Q&A with Susane Colasanti discussion

Are you an aspiring writer? Do you want to know what the author life is like? Have you been wondering about the publication process? Then this discussion is for you! Any questions about writing are welcome.

This discussion is deffinitely for me! :D How did you become a writer!? I'm not sure if it's what i want to do with my life, but i love to read and write. What is it like being an author? Also, completely curious as to how you get started with the whole publishing thing. :)

Yes, I'd like to ask about the publication process as well. Can you approach publishers directly with your manuscript or do you have to go through an agent to deal with publishing companies?

I'm always curious about an author's writing process? Do you like to listen to music while writing? What are your favorite snacks (random, I know :))?
Does your publisher/agent/editor pressure you sometimes to get your latest book finished?

How long did it take for you get published?

Did you receive a lot or rejections before getting your current publisher?

And what your absolute favorite thing about being a published writer? :)

Thanks Susane! I'm a huge fan! One of my good friend introduced me to your books and she absolutely loves them, just like me!

Oh and one more!! Do you send out bookplates to fans who request them?? :)

Thank you again!

Melissa wrote: "This discussion is deffinitely for me! :D How did you become a writer!? I'm not sure if it's what i want to do with my life, but i love to read and write. What is it like being an author? Also, com..."

You love reading and writing - both essential for becoming a published writer. Like you, reading has always been my passion. And I loved to write fan fiction back in the day (mainly really bad sequels to The Outsiders). But I didn't originally plan to become a full-time author. I was a high school science teacher for 10 years. I loved teaching and I loved my kids, but it was too exhausting to both teach and write. So when I had the opportunity to switch careers in 2007, I went for it. I'm so happy I did. I absolutely love my job! I love that I can connect with many more teens as an author than I could as a teacher. And I love hearing from readers who have been inspired by my books. I am extremely thankful for this life.

Susane wrote: "Melissa wrote: "This discussion is deffinitely for me! :D How did you become a writer!? I'm not sure if it's what i want to do with my life, but i love to read and write. What is it like being an a..."

Thanks for taking the time to answer me! :) I LOVE your books, usually i only read fantasy books becuase i get bored by the regular school thing. But i never did with any of your books. They were the type of books that had me smiling like an idiot when the charachters finally got together haha. I have never written on fanfiction but i do like the stories, and i like to read ones my friends put up also. Are yours still on there? I loved the outsiders book.

Melissa wrote: "Susane wrote: "Melissa wrote: "This discussion is deffinitely for me! :D How did you become a writer!? I'm not sure if it's what i want to do with my life, but i love to read and write. What is it ..."

Oh, my fan fiction was written in notebooks that I hid under my sweaters. That was 1986 for you ;)

Susane wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Susane wrote: "Melissa wrote: "This discussion is deffinitely for me! :D How did you become a writer!? I'm not sure if it's what i want to do with my life, but i love to read and wr..."

Haha o darn you should put them on fanfiction one day anyways :)

Natalie wrote: "Yes, I'd like to ask about the publication process as well. Can you approach publishers directly with your manuscript or do you have to go through an agent to deal with publishing companies?"

These days you really do need an agent. There might be a few publishing houses that accept unsolicited manuscripts. Things have changed a lot in the past few years. You will most likely have to send query letters out to prospective agents. Once you have an agent, she will shop around your manuscript to houses she feels are the best fit.

Susane wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Yes, I'd like to ask about the publication process as well. Can you approach publishers directly with your manuscript or do you have to go through an agent to deal with publishing..."

Hmmm...how do you go about finding an agent to begin with? Is there a specific place you can find them? I mean, where are they? lol Do agents advertise privately or through publishing houses themselves?

Everyone's got some awesome questions! I didn't even think about them, and I've always wanted to know the answers! :)

How long have you been writing books?

I really love writing and I'm nervous about publishing my writing. How did you get the courage to put your work out there? How do you get inspiration for your writing? Do you have to get a degree to be a critic, or author, or anything of that type?

Thanks!!

Back when you were writing while full time science teaching - how did you make the time???? I'm trying to squeeze writing time in between full time work, kids, commute, etc. and it's killing me. Sleep is a fond memory of something I used to do. Are you just superhuman, or was it really hard for you too back then?

Natalie wrote: "Susane wrote: "Natalie wrote: "Yes, I'd like to ask about the publication process as well. Can you approach publishers directly with your manuscript or do you have to go through an agent to deal ..."

Literary agents are independent of publishing houses. There are books in the Writers Market section that list agents. All of their contact info is contained in these reference books, along with the genre(s) of books they work with. Query agents who sound like a good match. You can also find reference books on how to write query letters (or research the format online). Another approach is to read the acknowledgments of books that are similar to the one you're working on to find the names of those authors' agents. You can query their agents as well.

The Romance Bookie wrote: "Everyone's got some awesome questions! I didn't even think about them, and I've always wanted to know the answers! :)"

Sweet! If you think of any others, I'm here :)

Christine wrote: "How long have you been writing books?"

My first book, When It Happens, was published in 2006. But! It took ten years from the time I started writing the first draft to the time it was published. I started writing the first draft in grad school. There wasn't a lot of free time, so I mostly wrote in the summer. Same with when I started teaching. I guess the short answer to your question would be six years.

Samm wrote: "I really love writing and I'm nervous about publishing my writing. How did you get the courage to put your work out there? How do you get inspiration for your writing? Do you have to get a degree t..."

There are no degree requirements to become an author. Your degree can be in whatever you want. My major was Astrophysics/Earth and Space Science with a minor in psychology. I was a high school science teacher in my first life. But I've always been passionate about reading and writing, which helped me develop the skills I needed for this career (aka second life).

You will find the courage to submit your manuscript when it is your best possible work. If it is not your best possible work, revise, put it aside for several months, then revise again. Eventually it will be your best possible work and you'll feel ready to submit it.

Inspiration comes from everywhere! But the inspiration to write more books comes from the hope that my books will help my readers in some way. I'm driven to reach out to teens and help them feel less alone.

I would love to read your books

Matthew wrote: "Back when you were writing while full time science teaching - how did you make the time???? I'm trying to squeeze writing time in between full time work, kids, commute, etc. and it's killing me. ..."

Dude, I was totally exhausted! I'd try to get home early from school two days a week to write. It would be like 3:30 and I'd be psyching myself up to write and I'd see how puffy the pillows looked and I couldn't resist them. I'd tell myself that I would take a short nap and then write for the rest of the night. But I was so tired all the time that a short nap turned into me waking up at 11:00 that night! That's when I knew I had to make a change. I loved teaching and I loved my kids, but doing both teaching and writing was wearing me down.

I admire you for finding time to write with all of your responsibilities. Do you have a set writing schedule? If not, you might want to try making time to write every week and then guarding that time with your life. No one is allowed to talk to you during that time. No online distractions, either. It's just you and your writing. No exceptions. I know that's not easy, but a strict approach might yield the best results. Good luck!

Hello Susane, I noticed you may have overlooked my questions...so here they are again.
I'm always curious about an author's writing process? Do you like to listen to music while writing? What are your favorite snacks (random, I know :))?
Does your publisher/agent/editor pressure you sometimes to get your latest book finished?

How long did it take for you get published?

Did you receive a lot or rejections before getting your current publisher?

And what your absolute favorite thing about being a published writer? :)

Thanks Susane! I'm a huge fan! One of my good friend introduced me to your books and she absolutely loves them, just like me!

Oh and one more!! Do you send out bookplates to fans who request them?? :)

Thank you again!
:)

Sorry for the delay! Here you go:

1. When I started writing, I had to listen to music. It was absolutely essential. When It Happens would not have been written without Paul Simon and the Cure on heavy rotation. Now I tend to like quiet unless I'm working on a difficult scene. I love writing with my windows wide open, city sounds and birds chirping outside. When I need it, the right music always inspires me.

2. I don't eat while I'm writing. When I'm close to a deadline, I usually forget to eat! But my fave snacks in general are summer fruit and Godiva chocolate.

3. Everyone I work with has been excellent about keeping my books on schedule. I have a new book published every May and we work about a year in advance. So right now I'm revising the book that will be out in May 2013. I'm super strict about deadlines. I want to stay on this schedule for many more years. Which means that so far, I haven't received any pressure.

4. I began submitting the When It Happens manuscript right before September 11, 2001. It took about two years for an editor to accept it, then another year before we had a signed contract. The book was published in 2006. So...five years!

5. The publishing industry was different back then. Most of the major houses accepted unsolicited manuscripts. I submitted to several of them and received about eight rejection letters.

6. The best part of being an author is reaching out to teens and hopefully helping them feel less alone. Books saved me in junior high and high school. My goal is to do the same thing for readers with my books now.

7. I totally send out bookplates! Just send a SASE to the address on my website.

Susane! Thank you so much! :)

The Cure is AWESOME!! I am a totally 80s music lover!

And yes, I've heard from a few authors now that the publishing world is a lot different than it was a few years ago. I have SOOO much respect for all the authors who have put themselves through the hassle of getting their books out there! I truly hope to have that type of courage one day! :)

And I will definitely be sending you a SASE soon! :) Thanks again Susane! And I hope to meet you one day! :)

Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)

The thing is, that I really want to get my book published, and I want to know is it REALLY important to get an agent?
If so, then where do I get one?

Like you said, it took you ten years to get 'When It Happens' published, and that scares me. I'm not the most patient writer on the planet, and my book, well, it's something that I want to get out ASAP.

Can you make some suggestions?

Thanks!
-Snigdha

Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)

The thing is, that I really wa..."
Thats so cool, if you don't mind my asking what is your book about?

I was wondering what you process is like - are you an outliner?

Melissa wrote: "Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)

The thing is, ..."

My book is called 'Yours, Truly' and it is about a sixteen-year-old girl, Scarlet (I'm just crazy about the name) whose main interest all through summer is to sit on her back porch with her best friend slash love interest, Jason Parker, and spend the lazy, beautiful days with him, munching away on pretzels. But a day before summer vacations are about to begin, things begin falling apart, and she finds herself woking with Jason and Liam (the school hottie with an absent mother) to uncover some of the nastiest secrets their parents have kept from them, in the centre of which lie not one, but TWO murders.
It's a romantic thriller, if you're bothered about the genre.

Are you a writer yourself, Melissa? And hey, by the way, Liam's mother's name is Melissa McCall in the book. :)

Snigdha wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)..."

haha wow that sounds really good and i would DEFFINITELY read it :) and im only 15 but an aspiring writer. Haha, aw thats cool i love when people have the same name as me :)

Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)

The thing is, that I really wa..."

I totally know you from my blog! Thanks for all of your sweet comments over there :)

When it comes to the publication process, patience is extremely important. I know what it feels like to want your book published so badly - and feeling like it has to be right now! But publication is a slow process. There are always rejections. You can only submit to one house at a time, so there are months of waiting in between those rejections. Having it take years to get a book published is pretty common. Even getting to the point where your books are finally published involves a lot of waiting.

From what I understand, agents are necessary these days. You can research publishing houses (resource books are available in the Writers Market section that list all the publishers) to see if any of them still take unsolicited manuscripts. But most houses require an agent to submit your work.

Getting published is kind of a test. A test called How Much Do You Want This? If you want it strongly enough, you'll outlast the waiting.

Willa wrote: "I was wondering what you process is like - are you an outliner?"

Before I start writing a new book, I take a while to get to know my characters. I want to know my characters as well as I know my friends. Knowing my characters really well makes the book feel more authentic. Every book I write has a corresponding notebook where I keep details about my characters and other aspects of the story. Some of the details never appear in the book. But it's important to know them anyway.

I also do a chapter outline for each book. The outline changes as I'm writing the first few drafts. But the main structure of the story usually stays the same. It's always helpful to know where the story begins and ends to help find my way as I'm writing. One cool thing about the outline changing is that characters reveal more of themselves to me as the story progresses. When I'm in The Zone, they even take over the keyboard sometimes. They'll say and do things that I can't believe are happening! Those are the best times :)

Melissa wrote: "Snigdha wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introdu..."

You don't have to be worried about your age. I'm 16-and-a-half, so I guess we're on the same page! :)

Susane wrote: "Snigdha wrote: "Dear Susane, (I'm just hoping that you remember me from your WordPress blog, because we've talked many times. Even if you don't, I'm going to introduce myself again)

The thing is, ..."

It's nice that you do remember me, I'm glad :)

Thanks for the advice, Susane, and I completely get what you mean by being patient. It's just that once a novel is complete, you go absolutely bonkers with the very thought of getting it out of your computer/notebook and on the bookshelves in the bookstores.
Thanks again for reading and answering my question.

And by the way, 'Something Like Fate' is a wonderful piece of writing :D I got it from a friend, and I haven't given it back to her :P I'm so hooked to it.

Thanks, and keep the good work coming in. We all love to read your books.
-Snigdha

I'm actually curious as to how authors get the models for the cover's of their books. Modeling is something that I've recently developed an interest in and photographers often ask models what direction they want to take their career in. I don't really have an answer to this question at this point i'm just curious. =)

Stephanie wrote: "I'm actually curious as to how authors get the models for the cover's of their books. Modeling is something that I've recently developed an interest in and photographers often ask models what direc..."

Publishers select the models. Authors usually aren't part of the selection process at all!

I want to be a writer! I mean, I love to read and write! :) And your books are AMAZING! I can totally relate. Anyhow, I was wondering how you became so successful. Was it a difficult journey? Just wondering :)
Thank You

Hi Susane,

I've read just one book of yours- Waiting for you. It was the title that took me in more than anything else. And the book was as good as its title promised it to be.

So my questions would be on that- What gave you the inspiration for writing Waiting for you? How did the plot develop in your mind?

I, too, want to be a published author. Reading and writing is my passion. What all should I have in mind before I start writing a book?

How do you overcome writer's block?

Hi, I am a huge fan of yours! I am an aspiring author myself, as I love to read and write more than anything. I was wondering how much time you spent writing each day. Also, how do you come up with such enticing titles? Where do you get your inspiration for stories and characters?

My number one question would have to be; What was the book you had the hardest time writing? And my other one would be; What gave you the inspiration for When It Happens? That was one of my favorite books of yours and it was just so amazing and realistic. Did you actually go through an experience like the one between Sara and Tobey?

Sophia :) wrote: "I want to be a writer! I mean, I love to read and write! :) And your books are AMAZING! I can totally relate. Anyhow, I was wondering how you became so successful. Was it a difficult journey? Just ..."

You are so sweet! I really don't feel that successful. I mean, I've been a full-time author for five years, which I am thankful for every day. But there's always so much more I want to achieve. So yes, it's been a difficult journey and continues to be one. The important thing is to follow your heart and never give up. If you are determined to succeed, you will. Best of luck with your journey <3

Sw_lillian wrote: "Hi Susane,

I've read just one book of yours- Waiting for you. It was the title that took me in more than anything else. And the book was as good as its title promised it to be.

So my questions w..."

IMHO, the most important thing to do when writing a book is to write the story that's in your heart. Write what makes you feel alive.

Marisa from Waiting for You is a lot like my teen self. I wanted to reach out to teens dealing with depression and/or anxiety. The whole boy next door thing was an idea that I wanted to explore. It's far from a new concept, but bringing some mystery to the dynamic is what made me excited to write that book.

Kimberly wrote: "How do you overcome writer's block?"

Fortunately, I've never had writer's block. I always write the story that's in my heart. When you feel passionate about what you're writing, you will find a way to overcome those inevitable obstacles we all face on bad days. It's okay to have less productive writing days. We all do. The important thing is to get right back in front of the keyboard the next day and try again.

Lissy wrote: "Hi, I am a huge fan of yours! I am an aspiring author myself, as I love to read and write more than anything. I was wondering how much time you spent writing each day. Also, how do you come up with..."

When I'm writing a new book, I generally write five pages a day, five days a week. Sometimes those five pages take two hours. Sometimes they take five. Usually I write for about 3-4 hours in the afternoon. When I'm on deadline with a revision, I'll work much longer hours and don't take days off. I could easily work 8-10 hours a day while revising.

Coming up with decent titles is the hardest part! It's much easier for me to write an entire book than to think of a good title. Something Like Fate was the only title I loved from the start. All the others took a lot of work. Several titles have changed during the revision process. Take Me There was originally called My Way Home, but my publisher didn't think it was catchy enough.

I've written a bit about my story and character inspiration on the Q&A page of my website: http://www.susanecolasanti.com/qanda....

Melanie wrote: "My number one question would have to be; What was the book you had the hardest time writing? And my other one would be; What gave you the inspiration for When It Happens? That was one of my favorit..."

When It Happens took the longest to write and revise. I began writing the first draft in 1996. The book was published in 2006. During those 10 years (!!), the manuscript went through nine revisions with my editor. In comparison, my past few books have only needed two revisions.

The book was inspired by my own experiences senior year. Aside from Noelle in Keep Holding On, Sara is the character most like me. I totally experienced a love like what Sara and Tobey have. And yes, boys like Tobey really do exist :)

I have been working on a couple of books and sometimes I'm not quite sure what will happen to my characters, so when you were writing did you know exactly what trials your characters would go through? Or did the challenges arise as you wrote?

What made you write keep holding on?

As an amateur writer, I find that the big, "juicy" details of the short stories/books that I write are the simple parts, but mostly the small supporting details are the hardest to come up with, especially since most of my work is fiction. Do you have any tips or advice that could help with my problem?

What kind of books do you write carlee?

Christine wrote: "What kind of books do you write carlee?"

Mostly teen fiction. And most of my rough drafts end up in the garbage, lol. Although I am working on one right now that seems very thrilling (at least that's what a few close friends have told me). If you'd like to friend me, once I get the prolouge to it typed out I can email it to you.(:

Carlee wrote: "Christine wrote: "What kind of books do you write carlee?"

Mostly teen fiction. And most of my rough drafts end up in the garbage, lol. Although I am working on one right now that seems very thril..."

That sounds familiar. lol. I would love to read it too! :)