tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post2418829907299259276..comments2024-02-21T05:25:03.233-05:00Comments on Adventures in YA Publishing: WOW Wednesday: Gae Polisner on The Alchemy of Getting PublishedMartina Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-51571760764722117062011-05-08T12:01:19.366-04:002011-05-08T12:01:19.366-04:00Although I am late to the posting party, this is t...Although I am late to the posting party, this is timely for me. As someone who began the querying process a few months ago, I'm increasingly frustrated at how difficult it is finding that one agent that my story will resonate with. (It's somewhere along the lines of finding comfortable shoes on the set of Sex in the City.) I applaud your perseverance in sticking it out five years to find an agent for your first manuscript. Writing and getting published is a true test of wills, especially in a day and age when instant gratification reigns. I suppose I'll have to increase my yoga practice in the meantime.... Thanks for this great post. I'm a Huntington local and look forward to attending your book signing at Book Revue next Saturday.S. Hicksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-88814767612615329852011-03-09T23:50:11.852-05:002011-03-09T23:50:11.852-05:00Truly uplifting and wonderful story! Thanks for sh...Truly uplifting and wonderful story! Thanks for sharing your journey and encouraging us to persevere.Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-4825170188563565892011-03-09T19:53:19.044-05:002011-03-09T19:53:19.044-05:00great piece gae! so thoughtful and interesting and...great piece gae! so thoughtful and interesting and encouraging.tommy greenwaldhttp://tommygreenwald.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-58861002156300680162011-03-09T17:58:17.470-05:002011-03-09T17:58:17.470-05:00Thanks, Sheilah!
Ok,so here's the short vers...Thanks, Sheilah! <br /><br />Ok,so here's the short version of the luck story. Now, bear in mind, that I've had my first agent shopping my second women's fiction ms to lots of accolades and near-deals but no deals... in the middle of it, I decide to write a YA ms. I've shown the first draft to my then agent and taken it back to polish some things and I'm walking around with it at a PTA meeting at my kids' school. An acquaitance who is on a committee with me who I really like and admire asks me what I am working on. I tell her and she says to me, don't you know who my mother is? I don't. She tells me (Frances Foster, the legendary editor of such books as Holes by Louis Sachar). She says, do you want to send the ms to my mom? I tell her no. You read it first, I say, and IF you like it, then I'll send it to her. She reads it. LOVES it, and calls her mom. The rest, as they say, is history. FYI, in the long run, there is even more perseverance in there because Frances loved it immediately, but another editor in house did not and Frances turned it down. She called my agent a few months later and said she couldn't stop thinking about the ms and asked if it was still available and if I had done any revisions, and if she could have it back for another brief exclusive. Skill, luck, perseverance, luck, skill, alchemy. <br /><br />xo Gaegae polisnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10491813685110351809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-75319689445888592712011-03-09T15:19:14.426-05:002011-03-09T15:19:14.426-05:00What an honest and inspiring post--and a great rem...What an honest and inspiring post--and a great reminder to stay in the game.Sheila O'Connorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03636639345410591196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-11178370380062801802011-03-09T14:39:30.153-05:002011-03-09T14:39:30.153-05:00(btw, I'm going to try to stop by here later t...(btw, I'm going to try to stop by here later tonight and tell the full "luck" story on TPoG...)gae polisnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10491813685110351809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-77851993206102724462011-03-09T14:38:40.989-05:002011-03-09T14:38:40.989-05:00Dude, um, I believe what you just described is luc...Dude, um, I believe what you just described is luck ;) <br /><br />Kiki, oh how deep;<br /><br />Carol, thanks! And, even editors liked them. Just not the final-say editors. . .YET. ;)<br /><br />And, Betty, there's more than one way to persevere. Good luck to you. I can't wait to read your novel.gae polisnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10491813685110351809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-43829737955888071852011-03-09T13:57:45.941-05:002011-03-09T13:57:45.941-05:00Ahh, yes dearest Gae. Everything you say is so tru...Ahh, yes dearest Gae. Everything you say is so true, which is why this "elderly" lady, but newbie writer, cannot wait for those three things to fall into confluence. For me there is no time left to just perservere. So I am opting for the self publishing route. <br /><br />But to you young writers out there, I say, don't wait. Work hard now. Recognize your calling. Don't give up. Life is far too fleeting.Liz Kales - I Love Books and Writershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15228579469547980081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-3980241308398372812011-03-09T13:40:24.238-05:002011-03-09T13:40:24.238-05:00Intriguing post, and great reminder about persever...Intriguing post, and great reminder about perseverance. It IS so subjective. And frustrating to hear how agents loved your story (both stories) and yet it didn't resonate with editors. Glad you kept persevering!Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-75472823929884439752011-03-09T13:23:53.522-05:002011-03-09T13:23:53.522-05:00This is such a great post! It puts things in persp...This is such a great post! It puts things in perspective. Sometimes, all we can do is keep trying. Congrats on your book! :)Janet Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-25224589936993336992011-03-09T13:16:14.798-05:002011-03-09T13:16:14.798-05:00Loved your post Gae - and oh, so true. It takes h...Loved your post Gae - and oh, so true. It takes hard work and a belief in ourselves and our writing that no one else can give us - we have to dig deep within to find it.Kiki Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10952786303617206818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-85214176069031700312011-03-09T12:11:59.936-05:002011-03-09T12:11:59.936-05:00No, not luck. Only the inimitable congruence of al...No, not luck. Only the inimitable congruence of all things in the universe along with your specific ying-yang energy and the perfectly-made Starbucks in the hands of an agent who got the most incredible lay of her life the evening before with a casanova who made her feel like the Queen of the Universe will make it happen. But, I digress... what do I know?Sean McLaughlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16175655787631433705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-62422652026184878012011-03-09T11:59:26.933-05:002011-03-09T11:59:26.933-05:00Gae, this is beautiful. One of the most important ...Gae, this is beautiful. One of the most important things I've taken from our months of 2k11 conversations is the idea that our books aren't for everyone. This has liberated me in ways I can't explain (though, to be honest, I have to remind myself of it constantly).Caroline Starr Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04597510685273079757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-43710047289136002142011-03-09T10:51:21.147-05:002011-03-09T10:51:21.147-05:00Perseverance, skill, and luck--things I hear over ...Perseverance, skill, and luck--things I hear over and over again to make it in publishing. Thank you for being an inspiration to us still climbing that first hill!Lori M. Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858438789496971734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-7970783778208959602011-03-09T10:45:37.918-05:002011-03-09T10:45:37.918-05:00Alchemy is the perfect word, and those are the rig...Alchemy is the perfect word, and those are the right ingredients. Nicely put, Gae!Angie Smiberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12192071262364730432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-37007810371959127312011-03-09T10:39:30.755-05:002011-03-09T10:39:30.755-05:00This is an incredible post! Thank you, Gae. I de...This is an incredible post! Thank you, Gae. I dearly love the word choice of "skill" when it comes to writing. A lot of people say "talent" -- but talent is only the start, then you have to get good (skilled) at what you're doing.GhostFolk.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10942600698461250382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-56024229666049469192011-03-09T10:03:10.734-05:002011-03-09T10:03:10.734-05:00Yup, you nailed it. It's exhausting just think...Yup, you nailed it. It's exhausting just thinking about it. But that's where that darned perseverance comes in again. Congrats on your success, Gae, and may lots more luck come your way (as you have the other two requisites in ample abundance)!Deb and Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04444390852070865517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-27712465323861478022011-03-09T09:44:23.921-05:002011-03-09T09:44:23.921-05:00Shari, I sold it by sheer luck (plus, skill and pe...Shari, I sold it by sheer luck (plus, skill and perseverance ;)). Maybe, I'll come back later and tell the story here. If enough people clap their hands and believe in me. Oh, wait. That might be for tinkerbell. :)<br /><br />(thanks for all the nice comments everyone!)gae polisnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10491813685110351809noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-33081897657628396742011-03-09T09:34:04.471-05:002011-03-09T09:34:04.471-05:00You hit it right on the head--especially persevera...You hit it right on the head--especially perseverance.<br /><br />But I kept waiting for you to tell the story of how The Pull of Gravity was acquired. I'll have to wait for the next post!Shari Maurerhttp://www.sharimaurer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-51651483852980361132011-03-09T09:25:45.849-05:002011-03-09T09:25:45.849-05:00Skill, perseverance and luck -- a brilliant trio a...Skill, perseverance and luck -- a brilliant trio and a brilliant post. Thanks for this!Sherrie Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11670339498152684137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-27776360217168659282011-03-09T09:18:35.504-05:002011-03-09T09:18:35.504-05:00Awesome post, totally rings true. I often tout th...Awesome post, totally rings true. I often tout the "luck" factor, meaning just what you said, in the right hands at the right time, along with the talent and perseverance.Megan Bostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08811715491350987530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-31957250648875638032011-03-09T09:09:12.331-05:002011-03-09T09:09:12.331-05:00Wonderful post offering a dose of painful truth wh...Wonderful post offering a dose of painful truth while planting delightful seeds of hope.<br /><br />I just heard about a local author whose agent discouraged her from writing the book she really wanted to write. She wrote it anyway, found another agent, word got around about the manuscript, and now it's up for auction. Dadgum.<br /><br />That's skill, perseverance, and luck coming together in one great package.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00378766211616009511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-26249576817712042012011-03-09T09:01:17.864-05:002011-03-09T09:01:17.864-05:00Whenever I start feeling bad about my own writing,...Whenever I start feeling bad about my own writing, I go and read those collections of rejection letters for books we now consider classics. Some of those editors REALLY hated those books. Like I-want-to-use-this-for-toilet-paper hated.<br /><br />Loved this post! Thanks to you both!Carrie Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893023777471521703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-57268137304808037842011-03-09T08:08:49.626-05:002011-03-09T08:08:49.626-05:00I'd say that this is good life advice, let alo...I'd say that this is good life advice, let alone writing advice. It easily applies to all kinds of artists, musicians, dancers, actors and aspiring yoyo champs. I'd offer that in addition to the three abovementioned skills, you have a fourth one at your disposal: you're very very likeable. Hey, it doesn't hurt.........Lorihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03930415413376102535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-86113236797839158612011-03-09T07:26:39.641-05:002011-03-09T07:26:39.641-05:00Yes, thanks for the reminder, Gae. I'm convinc...Yes, thanks for the reminder, Gae. I'm convinced you're right - we can have the skill and the perseverance, but not always the luck. So, yes, it is alchemy! <br />Enjoyed the post. Thank you and cheers<br />from Australia.<br />Sheryl :)Sheryl Gwytherhttp://sherylgwyther.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com