An Inspiring Story Of Getting Published

In perusing T.L. Hines‘ blog, I came across his post where he shares how he became a published author. He currently has two thrillers out. The first is “Waking Lazarus”, and the second is “The Dead Whisper On”.

   

The neat thing about his story is that after having two novels repeatedly rejected, he says:

… I decided I was wasting too much time and energy worrying about becoming a published novelist.

So, I stopped. I began writing a third book, and put a moratorium on new queries. I decided I’d simply write, and concentrate on that alone. Publication, well, I’d worry about that at some undefined future date.

That’s when the magic happened.

What happened? He got an email from a Bethany House acquisitions editor who had discovered his blog and downloaded the first chapter of his book. One thing led to another, and within a matter of months he had a signed contract!

The amazing thing is that this was for his first novel which he had “put it in a drawer (figuratively speaking)”. He had considered it unsellable and had begun work on a second novel and then a third.

How well did this first book do? So well that “Waking Lazarus”, was named one of Library Journal’s Top 25 Genre Novels of 2006! Here is what T.L. has to say to us about getting published:

Nothing about the book itself had changed; only the circumstances were different.

So it’s really true: agents turn down saleable work every day. Sometimes 80 of them do it … Keep plugging away, and you can indeed reap what you sow. The growing season just may be a little longer than you expected.

Thanks for the encouragement!