| INTERVIEW |
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How I got a publisher
An interview with author, Lynette Mather
Lynette Mather (pen-name "L.A.Thunder") recently acquired a
publisher using firstwriter.com's database of publishers. We asked
her about her writing, and how she found success.
fw: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Lynette. Tell us a little
about your book, and its storyline.
LM: My Book is titled Deadly Steam, and it is about when seven-year-
old Jacob Wester’s brother, Billy, disappears. He knows the haunted
train in Plymouth, Michigan where they grew up, has something to
do with it, but doesn’t tell anyone for fear no one will believe him.
As the town searches for Billy, they find no leads, no crime scene,
and after months of trying to solve the case, they finally give up,
and realise Billy’s case is a dead end, and is put to rest in the cold
case files.
Eventually, Jacob moves away from Plymouth, only to return years
later to find out what happened to his brother. Finally, he confides
in his high school sweetheart, Rose Shirley, what he suspected
about the haunted train, and she is shocked, wondering if the
disappearance of Jacob’s brother Billy drove Jacob to concoct this
strange story about the haunted train as a way to gain closure over
his missing brother.
As Jacob talks to the police about his brother’s case their response
is vague, and when Rose Shirley’s fiancé Buck McKinley
disappears, as well as others in the town, every clue found leads
the police and detectives back to Jacob and Rose. As the
investigation heats up, Jacob and Rose realise they’re facing
charges in the disappearances of several people. Suddenly, Jacob
and Rose are in a fight against time, as they realise they need to
convince the town of Plymouth who is responsible for the residents
disappearing, before the two of them end up in prison, and the
entire town of Plymouth disappear because of the haunted train,
and its deadly steam.
fw: Where did you get your idea from?
LM: I live in Plymouth, Michigan where trains continually run
through the town. As I was sitting at the bus stop one day waiting for
my children to return from school, I heard the train, and watched it
through my rear-view mirror from the parking lot. All of a sudden, I
knew I was going to write a book about trains, and suddenly the idea
emerged, and Deadly Steam was created.
fw: Did the whole story come to you at that moment, or did it
develop as you wrote the book?
LM: As with all the books I write, I usually start with a prologue, and
by doing so, the prologue helps guide and lead me in the direction
the book wants to take. Once the prologue is written, I read it at
least ten times throughout a few days to get a real feel for the story,
and after that, I write the synopsis. My advice to writers who
struggle with writing a synopsis is to visit their local bookstores and
read the inserts on various books relating to the genre they write.
Personally, I think the word synopsis is intimidating to most authors
when they are first introduced to it. I know it was to me, but here’s
how I write my synopsis: I pretend I’m explaining my book aloud to a
group of people in the simplest words I can find. If author’s stick to
this method, they can’t go wrong.
fw: So you've done some writing before?
LM: This is my first attempt at writing books, but I’ve written poetry
for years, and I’ve always loved to write. I believe I’m meant to be a
writer because everyone in my life always asks me to tell them a
story. I’ve won the following certificates for my writing: The Editor’s
Choice Award, Poet of Merit Award, Vietnam Veterans of America
awarded me the Certification of Appreciation Award, and I’ve won
the International Poet of Merit Award. I’ve had my poetry published
in Treasured Poems of America.
fw: How important do you think that track record was when you were
approaching publishers?
LM: I think it’s extremely important to be previously published only
because most publishers and agents rely on an author’s history of
publishing credits. However, if you’ve never been published, never
stop trying to get there because you’ll never be published if you
give up.
fw: What were the first steps you took towards getting your work
published?
LM: I went about being published by first securing an agent, and
then I went a step further and started to query publishing houses,
which eventually landed me right where I wanted to be. I found a
great publishing house, through RS Publishing and I feel lucky.
fw: And what methods did you use to find appropriate publishers to
submit to?
LM: The methods that I used were many. First, I read everything I
could and bought books on the subject of how to write a query
letter to both an agent and a publisher. Then I found firstwriter.com
and their site helped me immensely. Not only for finding my
publisher, but also for guiding me down every avenue I had
questions about. I love the site because it lets you read each profile
in the database. Then authors can decide who is the best match for
their manuscript. firstwriter.com is reliable in their research, and I
love the comments posted about agents and publishers alike
because it gives an author personal information from other authors
who have queried them, and what their feedback was.
fw: What tactics did you use when approaching the agencies and
publishers you found?
LM: When I finally approached agents and publishers I did my
homework and researched every agent and publisher before I
submitted anything. I personalise every query letter to the company
I was approaching. I’ve never used just one standard query
because I spent too much time researching the company, and I let
them know in my query that I’ve done my homework. After the query
is written, I’ll wait a day before I send it. This gives me a chance to
reread it, and catch any typos, and to make sure my query is
compelling. I’ve never sent out many manuscripts at once, but I did
send two at a time.
fw: How long did it take to successfully place your work?
LM: I spent a good two years honing my skills, and then it was about
six months trying to place my work with both an agent and a
publisher. I roughly approached about fifteen agents, and five
publishers, before I received offers of representations.
fw: Were the rejections disheartening?
LM: At first, I took it to heart, and yes, my feelings were crushed.
Some of the rejections were the standard postcard, and some were
more personal, a polite note that they currently weren’t taking on
new clients at this time. Then the people in my life, my husband
Jimmy, my children, my dad, step mom and brother, along with Phil,
Christine, and my best friend, Terese, my sister in laws, and my
other close friends who kept encouraging me, and pushing me to
continue, and not give up on my dream. They all told me that I’m
doing what I love, and someday the rest will follow. My husband and
I built my website: www.lathundernovels.com and printed business
cards with the title of my books on them, and we passed them out
everywhere we went. I’m blessed to have such huge support from
the people in my life.
fw: And when the success came, which publisher was it that took
you on?
LM: I’m being published through RS Publishing and Lutz Barz has
been wonderful, helpful, and truly amazing to work with.
fw: What do you think made you successful in your search for a
publisher?
LM: I think I succeeded in my search for both an agent and a
publisher because I didn’t give up. I did my homework, and found
suitable matches for the books I write, and that is how I found both
my agent and publisher. I read about them, and did my research
about the books they represent.
fw: How is the publishing process going?
LM: Things are developing now that I’ve placed my book, and it has
been hard work, but I love it. Writing is what I do, and if an author
wants to succeed they must rise to the challenges that are out
there, and learn from them, and if an author puts everything they
have into what their doing, it’s eventually going to happen. My
advice is being open to suggestions, be able to take criticism, and
learn everything you can, from both agents and publishers. Work
hard, and you’ll get there. The publishing process seems like it
takes forever, but it really doesn’t. The hardest part is getting to
that point of having your work published. I don’t mind RS Publishing
tampering with my manuscript. I value everything my publisher tells
me, and I make good use of it. I follow my publisher’s guidance, and
take what is said seriously, and we have a good, solid working
relationship, built around mutual respect.
fw: What tips would you give other writers trying to get published?
LM: If I could tell authors anything, I would tell them to keep writing
and chase their dream until they catch it. It’s up to them to make it
happen. If you believe in yourself, and writing is something you’re
driven by, then do it. When faced with challenges and rejections,
take what agents and publishers tell you, and apply it to your
finished product. Learn everything you can, read everything
available, and you will catch that dream. Listen to your inner voice,
and let it guide you to where you want to be.
fw: Do you have any further writing projects in the pipeline?
LM: I’m very busy right now with having Deadly Steam published.
However, I’m hard at work finishing Trickery Treat. I also have other
manuscripts under consideration with RS Publishing, which are:
Dying Secrets, Culver's Treasure, and Don't Blink. The publishing
schedule can be hectic at times, but I welcome it. I’ve been asked to
speak at different schools in my area about writing, and that is
exciting. I can’t wait to share my experiences with others, about
what it takes to become published. One more thing I’d like to add is I
wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it weren’t for all the special people
in my life, cheering me on and supporting me. On a final note, I
would like to say thank you to my children, Jessie, Kevin and Deven
for always inspiring me. To my husband Jimmy who works all day,
and edits for me all night, and to my best friend, Terese, who
pushes me, when I feel like I can’t be pushed anymore, thank you.
My advice to other authors out there is to remember to write
everyday, even if you don’t know what to write. Surround yourself
with supportive people. Join writing groups in your area, hone your
skills, be persistent, and your dreams will follow.
An interview with author, Lynette Mather
Lynette Mather (pen-name "L.A.Thunder") recently acquired a
publisher using firstwriter.com's database of publishers. We asked
her about her writing, and how she found success.
fw: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Lynette. Tell us a little
about your book, and its storyline.
LM: My Book is titled Deadly Steam, and it is about when seven-year-
old Jacob Wester’s brother, Billy, disappears. He knows the haunted
train in Plymouth, Michigan where they grew up, has something to
do with it, but doesn’t tell anyone for fear no one will believe him.
As the town searches for Billy, they find no leads, no crime scene,
and after months of trying to solve the case, they finally give up,
and realise Billy’s case is a dead end, and is put to rest in the cold
case files.
Eventually, Jacob moves away from Plymouth, only to return years
later to find out what happened to his brother. Finally, he confides
in his high school sweetheart, Rose Shirley, what he suspected
about the haunted train, and she is shocked, wondering if the
disappearance of Jacob’s brother Billy drove Jacob to concoct this
strange story about the haunted train as a way to gain closure over
his missing brother.
As Jacob talks to the police about his brother’s case their response
is vague, and when Rose Shirley’s fiancé Buck McKinley
disappears, as well as others in the town, every clue found leads
the police and detectives back to Jacob and Rose. As the
investigation heats up, Jacob and Rose realise they’re facing
charges in the disappearances of several people. Suddenly, Jacob
and Rose are in a fight against time, as they realise they need to
convince the town of Plymouth who is responsible for the residents
disappearing, before the two of them end up in prison, and the
entire town of Plymouth disappear because of the haunted train,
and its deadly steam.
fw: Where did you get your idea from?
LM: I live in Plymouth, Michigan where trains continually run
through the town. As I was sitting at the bus stop one day waiting for
my children to return from school, I heard the train, and watched it
through my rear-view mirror from the parking lot. All of a sudden, I
knew I was going to write a book about trains, and suddenly the idea
emerged, and Deadly Steam was created.
fw: Did the whole story come to you at that moment, or did it
develop as you wrote the book?
LM: As with all the books I write, I usually start with a prologue, and
by doing so, the prologue helps guide and lead me in the direction
the book wants to take. Once the prologue is written, I read it at
least ten times throughout a few days to get a real feel for the story,
and after that, I write the synopsis. My advice to writers who
struggle with writing a synopsis is to visit their local bookstores and
read the inserts on various books relating to the genre they write.
Personally, I think the word synopsis is intimidating to most authors
when they are first introduced to it. I know it was to me, but here’s
how I write my synopsis: I pretend I’m explaining my book aloud to a
group of people in the simplest words I can find. If author’s stick to
this method, they can’t go wrong.
fw: So you've done some writing before?
LM: This is my first attempt at writing books, but I’ve written poetry
for years, and I’ve always loved to write. I believe I’m meant to be a
writer because everyone in my life always asks me to tell them a
story. I’ve won the following certificates for my writing: The Editor’s
Choice Award, Poet of Merit Award, Vietnam Veterans of America
awarded me the Certification of Appreciation Award, and I’ve won
the International Poet of Merit Award. I’ve had my poetry published
in Treasured Poems of America.
fw: How important do you think that track record was when you were
approaching publishers?
LM: I think it’s extremely important to be previously published only
because most publishers and agents rely on an author’s history of
publishing credits. However, if you’ve never been published, never
stop trying to get there because you’ll never be published if you
give up.
fw: What were the first steps you took towards getting your work
published?
LM: I went about being published by first securing an agent, and
then I went a step further and started to query publishing houses,
which eventually landed me right where I wanted to be. I found a
great publishing house, through RS Publishing and I feel lucky.
fw: And what methods did you use to find appropriate publishers to
submit to?
LM: The methods that I used were many. First, I read everything I
could and bought books on the subject of how to write a query
letter to both an agent and a publisher. Then I found firstwriter.com
and their site helped me immensely. Not only for finding my
publisher, but also for guiding me down every avenue I had
questions about. I love the site because it lets you read each profile
in the database. Then authors can decide who is the best match for
their manuscript. firstwriter.com is reliable in their research, and I
love the comments posted about agents and publishers alike
because it gives an author personal information from other authors
who have queried them, and what their feedback was.
fw: What tactics did you use when approaching the agencies and
publishers you found?
LM: When I finally approached agents and publishers I did my
homework and researched every agent and publisher before I
submitted anything. I personalise every query letter to the company
I was approaching. I’ve never used just one standard query
because I spent too much time researching the company, and I let
them know in my query that I’ve done my homework. After the query
is written, I’ll wait a day before I send it. This gives me a chance to
reread it, and catch any typos, and to make sure my query is
compelling. I’ve never sent out many manuscripts at once, but I did
send two at a time.
fw: How long did it take to successfully place your work?
LM: I spent a good two years honing my skills, and then it was about
six months trying to place my work with both an agent and a
publisher. I roughly approached about fifteen agents, and five
publishers, before I received offers of representations.
fw: Were the rejections disheartening?
LM: At first, I took it to heart, and yes, my feelings were crushed.
Some of the rejections were the standard postcard, and some were
more personal, a polite note that they currently weren’t taking on
new clients at this time. Then the people in my life, my husband
Jimmy, my children, my dad, step mom and brother, along with Phil,
Christine, and my best friend, Terese, my sister in laws, and my
other close friends who kept encouraging me, and pushing me to
continue, and not give up on my dream. They all told me that I’m
doing what I love, and someday the rest will follow. My husband and
I built my website: www.lathundernovels.com and printed business
cards with the title of my books on them, and we passed them out
everywhere we went. I’m blessed to have such huge support from
the people in my life.
fw: And when the success came, which publisher was it that took
you on?
LM: I’m being published through RS Publishing and Lutz Barz has
been wonderful, helpful, and truly amazing to work with.
fw: What do you think made you successful in your search for a
publisher?
LM: I think I succeeded in my search for both an agent and a
publisher because I didn’t give up. I did my homework, and found
suitable matches for the books I write, and that is how I found both
my agent and publisher. I read about them, and did my research
about the books they represent.
fw: How is the publishing process going?
LM: Things are developing now that I’ve placed my book, and it has
been hard work, but I love it. Writing is what I do, and if an author
wants to succeed they must rise to the challenges that are out
there, and learn from them, and if an author puts everything they
have into what their doing, it’s eventually going to happen. My
advice is being open to suggestions, be able to take criticism, and
learn everything you can, from both agents and publishers. Work
hard, and you’ll get there. The publishing process seems like it
takes forever, but it really doesn’t. The hardest part is getting to
that point of having your work published. I don’t mind RS Publishing
tampering with my manuscript. I value everything my publisher tells
me, and I make good use of it. I follow my publisher’s guidance, and
take what is said seriously, and we have a good, solid working
relationship, built around mutual respect.
fw: What tips would you give other writers trying to get published?
LM: If I could tell authors anything, I would tell them to keep writing
and chase their dream until they catch it. It’s up to them to make it
happen. If you believe in yourself, and writing is something you’re
driven by, then do it. When faced with challenges and rejections,
take what agents and publishers tell you, and apply it to your
finished product. Learn everything you can, read everything
available, and you will catch that dream. Listen to your inner voice,
and let it guide you to where you want to be.
fw: Do you have any further writing projects in the pipeline?
LM: I’m very busy right now with having Deadly Steam published.
However, I’m hard at work finishing Trickery Treat. I also have other
manuscripts under consideration with RS Publishing, which are:
Dying Secrets, Culver's Treasure, and Don't Blink. The publishing
schedule can be hectic at times, but I welcome it. I’ve been asked to
speak at different schools in my area about writing, and that is
exciting. I can’t wait to share my experiences with others, about
what it takes to become published. One more thing I’d like to add is I
wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it weren’t for all the special people
in my life, cheering me on and supporting me. On a final note, I
would like to say thank you to my children, Jessie, Kevin and Deven
for always inspiring me. To my husband Jimmy who works all day,
and edits for me all night, and to my best friend, Terese, who
pushes me, when I feel like I can’t be pushed anymore, thank you.
My advice to other authors out there is to remember to write
everyday, even if you don’t know what to write. Surround yourself
with supportive people. Join writing groups in your area, hone your
skills, be persistent, and your dreams will follow.