Marc J. Gregson's Blog
March 12, 2023
A Leap of Faith
Marc J Gregson
In early 2021, I had a book that was dying on submission. No publisher wanted it. I'd just had some minor surgery, and I was lying in bed, feeling rather pitiful and sorry for myself.
But I had another book, SKY'S END, that my agent loved. Still, she wanted me to make major revisions for it before she'd consider sending it to publishers. She also warned me that it'd challenging to get a publisher to buy it, but if I made the revisions, she'd do all she could to find it a home.
So, while I could hardly move, I asked my wife to grab my laptop. And I took a leap of faith.
I started working. Hard. I rewrote the first 100 pages of SKY'S END. I wrote a new ending. And I revised the whole thing from past tense to present tense.
When I sent it to my agent some months later, I had faith in what I'd created. One of my reader friends read it in two days and told me, "Marc, this is the one."
Well, my agent read it, loved it too, and sent it to publishers. A few months later, it sold in the first round to Peachtree Teen.
I was ecstatic with the deal. It was life-changing news! I was getting published! But in the back of my mind, I worried about whether I'd get to write a very necessary sequel. I was only contracted for one book. And the thing is, writing a sequel is risky, especially when the sequel won't sell to another publisher. Either your original publisher loves it, or it's done. It wouldn't get thirty tries with all the different publishers.
It would have one.
Even so, I felt a pull to write this book. I HAD to write it. So, I took another leap of faith, and opened up the laptop again. Then, I put everything I had it. I put my foot on the gas pedal, and seriously threw everything I could think of at the reader. The first book is action-packed, but holy hell, just wait until AMONG SERPENTS. It's absolutely nuts. I'm serious when I say this, too. You will not be prepared.
I wrote AMONG SERPENTS for me. I wrote it because I had to write it, and I wanted to have closure--no matter what happened. But when I finished it, and my test readers threw praises at it, and my agent read the whole thing in a weekend, my confidence skyrocketed.
Maybe, just maybe, I'd written a really high-quality sequel.
Long story short, I sent it to my publisher in early February. He gave me a rough idea of when he'd start reading, and days later, he emailed my agent with an offer not just for AMONG SERPENTS, but for the final book in the trilogy, too.
My journey has never been easy. I've spent years to get to this point, but none of it would've ever been possible if I didn't take a chance.
None of it would've been possible if I didn't take a leap of faith.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3654...
In early 2021, I had a book that was dying on submission. No publisher wanted it. I'd just had some minor surgery, and I was lying in bed, feeling rather pitiful and sorry for myself.
But I had another book, SKY'S END, that my agent loved. Still, she wanted me to make major revisions for it before she'd consider sending it to publishers. She also warned me that it'd challenging to get a publisher to buy it, but if I made the revisions, she'd do all she could to find it a home.
So, while I could hardly move, I asked my wife to grab my laptop. And I took a leap of faith.
I started working. Hard. I rewrote the first 100 pages of SKY'S END. I wrote a new ending. And I revised the whole thing from past tense to present tense.
When I sent it to my agent some months later, I had faith in what I'd created. One of my reader friends read it in two days and told me, "Marc, this is the one."
Well, my agent read it, loved it too, and sent it to publishers. A few months later, it sold in the first round to Peachtree Teen.
I was ecstatic with the deal. It was life-changing news! I was getting published! But in the back of my mind, I worried about whether I'd get to write a very necessary sequel. I was only contracted for one book. And the thing is, writing a sequel is risky, especially when the sequel won't sell to another publisher. Either your original publisher loves it, or it's done. It wouldn't get thirty tries with all the different publishers.
It would have one.
Even so, I felt a pull to write this book. I HAD to write it. So, I took another leap of faith, and opened up the laptop again. Then, I put everything I had it. I put my foot on the gas pedal, and seriously threw everything I could think of at the reader. The first book is action-packed, but holy hell, just wait until AMONG SERPENTS. It's absolutely nuts. I'm serious when I say this, too. You will not be prepared.
I wrote AMONG SERPENTS for me. I wrote it because I had to write it, and I wanted to have closure--no matter what happened. But when I finished it, and my test readers threw praises at it, and my agent read the whole thing in a weekend, my confidence skyrocketed.
Maybe, just maybe, I'd written a really high-quality sequel.
Long story short, I sent it to my publisher in early February. He gave me a rough idea of when he'd start reading, and days later, he emailed my agent with an offer not just for AMONG SERPENTS, but for the final book in the trilogy, too.
My journey has never been easy. I've spent years to get to this point, but none of it would've ever been possible if I didn't take a chance.
None of it would've been possible if I didn't take a leap of faith.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3654...
September 5, 2022
How I Got A Book Deal
Marc J Gregson
Sky's End
How I Got a Book Deal
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” ― Winston S. Churchill.
Twenty years. That’s how long I’ve been writing. I started writing my first real book when I was in high school, and for nine years, I refused to give up on it. I spent hours devising the world, creating maps, and drawing characters. All good practice, but I didn’t spend nearly enough time writing it. And though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew something was wrong with my writing. Like, imagine recording yourself playing a musical instrument. Even if you’ve practiced for a few years, you’d know it didn’t compare to a professional. I remember being in awe of how easily Rowling, or Card, or Rothfuss navigated telling a compelling story while simultaneously building powerful characters and creating vivid descriptions. My writing was a stick-figure drawing compared to their Sistine Chapel.
Still, I’m a stubborn Gregson. We’re all stubborn. And I wanted a go at landing a literary agent. So, I agonizingly prepared querying materials for this book. But the week before I planned on sending it to anyone, I got a feeling after lots of pondering and prayer. And the feeling told me to let it go.
So, I did.
The book went into the figurative drawer, and I doubt I’ll ever go back to it. Honestly, letting it go was the best thing to happen to my writing. That book was like taking care of someone very ill for so long that you forgot to care for yourself.
After I let it go, my writing skill exploded. I got quicker, too. I wrote multiple books over the next several years until finally, after my sixth book, I landed my agent, Heather Cashman. And that day, telling people that I was an agented author was my proudest writing accomplishment.
Until now.
My agent and I went through revisions. Our plan was to take the book from good to great and so she gave me detailed editorial notes. After a few months of digesting these, I realized the book required an even larger revision. So, I rewrote the first hundred pages, then the last hundred. And I heavily revised the middle. I shifted the tense. Adjusted character motivation. Killed an important character who survived the original version. The climax completely changed—the ending, too. In the next five months, the book that used to be DOWNFALL became SKY’S END.
Something about this book felt right. So, when I sent it to my agent, I felt confident. Well, a little nervous, too.
Not long after I sent it to her, Heather came to Salt Lake City for a wedding. We met over lunch to discuss my career while eating chicken souvlaki and pita bread at a local restaurant. And she was absolutely dripping with enthusiasm for SKY’S END. She loved all the changes. We just had a few more minor revisions to do, and then in August 2021, we went on submission to find a publisher.
My agent warned me that it would be difficult—but she would do all she could to sell it.
The first editor responses came back within days. One of them came from a great editor and it was filled with compliments, calling my writing “remarkably vivid” and that my world was “lush” and that I crafted “a wonderfully immersive narrative.” The editor passed, as it wasn’t a perfect fit for her list, but her enthusiasm got me excited enough to think maybe SKY’S END was the one.
Then, I sat back, and waited, hoping we’d hear some great news in the coming months. Except, that’s not what happened. I heard nothing for the rest of 2021.
I pushed the book from my mind and occupied myself with other projects in the meantime, including completing my eighth book and revising my seventh. Then, on January 18th, Heather announced a book deal on Twitter for another client. I sent a congratulatory email to Heather, but I got an email back that made me sit down. It wasn’t just a thank you note. Heather also mentioned that an editor just reached back to her and asked if SKY’S END was still available.
This was, she noted, a very good sign, and that my book might make it to acquisitions at the publisher.
I remember staring at the email, perplexed. Like, I only expected her to respond with “Thanks!” Instead, I got the biggest news I’d had since my agent offered me. So, I went a little wild because this had been a dream of mine since I was sixteen. Even twenty years later, I still vividly remember working on my first book on the dining room table, labeling maps of fantasy lands and drawing illustrations of the characters I wanted to bring to life.
After this email, my wife and I speculated about all the possible scenarios with this publisher and editor.
What could happen?
1. Editor fell out of love – REJECTED.
2. Editor fell in love but couldn’t get editorial team to fall in love too – REJECTED
3. Editor and editorial team loved it, but publisher didn’t – REJECTED
My wife and I were careful when discussing the possibility that this could be anything other than a rejection. Either way, we hunkered down and expected it to be a long wait. A month or two, maybe. But that’s not what happened. Apparently, twenty years had been long enough. A week after my agent told me of the editor’s interest, I got another email from Heather on January 25th.
I was teaching my 7th period ELA class. One thing about me as a teacher is I’ve always been very transparent with my students about the number of rejections I’ve received during my journey. I don’t share rejection specifics with my students, but I do tell them about how hard I’ve worked and the value of perseverance. It’s a good lesson. My classes have chanted “I can do hard things!” Sometimes, I chant that louder than anyone in the room because I need to convince myself that I really can do hard things. When you’ve received hundreds of rejections while querying several books, some doubt creeps in.
Anyway, I got an email while I was in the middle of 7th period. I’m not in the habit of checking my phone while I’m teaching, but I couldn’t help myself because I was hoping to hear back from Heather. Sure enough, the email was from her.
Subject: The shortest wait you’ve ever seen…
Message: Hi Marc,
We’ve received an offer today for SKY’S END.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I stared at the message for a few seconds—almost like I couldn’t comprehend it. Was my agent writing in some ancient, dead language? Was it English? It didn’t make sense. Then, suddenly, I let out a little groan. One of my students glanced back at me and gave me a funny look.
And then I shouted, “OH MY GOSH!”
The whole class stopped working with their partners and stared at me. I was in a daze. Nothing felt real. Was my heart still beating? Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what happened next as this moment is a little hazy. I think I moved to the front of the classroom—panting, and my students were worrying that I was having a heart attack or something. I lowered into a chair, I think, and leaned on my knees. One of my students later told me my face had turned bright purple, and a vein was bulging on my forehead.
They probably thought I was dying. Oh no, Mr. Gregson’s gonna fall over dead in front of his whole class. Who knows CPR? Get the admin in here! Does this mean we don’t have to do the book report?
Finally, I took a breath, and told my students.
And I remember this because the class erupted with cheers and claps. It was the great roar on the third floor. The loudest my room has ever been. My students were all so incredibly happy for me.
Suffice to say, we didn’t get much work done for the remainder of the class period.
This moment was, without a doubt, one of the best feelings of my life. And I’m so happy I got to share it with my students because they’ll never forget it. I know I won’t. Honestly, it felt like I just drained a three pointer to win the NBA championship.
Getting cheered for a book deal…man, kids are the absolute best.
I’m so thrilled to say I’ll be working with Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen. He just gets my work and has a great vision for it in the marketplace. And I’m so grateful for my agent, Heather, who pushed me to make my book better and who found the absolute perfect landing place for SKY’S END.
I can’t wait for you to read my book, and to meet Conrad. This book is the culmination of twenty years of frustration. It has energy, power, and lots and lots of adrenaline. I’m hoping you read it, and I hope you fall in love with it as much as I have. I just can’t wait to hear your reactions.
SKY’S END is but a piece of me. A piece that will be published, and no one can ever take that away.
Spring 2024 cannot come soon enough.
-Marc
Sky's End
Sky's End
How I Got a Book Deal
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” ― Winston S. Churchill.
Twenty years. That’s how long I’ve been writing. I started writing my first real book when I was in high school, and for nine years, I refused to give up on it. I spent hours devising the world, creating maps, and drawing characters. All good practice, but I didn’t spend nearly enough time writing it. And though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew something was wrong with my writing. Like, imagine recording yourself playing a musical instrument. Even if you’ve practiced for a few years, you’d know it didn’t compare to a professional. I remember being in awe of how easily Rowling, or Card, or Rothfuss navigated telling a compelling story while simultaneously building powerful characters and creating vivid descriptions. My writing was a stick-figure drawing compared to their Sistine Chapel.
Still, I’m a stubborn Gregson. We’re all stubborn. And I wanted a go at landing a literary agent. So, I agonizingly prepared querying materials for this book. But the week before I planned on sending it to anyone, I got a feeling after lots of pondering and prayer. And the feeling told me to let it go.
So, I did.
The book went into the figurative drawer, and I doubt I’ll ever go back to it. Honestly, letting it go was the best thing to happen to my writing. That book was like taking care of someone very ill for so long that you forgot to care for yourself.
After I let it go, my writing skill exploded. I got quicker, too. I wrote multiple books over the next several years until finally, after my sixth book, I landed my agent, Heather Cashman. And that day, telling people that I was an agented author was my proudest writing accomplishment.
Until now.
My agent and I went through revisions. Our plan was to take the book from good to great and so she gave me detailed editorial notes. After a few months of digesting these, I realized the book required an even larger revision. So, I rewrote the first hundred pages, then the last hundred. And I heavily revised the middle. I shifted the tense. Adjusted character motivation. Killed an important character who survived the original version. The climax completely changed—the ending, too. In the next five months, the book that used to be DOWNFALL became SKY’S END.
Something about this book felt right. So, when I sent it to my agent, I felt confident. Well, a little nervous, too.
Not long after I sent it to her, Heather came to Salt Lake City for a wedding. We met over lunch to discuss my career while eating chicken souvlaki and pita bread at a local restaurant. And she was absolutely dripping with enthusiasm for SKY’S END. She loved all the changes. We just had a few more minor revisions to do, and then in August 2021, we went on submission to find a publisher.
My agent warned me that it would be difficult—but she would do all she could to sell it.
The first editor responses came back within days. One of them came from a great editor and it was filled with compliments, calling my writing “remarkably vivid” and that my world was “lush” and that I crafted “a wonderfully immersive narrative.” The editor passed, as it wasn’t a perfect fit for her list, but her enthusiasm got me excited enough to think maybe SKY’S END was the one.
Then, I sat back, and waited, hoping we’d hear some great news in the coming months. Except, that’s not what happened. I heard nothing for the rest of 2021.
I pushed the book from my mind and occupied myself with other projects in the meantime, including completing my eighth book and revising my seventh. Then, on January 18th, Heather announced a book deal on Twitter for another client. I sent a congratulatory email to Heather, but I got an email back that made me sit down. It wasn’t just a thank you note. Heather also mentioned that an editor just reached back to her and asked if SKY’S END was still available.
This was, she noted, a very good sign, and that my book might make it to acquisitions at the publisher.
I remember staring at the email, perplexed. Like, I only expected her to respond with “Thanks!” Instead, I got the biggest news I’d had since my agent offered me. So, I went a little wild because this had been a dream of mine since I was sixteen. Even twenty years later, I still vividly remember working on my first book on the dining room table, labeling maps of fantasy lands and drawing illustrations of the characters I wanted to bring to life.
After this email, my wife and I speculated about all the possible scenarios with this publisher and editor.
What could happen?
1. Editor fell out of love – REJECTED.
2. Editor fell in love but couldn’t get editorial team to fall in love too – REJECTED
3. Editor and editorial team loved it, but publisher didn’t – REJECTED
My wife and I were careful when discussing the possibility that this could be anything other than a rejection. Either way, we hunkered down and expected it to be a long wait. A month or two, maybe. But that’s not what happened. Apparently, twenty years had been long enough. A week after my agent told me of the editor’s interest, I got another email from Heather on January 25th.
I was teaching my 7th period ELA class. One thing about me as a teacher is I’ve always been very transparent with my students about the number of rejections I’ve received during my journey. I don’t share rejection specifics with my students, but I do tell them about how hard I’ve worked and the value of perseverance. It’s a good lesson. My classes have chanted “I can do hard things!” Sometimes, I chant that louder than anyone in the room because I need to convince myself that I really can do hard things. When you’ve received hundreds of rejections while querying several books, some doubt creeps in.
Anyway, I got an email while I was in the middle of 7th period. I’m not in the habit of checking my phone while I’m teaching, but I couldn’t help myself because I was hoping to hear back from Heather. Sure enough, the email was from her.
Subject: The shortest wait you’ve ever seen…
Message: Hi Marc,
We’ve received an offer today for SKY’S END.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I stared at the message for a few seconds—almost like I couldn’t comprehend it. Was my agent writing in some ancient, dead language? Was it English? It didn’t make sense. Then, suddenly, I let out a little groan. One of my students glanced back at me and gave me a funny look.
And then I shouted, “OH MY GOSH!”
The whole class stopped working with their partners and stared at me. I was in a daze. Nothing felt real. Was my heart still beating? Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what happened next as this moment is a little hazy. I think I moved to the front of the classroom—panting, and my students were worrying that I was having a heart attack or something. I lowered into a chair, I think, and leaned on my knees. One of my students later told me my face had turned bright purple, and a vein was bulging on my forehead.
They probably thought I was dying. Oh no, Mr. Gregson’s gonna fall over dead in front of his whole class. Who knows CPR? Get the admin in here! Does this mean we don’t have to do the book report?
Finally, I took a breath, and told my students.
And I remember this because the class erupted with cheers and claps. It was the great roar on the third floor. The loudest my room has ever been. My students were all so incredibly happy for me.
Suffice to say, we didn’t get much work done for the remainder of the class period.
This moment was, without a doubt, one of the best feelings of my life. And I’m so happy I got to share it with my students because they’ll never forget it. I know I won’t. Honestly, it felt like I just drained a three pointer to win the NBA championship.
Getting cheered for a book deal…man, kids are the absolute best.
I’m so thrilled to say I’ll be working with Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen. He just gets my work and has a great vision for it in the marketplace. And I’m so grateful for my agent, Heather, who pushed me to make my book better and who found the absolute perfect landing place for SKY’S END.
I can’t wait for you to read my book, and to meet Conrad. This book is the culmination of twenty years of frustration. It has energy, power, and lots and lots of adrenaline. I’m hoping you read it, and I hope you fall in love with it as much as I have. I just can’t wait to hear your reactions.
SKY’S END is but a piece of me. A piece that will be published, and no one can ever take that away.
Spring 2024 cannot come soon enough.
-Marc
Sky's End
