Close the Door on the Past

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space ~ Johnny Cash


If you’ve been following me, you know that as of February 28, my publisher ceased business and returned my rights to me. When I first read the news via email on Friday morning, I thought I was unaffected. Sure I would need to find new homes for my novels, but that meant an opportunity to remove some typos that didn’t get caught in line editing (I am a horrible proofreader, never hire me to do that, even if I offer!).

But then reality hit. I already had two completed manuscripts ready to polish. My 1960s novel, Need Your Love, just needs a couple of run throughs and final polish. The Higher Law, my 1930s Los Angeles movie industry story, needs rewritten. In addition to that, I am about 40% done with a merman fantasy novel, Sartin.  I realized I went from two nearly completed manuscripts to four in an instant. That’s when I got overwhelmed.

Thank you to everyone who has offered advice, either on hearing the news or from my asking. Thanks to everyone who shared their leads with me on publishers, especially ones taking previously published works.

If you’ve been following me lately, you also know that things have been really busy at my day job. Knowing that I no longer have a “backlist” out there has given me additional motivation to keep things caught up and in control so that time doesn’t spill into my morning writing time. I reworked my writing and publishing schedule to accommodate polishing the previously published works.

So what I am working on you ask? Here is my list (in my planned chronological order):

1. Comb through Disappear With Me for typos, word choice, etc.Send to publisher who will do second editions.
2. Finish polishing Need Your Love, send to different publisher.
3. Review A Place to Call Their Own and prepare to submit to a third different publisher, one who will do second editions.
4. Move on to rewrite of The Higher Law.
5. Then move on to Sartin the merman.

I have a busy year planned, but I can do it. It really is what I love to do.

Have you had to start all over before in your chosen dream field? I’d love to hear how you picked up the pieces and moved on!