fernanda joins Juan Bautista de Anza’s historic colonization expedition to California. On the arduous four month journey, Fernanda will find not only romance, but she’ll discover truths that will change the way she sees her ancestry, her family, and herself.

It was a long road to get to this point. A road filled with potholes and bumps that caused me to trip, but never to quite fall flat on my face. I had lots of support, though—support I didn’t know, at first, was out there. In this blog, I’m going to share my “road to publication” story with you. How I started out as the Lone Writer (except for my doggies under my desk, lying at my feet, keeping me company), what I learned along the way, and what I’ll continue to learn as my book makes its way toward publication.

Oh, there was a lot to learn, organizations to join, classes to take, picky grammar rules to fill my brain, and a lot of wonderful people to meet, including my five fabulous critique partners. (Believe me, you can’t go this alone!) Not to mention all the historical research I had to do for the story. But then, I love that part.

Right now, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with what I need to do. I thought writing and trying to get published was tough—I’m only just beginning this journey!

To my fellow writers—I’ve discovered there are lots of you—when I think back, I realize how much there is to tell you, advice and information that I’m hoping will make your own road to publication a little less bumpy. Of course, I’m looking forward to any advice you can give me!

To anyone with a dream, I’d love to hear about yours. What are you doing to accomplish it, or what did you do to make it happen?

In the meantime, here are some inspirational quotes for all you dreamers out there.

Oh, yeah, one more thing…never give up!