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| Jeffrey B. Allen's
Success Story |
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I began writing my first novel four and a half years ago. I finished GoneAway into the Land in three years.
The next few months were extremely agonizing as I learned the difficulties involved in getting anyone in the publishing business to recognize me or give me, a new author, the time of day. I sent query letters to over 150 publishers and agents, and receive back as many rejections. Some were hand-written, but most were form letters or post cards with a polite thank-you-but-no-thank-you written on them.
Finally, I had two e mails expressing interest in my book. One from Wizards of the Coast Publishing, and the other from Wandering Sage Publishing. Both were conventional publishers. I refused to self publish. In less than six months I had a book published by Wandering Sage Publishing. Although I appreciate what they did for me, the quality of the printing was horrendous. After I found out that the galley copy was up for sale on Amazon.com I became very upset.
From then on, I worked like crazy to convince the publisher to get the book right before releasing it again. It took six months to finally get the text as close to a clean book as possible. Meanwhile, I learned the internet marketing routines. I am still learning more everyday about the intracacies of the internet, but I have become quite good at getting my name and my book plastered onto every conceivable book site, blog site, social networking site, and bookselling site. It wasn't long before reviews started showing up, and they were extremely encouraging. By that time my website was up and running. I felt that I was slowly legitamizing myself as a published author.
Three months ago I was picked up by a New York Publisher, and today I am awaiting the hardcover/dust jacket version of GoneAway into the Land.
We are completely revamping the web site, I have a publicist who was assigned to me from the publisher, and I am in talks with a prominent Literary Agency in New York as well.
All of this work to promote myself and my first novel has slowed my progress on my new books, but I am soon ready to tie into both my new story, Beneath the Quarry Water, and the sequel to GoneAway.
Write well, believe in yourself, know and live your subject and your genre, market yourself to everyone, and keep learning.
Oh -- read everything you can get your hands on that is within the genre in which you write. Then find your voice and refine it until it is unique to you.
Jeffrey B. Allen
www.jeffreyballen.com
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