The Beginning
In 2021, I decided to become a full-time writer, and I sat down to write my first novel. Although I’d never written one before, I had maintained a blog for over a decade and wrote a children’s book. Additionally, I’d written numerous short stories. But a novel is a different beast altogether. Unfamiliar with the process, I researched the key points. Feeling armed with enough information, I began, but I didn’t write every day, just most days. I used to tell people it was a B.I.T.C.H day––butt in the chair day. And before I knew it, four months later, manuscript one was complete. I looked at the finished first draft and said, “Now what?”
The First Act
Lost and overwhelmed with so much information on the interweb, and after tons of research and vacillating, I found Mary Adkins’ program, The Book Incubator. A three-time published author with HarperCollins, she helped me sift through the subsequent steps, including writing my second manuscript while I let my first one “simmer” to give me clarity for my gut read.
Unsure I could write a suspense thriller, but with Mary’s and the Book Incubator community’s support, I put pen to paper, and eight weeks later, manuscript two was finished. While that one rested, I revisited manuscript one, reading, revising, editing, rereading, revising, and editing it over and over. I gave it to beta readers, and with their feedback, I repeated the process until I had a best-polished version of the story.
The Plot Thickens
While in The Book Incubator, I learned how to query (submitting to literary agents), and in November 2021, I started. It was as scary as *insert any explicative here*. In turn, I revisited manuscript two, working on it the same way I did with manuscript one––repeating the process until I had the best-polished version.
And while I worked on manuscript two, the rejections, or I liked to call them, “no thank yous,” started rolling in. One of three things happened. I’d either get ghosted, rejected, or a request for more materials. And when I’d heard about writing conferences where you can pitch agents live (well, through Zoom, thanks to 2020), I registered for a few.
My first one was in March 2022, pitching manuscript one. The next conference was in June, and now that manuscript two was complete, I pitched that one. Meanwhile, after seven months of querying manuscript one, I received nearly eighty rejections. You read that right, 80! Good times, right?
The Major Turning Point
At the June conference, many agents requested my manuscript. Two rejections came within the first week. Fast forward six weeks. I received an email from my former agent requesting the entire manuscript. I hit the send button before finishing reading the email (not really, but I was so excited I responded within a few hours). Two weeks later, she requested a phone call. I don’t think I slept until the day we spoke. On my “graduation” day from The Book Incubator, I landed my agent!
A few weeks later, edits began. One week later, my agent put the manuscript on submission. And we waited. A few “no thanks yous” trickled in. And whether or not this part is true, I’ve heard that most publishers slow down, some shutting down completely during the holidays. If that’s the case, we lost weeks. And we didn’t hear anything for a while.
Fast forward again: The New Year rolled around, and my birthday is three weeks into it. When I blew out my candle, I wished to find a publishing home. The next day(!), my agent notified me we had an offer. I couldn’t believe it. I’d wished for it, and it had come true!
A Plot Twist
Sadly, relationships don’t always last, including the agent/author one. Working on A DEADLY GAME with my agent was an incredible experience. Without her vision, the book would not be what it is today. For that, I am forever grateful. She helped me launch my career, making my dream of becoming an author a reality. Unfortunately though, our relationship faded, and after two years, I moved on, similar to a divorce, but with no bad blood. Thinking myself the fool, since I worked so hard to find an agent, I found myself back in the querying trenches. So…
The Second Act
With a complete romcom manuscript, I queried independent publishers, ones that don’t require representation. As expected, since it’s a numbers game and a matter of finding the right home for your story, the rejections started rolling in. A little more acclimated to this process, the “no thank yous” weren’t as demoralizing, but still stung a little. Then, in March 2025, I received a yes! And so began working through edits, polishing the story until it shined. Based on my grandmother’s famous rugelach recipe, BASKIN’S BAKERY (January 7, 2026) is available wherever books are sold. Simulatenously, with another manuscript burning in my pocket, the first in a potential series, I opted to pitch to agents again (so picture double the amount of “no thank yous” coming in at the same time!).
The Third Act
In June of 2025, I attended Thrillerfest in New York, a conference run by International Thrillers Writers. There, I pitched agents in a speed-dating styled event called Pitchfest. Hustling from table to table, I spoke with twelve agents and one editor. Fast forward two months when I reread my manuscript, recognizing it was missing something; bigger stakes. I reached out to the agents, asking if I could resend the revised version when finished. With resounding yesses, I reworked the story for six weeks, resubmitting at the end of October. Three weeks later, I opened an email from the very first agent I pitched expecting a “thank you for letting me read your manuscript, but it’s not the right fit for my list.” Only, that’s not what she wrote. Instead, she said, “I loved your manuscript and want to offer you representation.” I think I fell off my chair. Literally! One week later, after the most amazing phone call with her, I signed the contract. Once again, I find myself happily represented!
The Character’s Arc
The moral of my story is that it was a long road to get where I am today. I wanted to quit so many times, but no matter what, I had to keep going. Anyone who’d been through this kept telling me it’s a slow, arduous process. It takes patience, perseverance, and thick skin. So, if you’re reading this, and you’re a writer, hang in there. Don’t give up. Listen to your gut. Pivot when needed or stay the course. My character arc is ever-changing, and like my books, it requires rewrites and revisions; sometimes, your journey does too. And if you need any resources, check out my For Writers page!
