Waiting For A Publisher

I just got home from meeting with the author, Melody Groves, who critiqued my manuscript of "Copper Penny." She liked the story and sometimes had to remind herself she was working. Still, there are some changes I need to make.

This is the first time I've used someone outside friends or family to do a big critique like this for me. It was well worth the money, and after I make the changes, I think I'll have a really good book. I plan to start sending this out every week to two or three editors/agents/publishers. Melody thinks I have a good book. Maybe someone else will think so, too. She said that since the economy tanked her book sales have gone up. Maybe people are beginning to read again.

Since I think I was born with a book in my hands, I can't imagine not reading. I know that a certain age group today doesn't read much and they have no idea what they are missing. I've learned so much from books about places I'll never go; about people's lives different from my own; about cultures and religions and ways of thinking.

I hope reading comes back into style. And when I finally get my book published, I hope everyone reads it.

Still Working On "Copper Penny"

For the last week I've been making changes to "Copper Penny"--and I thought I was finished! I sent the first 55 pages to Melody Groves, a local published author, to critique. For the most part she said it was good, but one of the first scenes where I introduce the three main characters, she called "painful." Ouch!

When she explained it to me, I can see it. But changing it means I have to totally change that scene and search through the book to be sure I delete some threads that come from it. Fortunately I've dropped out of Critique group #3 and only have group #1 to attend every other week. I'm submitting pages from "Plugged Nickel" to them, but I'm far enough ahead that all I have to do is read over about 10 or 12 pages and give that to them.

When I wrote "Bobby Mac", it took me seven years of making numerous changes, adding characters and scenes until I had a book of over 300 pages. I didn't think my second book would take so long, but it may. I think I've been on this one for about 2 years now. If I ever get a publisher and they want a book a year, I'm in trouble.

With Melody's help, maybe Penny will be ready soon. And should I live long enough, I might get "Plugged Nickel" written, too!