I almost deleted this site. My domain was about to expire, so that was an easy enough excuse. Also, I’ve been pitching my second novel, DARLING ACADEMY, and getting nowhere, and so I was feeling discouraged about writing and anxious about my web presence.

I used this site to work out my decision to self-publish my first novel, THE BLIND PIG, so sometimes I worry that it might cast me as an anti-establishment renegade. There are moments when I felt that way, certainly. But my decision to self-publish was motivated more by my desire to share my work than by anything else. I remember at the time feeling that I couldn’t imagine just putting my book in a box under the bed and forgetting about it.

I’m glad I self-published, not only because people have read and enjoyed my book, but also because I learned quite a lot about publishing and writing in the process. The main thing I learned is that editing a book is a slow and painful process and I probably should have done more of it before I hit the “Publish” button.

It is a good lesson to have learned. I am now revising DARLING ACADEMY, again, after having pitched it to about ten agents. I thought it was done. But then, after workshopping early pages of the sequel, I realized that I had left a significant plot point on the table. By trying to continue the narrative and failing, hitting wall after wall, I realized it wasn’t walls that were the problem, but the foundation the new book was standing on. The changes I’m making to book 1 are subtle, but they are significant improvements.

In a few weeks, I hope to start pitching again. I have a new query letter in the works, a fresh outline for book two, and just a little more work to do on DARLING ACADEMY before I begin. I do hope to land an agent this time. I’d love to experience the process of publishing a novel with the help of professionals in the literary world. Time will tell.