The Long & Winding Road - AKA Traditional Publishing

Hi everyone! I am YA, and now MG author Barbara Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for adolescents and teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 


IT came in the mail on Monday. The galley for my new novel, Courage, all three hundred and fifty plus pages.

You can’t see me, but trust me, if you could you would view an older black woman who is somehow managing to do both a happy dance and heave a heavy sigh of dread.

Here’s the thing, I am a hybrid author. My first and now this, my fourth novels, were/are being traditionally published. My second and third were Indie published. I also have numerous short stories and flash fiction in magazines. (That reminds me, I have to finish off a new story for the Spring issue of the Arlington Almanac.) So I know things about different sides of the publishing spectrum. Which is why I signed a contract with Harper Collins and I am eagerly going Traditional with my new, Middle Grade novel, titled Courage.

For the next three weeks I will be rationing my time to be certain I finish this final look through of the three hundred and fifty plus pages of the novel I spent months writing, and then even more months revising. This is the last time I will go through my own words before publication. Since, in the words of the old jingle, “the quality goes in before the name goes on,” and I will be my name on book, I have responsibility for the final look-through of every page.

And then it’s off to the hell country know as promotion.

Having traversed both paths to publication, I know that traditional publication is a long, winding road. It’s not for the faint-hearted or for anyone unwilling to face a mountain of rejection. I finished this story in 2015. It was sold in 2016. I did not bother to count the rejection messages in between. Suffice it to say there were almost as many as I received for my first novel, PULL. But at least they were all nice comments.

I spent much of 2017 doing major revisions and edits. My wonderful editor at Harper Collins, Karen Chaplin, gave me great feedback and numerous suggestions. Some I took, others got the push back necessary to preserve my original artistic vision - buy me a drink sometime and maybe I'll tell you more. I will say the ending was re-written three times. (With the third re-write largely going back to the elements I put into the first re-write.) This was important, because while all authors know that the opening has to be the strong hook that pulls readers into your story and prepares them to stay with you for the long ride, the ending too is critical. That’s the part that has to leave a reader ready to say the ride was worth it. It should also have them want to take another journey with the author.

I have deliberately not re-read my manuscript in months. That’s part of the process, an author needs eyes as fresh as possible for this last step between herself and her readers. My heart thumps as I open that first page and read that

“Chlorine fills the air.” 

Maybe not the most perfect first line ever, but fitting for a boy who is about to stake a leap into the air and learn that even in the midst of something as bitter and unpleasant as the stench of chlorine, he can find the goodness of friends and family. That he needs to learn the lesson of the final line, that

“Everyone deserves forgiveness.” 

(Yeah, I know. Three complete re-writes of the two ending chapters to get to something that simple. So shoot me.)

Courage hits the shelves in the spring of 2018. This MG novel from Harper Collins is the story of six twelve and thirteen year old friends living on Chicago's South side, including T'Shawn, who finds himself living through a remake of the prodigal son drama when his older brother returns from prison. His friends set out to save him, and their neighborhood.

Now, on to promotion, one of those aspects of my profession that I have always abhorred. See, I even bring out the big words just to show how awful I think it is. Promotion is a requirement, whether you are Indie or Traditionally published. I just finished having a consultation with a marketing manager to gain some pointers.

Hey, maybe more about that next month.

Cover Reveal of COURAGE from @harperchildrens

My name is Barbara Binns and I am proud to have been the YA member of the Romancing the Genre team since it's inception. My newest book is called COURAGE, and will be released in spring of 2018 by Harper Childrens Books. Today, I am following the advice on Discoverability I posted for RTG back in 2015 and beginning my promotion efforts. Romancing The Genres is one of several sites hosting the cover reveal of my debut MG novel: COURAGE

Don't you love this cover!!

Courage is a book young people, along with parents, teachers, librarians and anyone who cares about young people will want to look into. It's about friendship, and family, that very first crush and the need to be the best. In last month's post about The Importance of School, I told you a little about Courage and how it's march toward publication progressed.  For this month, here's a brief overview: 

The story inside COURAGE

T’Shawn Rodgers lives on Chicago's south side. He is rapidly approaching his thirteenth birthday, and the magic of finally being a real teenager. T, as his friends call him, used to be afraid of water. Now he wants to be a springboard diver more than anything. OK, it's true, T would like to see his best friend cured from sickle cell disease. That inherited illness sometimes leaves Dontae on the ground in agony. And T would give almost anything for a birthday kiss from Carmela, the prettiest girl in school (if you don’t believe she is, ask her).The first time T dives off the end of a springboard, he moves from wanting to impress Carmela to needing to experience that feeling of free flying as often as he can. The kid with no interest in sports suddenly dreams of becoming a medal winner. There could be Olympic gold in his future. His south-side of Chicago neighborhood might even throw a parade just for him. Diving lessons cost money. T's mother is still paying off the medical bills from his father’s unsuccessful fight with cancer. She also has to send care packages to her other son, Lamont. Once, Lamont was T’s hero. He taught T to stop being afraid of water. Without his big brother, T might never have survived the pain of losing their father. But Lamont chose to join a gang and left a trail of violence on the streets before his arrest. His actions pulled T into danger, fear, and even more pain and loss. Before he can join the diving team, T learns that Lamont has been released from prison. Instead of a diving board, T's birthday present becomes sharing a bedroom with his violent brother.  Lamont claims he is different now, but T finds him sneaking out at night. The rise in crime following his return can't be just coincidence.  The possibility of danger to Carmela, Dontae and T's younger sister leaves him determined to do something.

There are many types of COURAGE

It takes courage to step up to a bad guy to protect what’s left of your family. Even more courage when that bad guy was once your personal hero. He also has to find the courage to do the unthinkable, fighting his brother to protect what’s left of his family. Most of all, it takes courage to agree to forgive.

PS: T also has to mount that springboard and dive his heart out.

Tell me what you think

COURAGE is defined as the ability to do something that frightens you, and displaying strength in the face of pain or grief. That word accurately describes the kids in this modern-day retelling of the prodigal son story, from the point of view of the good brother who stayed home.

I showed a bit of the opening last month.  Click HERE for an excerpt showing Lamont's homecoming.

Tell me how you feel. About the book, the characters, and ways you see ordinary young people displaying extraordinary courage?

This Is My Circus and These Are My Monkeys...

aka Balancing Writing With Having a Life

Have you ever felt completely discombobulated and out of whack with competing the demands of your writing and family life? Welcome to my world! I’m a writer, a freelance corporate communications specialist, wife to a jack of all trades type of bloke, and mother to two active (you might even say hyperactive) little boys who are constantly climbing trees or bouncing off the walls. Discombobulation is practically my middle name.

Balancing family responsibilities and writing, especially when working from home, can be difficult. In fact, it’s a constant juggle and it can be hard to get the balancing act just right. This is putting it mildly. To put it more bluntly, this is my circus, these are my monkeys, but they’re not very well trained and honestly some days I wonder why I joined the carnival at all.

Juggling all the balls

Lately I’ve been feeling as though I’m juggling balls, or maybe spinning plates and several of them have dropped. The thing is, they don’t drop quietly. They smash with an incredible noise into a billion itty bitty pieces, which someone also has to clean up. That someone would be me!

Keep those balls in the air!

My first blog for Romancing the Genres was a round-up on the fabulous Romance Writers of Australia conference in Brisbane. After a less than stellar start to 2017 from a creative writing perspective, after attending the conference I was inspired and switched-on, ready to forge ahead with an exciting new project.

Only I returned home from that conference to The House of Germs (™) a place where no-one could move, wipe their own noses or do anything except lie down and rest, or let the paracetamol do its job to ease the aches and pains. I was on nurse duty, 24x7 hours a day. Even on my birthday... *cue violins*

I did actually manage to get my blog post done for Romancing The Genres, but it was a race against time, as I could feel the fever overtaking me and the brain fog becoming thicker. A couple of days later I succumbed to the full lurgy and I couldn’t even concentrate on reading, let alone writing.

What I found was, it’s surprisingly difficult to maintain a regular writing habit or even compose an email when your whole household is under the weather. Even my poor husband succumbed to what was either a strain of the flu or a horribly determined respitory infection, since he was laid-up in bed for five whole days.

When the wheels fall off the wagon

Since my little boy started Prep (first year of school) at the beginning of this year, we've actually had three rounds of serious viruses/ear infections/chest infections. Add to that, the change in schedule and the time needed to help my little one settle into school, and I found my writing life veering off track.

Also, and this is no small thing, my own health is a bit wobbly. By that I mean, I have two autoimmune diseases and if I don’t watch my overall health including diet and stress-levels, I tend to get run down, exhausted and then sick. Add to that, my own descent into hell (ahem, I mean peri-menopause, with horrible monthly symptoms) and my new freelance business I’m trying to get off the ground...my creative writing stalled.

I'm fine...what do you mean I'm on fire?

I had grand plans to complete re-writing and editing on my second full-length novel this year. I even had a proper schedule written in advance. Only it didn’t turn out that way. That draft is still sitting there, waiting for editing with fresh eyes. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t see what needed to be done, or write the new scenes that are probably needed. Not with two kids who just swapped germs for what seemed like months.

After many months and a few doctors’ visits, I think I’m okay, the kids are okay, husband is okay. Fingers crossed.

Getting the show back on the road

I’ve been thinking about my situation for the past couple of months, often in between looking after little sickies or fighting through headaches and cramps of my own. I’ve realised I need to go with the flow and just do what I can, at least for now. I’ve started writing a novella, a shorter and more manageable piece of writing that I hope to actually finish!

I’m a hybrid author which means I’m both traditionally and independently published. My debut romantic comedy novel, Girl on a Plane, was published by HarperCollins UK in 2016, but I’ve also been experimenting with self-publishing shorter pieces.

Thinking about my current situation and lack of real mojo on the full-length novel editing front, I was keen to try something different. I also wanted a new product out in the market this year. That meant writing fresh. This has been great for me, to open up a new document and type words that I haven’t read a thousand times already.

I’ve been excited to brief a cover designer and contact a freelance editor and to set myself some tangible deadlines. My motivation has come flooding back. So what if it’s not a full length novel up next? I’m getting the show back on the road, getting back into a daily writing habit and still managing the daily juggle.

Tips for getting back in the swing

I’m working fast at the moment, aiming to complete a Christmas novella soon. In other words, I’m back on the trapeze and swinging!

Back in the swing...wheee!

Tips that helped me get back in the swing of writing are:

• Working on something fresh and new
• Making a nice cup of coffee or tea to get into the writing mood and sitting in a sunny spot with my laptop (not my cold office at the moment)
• Listening to songs from a new playlist before I start to write
• Writing in short bursts of about 30 minutes at a time, then taking a short break
• Mixing up creative writing with other tasks like folding clothes, cooking, anything to get up and walk around
• Setting a weekly word count target rather than daily because some days it’s just not happening
• Contacting an editor and setting a real, actual deadline!

P.S. I’ll have new release details next month if all goes well.

About Cassandra O’Leary

Cassandra O’Leary is a romance and women’s fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things.

In 2015, Cassandra won the We Heart New Talent contest run by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016. Cassandra was also a 2016 nominee for Best New Author in the AusRom Today Reader's Choice Awards, a 2015 finalist in the Lone Star writing contest, Northwest Houston Romance Writers of America, and a 2014 finalist in the First Kiss contest, Romance Writers of Australia.

Cassandra is mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she’s also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting ‘research’ trips, that would be splendiferous.

cassandraolearyauthor.com

#WhyIRead

Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them. 


I went to the movies this weekend and saw Guardians of the Galaxy, vol 2. At heart, it’s a family drama, exploring issues between Star Lord and his father, and between Gamora and her sister. I love watching movies. But I never lose track of the fact that I am an outsider, watching someone else pretend. It was an enjoyable view of someone else’s story, a window. But sometimes you want to do more than look at a window or screen. Sometimes you want to open the glass and step through to the other side. The best fiction does just that, opening the window, reaching into my life and pulling me to the other side.

Reading fiction lets you do that. In my experience, people who read fiction have more empathy, more drive, and, often more business savvy than those who don't. They learn how to get along with a variety of people from passing through that window and seeing life from different sides. I truly believe that people who read a lot will have more opportunities in life, and be more successful in meeting the challenges we all have to face, time and again..

HarperCollins, one of the worlds leading publishing companies, is celebrating it's 200th birthday. To highlight the benefits of reading and literacy, they have launched a social media campaign encouraging book lovers to share what reading means to them. This is important to me because I write specifically to encourage reluctant readers.  With HarperCollins publishing my debut Middle Grade novel entitled Courage next year, I am happy to participate in this to share my love of reading. I how you will do the same, by commenting on this post, sharing it on social media, or by making a #whyiread post on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, or Facebook

I’ve heard it said that human beings have an innate need for story. The best stories are written down, preserved, available to be read and re-read by a large number. hat's one reason that some writers are as big as rock stars to adoring fans. Reading lets you dream on new worlds. That's why encouraging reluctant readers is important to me. I frequently speak at librarian and teacher conferences on the subject,  and later this summer I will be speaking at BCALA (Black Caucus of the ALA) about using reading programs featuring diverse books to encourage kids to read more.

I loved reading right from the start

Apparently, I came into the world craving stories. My mother read to me from an early age. I loved the stories so much that sometime before I was five I taught myself how to read. I needed my stories even when she was not available or in the mood. I figured out the relationships between those funny symbols on the page and the sounds from my mother's lips.

My inventiveness increased my joy in life, but it almost got my poor mother in trouble. The teachers informed her she should not have taught me to read because they had their own methodology and her wrong way of teaching could cause me trouble in the future.

Like anyone really believed that. Reading elevated me, got me through the bad times, and even helped my bond with my unwanted sibling (I really preferred being an only child) because I could read to her.

My mother laughed and told the teachers they had to take things up with me because I taught myself.   I never cared about the right or wrong way, I just kept demanding more books to read.  I haven't put books down since.

Robert Taylor Homes ca 1970

A plethora of well-written books  kept me going through the good and bad times, including my teen years in the Robert Taylor homes after my father lost his job. Trust me, life in these "homes" was even bleaker than it looks from the outside. The long, concrete hallways were our primary playgrounds, and the elevator waits were long - provided the elevators were even in service. And yes, life in those overcrowded conditions was dangerous. But with a book and a quiet corner, I could go anywhere in the universe.

With a good book I don’t just read about the protagonist, I get to become him or her. Or any of the other well-written, fully developed characters on the pages. How else could a girl living in the former Robert Taylor Homes on Chicago’s south side in the 1960’s and 70’s, experience life on a farm, or in the mountains, or another planet?

Science Fiction became my dearest love in elementary school. I still love Space Cat ("You can't go to space without a cat, that's flat." -- trust me, that was really fun to sing when I was six.)

And the intrepid young spacemen Chuck and Dave never noticed the little black girl seated inside their homemade space ship with them when they took the Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. Important note, I held the chicken and kept her safe during the trip.

I moved to the adult section of the library by sixth grade.  In the years since then I have extended myself from Science Fiction to Suspense, to Historical, and Contemporary. And romance, which combines a number of genres, and has allowed me to be wooed by a Prince and a business magnate, to save the world while falling for a handsome Navy SEAL, and hang with utterly romantic doctors and lawyers. You have to love romance and the worlds it draws readers into.

Why I Read -- I read to fill my brain with stories. I write because I want to give others the same experience.  My first book, Pull, was written to draw others into the experience of being an African American teen in Chicago, adjusting to life after loosing his mother due to an act of domestic violence. I wanted readers to not just know about the loss, but to feel the guilt filling this boy because he was unable to save his mother, and follow along as he struggles and finally overcomes that feeling of guilt.

My 2018 release is titled Courage. In this story I return to the wonderful city of Chicago, the city I grew up in. The city I love. The story features kids from different races and backgrounds.

I read because I want to know and experience. I write because I want to share my own experiences.

Now it's your turn. I'd love to read any of your comments on why you read (and if you are an author, why you write)

If you want to go on social media, use the hashtags #whyiread and #hc200

B A Binns