I heard back from WinePress again. The guy that's been contacting me has scanned through my manuscript (but not read the whole thing yet) and loves it. He would like to continue working on it, so I just sent an e-mail asking for clarifications on a few things, including how payment works, the process of editing, the differences between thier publication packages, etc. Once I get the answers to those questions, I am going to take a few days to a week (give or take) to pray about it before signing up. This is going to be a big decision and I want to be sure that this is a publisher that God laid before me and is the right one for me. I'll keep you posted. Based on how quickly he has responded, I'll expected a response by the weekend or Monday. Then I pray (actually I am praying about it now, but you get the idea).

I unofficially did NANO last year. My history/lititure teacher told me about it, and challanged myself and the other two students to join him in NANO. I tried to do a historical fiction novel, but I couldn't find all the historical notes I needed, so I didn't finish. However this year I want to really want to be official, though I'll probably be one of the Rebels and try to finish a book I started awhile back. Good luck with the publisher Fencer4Jesus, I'll keep you in my prayers.

The next two weeks are going to the most critical moments for me in the immediate near future. I heard back from WinePress yesterday and they decided they could better answer my questions via phone conference. They want to do it next week so on top of everything else I have going on, this weekend I am preparing my questions. We don't have a time set yet for when to make the call, but based on how things are going, I am certain it will be next week. After I get all the answers I need, I am going to spend another few days to a week to pray about it. So after that time, I believe I will know for certainty if will go with WinePress or not.

Based on what Writer's Edge has said and what WinePress has said about my manuscript, they both love what they have read. As expected, I still have some final editing to do, but everything is point to my book is about as ready for publishing as it can be at this point. We will see what happens in the next two weeks.

It's good to hear that it's coming along, Fencer!

I have finally finished my sixth draft of The Princess of Nowhere, and I am really happy with it! OK, so when I start going over it again I'm sure there will be many problems with my spelling and grammar and quite possibly my plot, but for now I am very, very happy indeed.

During the rest of this month and October I plan to refine my manuscript so that it's how I want it - or nearly how I want it. Hopefully I can also get it sent off during October; someone I've been in contact with in the industry says they will read my whole manuscript if I send it to them! I'm not going to pass that chance up - even if it doesn't work out, they will hopefully be able to offer me some help and give me suggestions, too.

Then, come November, I will start something totally fresh and new - and I can't WAIT!!

I'd love to check it out AJ, but I can't commit the time just yet. If you want to pass it on anyway, I'll look it over and give you feedback as I get time.

Tommorrow is the big day for me. I have my phone conference set up for tomorrow afternoon during a three-hour break in my classes. We'll see if my brain won't be complete mush by the time I am done. I start at 7:30 with work, them class at 9:00, a meeting for work at 10:30, a class at 12:00, the phone conference at 1:45, then another class at 4:30. All before two tests on Thursday.

After the phone conference, I expected to have as many answers to my questions as I can get. I'm going to be asking about the various packages they offer, how the monetary issue works, the market along with how many books I need to sell to break even, royalties, and all my other options. Then I will take the rest of the week to process it all and pray. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I'm so excited but I still have to stay focused on my schoolwork. That's going to be a challenge between now and tomorrow.

I am actually looking for feedback on my work, so if there is anyone interested in reading my story then please PM me. I'm hoping to edit quite quickly - so I'm not looking for in-depth analysis - but if you'd like to read through it you are quite welcome!

How did the phone conference go? It sounds pretty exciting. I hope that you were able to get your questions answered! Also, I hope you were able to get some of your work done. I know how bad distractions can be ... I got a new iPod yesterday, and what have I done since? Little, very little ...

The phone conference went very well. I was redirected towards WinePress' Print-on-Demand side of thier company, because the packages I was looking at are actually a lot more expensive then I thought. Being a first time author whose still in college and doesn't have a name to himself yet, I am thinking there really aren't going to be many publishers that will simply just take me and go all the way. The packages I was offered during the phone conference are actually very cheap (betwee $3,100 and $3,600, including editing, but no marketing). The other key difference is that they won't do any outright marketing with these packages. And being POD, I can purchace however many I need to sell personally and bookstores can order as many as they need. I also found out that it would take about 7 1/2 months to go from signing the contract to having a published book in my hands.

This really sounds like a good deal, and I actually do have the money for this (barely, but I do). But the issue is the timing. I was speaking to my mom about this last night and she told me she wouldn't tell me what to do but to think about this: I can make this happen or I can wait for God to make it happen. I have been praying intently about this since the day right before I heard from WinePress, and I am still not sure if this is the right time or not. The packages I was offered during the phone conference not only sound good, but I also have peace about going small scale for the moment. But at the same time, I want this book to be a God-thing and not a me-thing.

I told WinePress I would not make a desicion until early next week so I have the rest of the weekend to hear from God. I am willing to wait if that is God's will, but at the same time I also want to be proactive in faith. I do know the difference between faithfully waiting on God and being lazy saying "I'm just waiting for God to do something" and not doing anything. I want to do the former. God opened this door for a reason and I think he is giving me a choice to enter it or not. If I do, he will bless me. If I don't I might miss out on something. At the same time, if I decide to wait, God might open another door with even bigger blessings in store. I have three tests today so that is my focus, then this weekend, I am going to spend a lot of time in prayer. Prayer for peace in either direction I decide to do.

I'm praying for you! I was looking forward to your update ever since you mentioned the conference, actually, if you'll believe that.

Maybe this door is God's way of opening a way for your book to be published? I just keep thinking of the joke about the man in the flooded city who begs God to save him and then rejects the help of a speedboat, an airplane, and a helicopter. When the waters are so high that he finally drowns, the man goes to heaven and asks God why He didn't save him. God explains that he sent three different ways to save the man, but the man declined each one.

I know it's not exactly the same thing, but if you feel peaceful about this and think that it's a good route to use to publish your book, I would go for it. Keep praying, and I will too.

The way I see it now is not really a matter of if, but of when. While I can afford the deal, it will leave me completely broke (and I mean completely) until late Spring/early Summer. The deal I want is about $3,600, not including any books I purchace (I get 15 complementary), and that is about how much I have in my account right now. I do have a job that pays $10/hr for 10 hr/week, so that will give me certainty of getting over the 'hump'. But I have another expense this Christmas: Urbana 09. That will be about $800.

I do believe God is going to leave this door open for me to take. Even if I decide not to do it now, I am not turning them down, and I already made that clear with them. I am not thinking along the lines of Prince Caspian, "But suppose there was an even greater need...but won't get the help because I already used it." By that line of thinking, I'll never get it done. At the same time, God does have a tendency of opening a door for us to take and letting us decide whether to take it or not. He'll bless us either way, but he has a door in store for us further down the road that will be even greater. I just don't want to force this. I do want to be proactive, but I don't want to take the approach of "I want my book published so badly I will take any route to do it."

Right now, I feel peace about the package to take. For me it's a matter of when. I am leaning towards waiting until I get my bank statement in a few weeks, to know for sure. But then you have the challenge of balancing, can you be a good steward of your resources vs. trusting God to provide when you don't have them. I just don't know yet, and that's why I'm still praying. If this is the time, I don't want to miss it. But it is better for me to wait for another door later down the road, I am willing to do that. What I am going to pray for specifically is that this weekend, I will get a word that will be the conformation of whether to pursue this now or later. Keep me in your prayers this weekend as I make this decision.

I'm definitely praying. I'm looking forward to hearing what you decide to go for. It's a big step, and I pray that you feel peace with what you choose!

What kind of form did the phone conference take? I'd be really interested in finding out more about it. I know a fair amount about the theoretical side of publishing, but I've very little actual real experience. If you feel you can say, it'd be great to hear more about what happened.

I'm always really suspicious of the houses that make you pay for them to publish your book. I know it's the best route for some, but I've always viewed it as a sort of last resort. Certainly I don't think it ideal for college students like us, who are low on funds and really don't have the time to deal with marketing.

How much longer will you be on the Writer's Edge list? Are there other publishers among the 85 that aren't of the vanity or self-publishing types?

If I were you, I would wait at this point.

The phone conference was pretty much just a me-ask-they-answer type of thing. I had a list of questions I wanted clarified and I pretty much went down the list. I got a lot of things clarified, specifically on which packages I was looking at.

I've been seeking God's wisdom this whole week about this desicion and the advice my mom gave me is that I can make this happen or I can let God make this happen. I feel certain I can afford the package I want, but it would take pretty much every penny I have. I really do want this to be a God-thing and not a me-thing. I have a letter coming in from WinePress (forwarded from home), which I suspect may be a contract. But at this point, I am thinking it might be best to wait a little while and make sure it's God's timing before I go for it. I'm still going to get back with WinePress early this week and I really do want to go for this one package I want. Until God puts something else before me, this is the one I will do. But I am going to wait until God says to go before I go at this point.

A note for all those considering taking part in NaNoWriMo: the website's now been refreshed! I'm currently putting together my profile for this year. My username is the same as the one I use here, so feel free to add me if you would like.

Thanks for the reminder AJ. I'd totally forgotten.

~Anna

I finished my first fantasy book ever: Stormwind.
I won't post it here, because it's dutch and it feels to personal, but I can only say I love writing! I began my story in February this year and I finished it in July this year on holiday in Poland !!
Now I'm already busy at the next one Nightwind
I november I'll be doing NaNoWriMo and I already thought up a story to write then!