Dear Author: Your manuscript wants out of the drawer.
March 29, 2012
Dear Author:
Remember when we were best friends? Remember when you couldn't wait to get home to spend time with me? You were so in love with me that you'd spent countless hours thinking of me and only me. Thoughts of me even invaded your dreams sometimes forcing you to get up and come play with me. I know you remember obsessively going
over every detail, reading Wikipedia into the wee hours of the morning, and the madness that would over take you when you couldn't work out our tiniest plot point.
I know you remember our time together.
So why did you put me in this drawer? Stuff me onto your backup hard drive? Refuse to let anyone share in the blossom of our story?
I miss you. Don't you miss me?
I know you were waiting for that big agent to take me to that big publisher. I know you thought we could go all the way to New York City and then around the world. I know that red scrawl of an editor's inattentive "Needs Work" made you cry. But why did you leave me in the dark?
I came to you. I chose you to tell my story. I lingered in your mind and thoughts until you could tell me to the world. And you betrayed me by dumping me in the back of your hard drive and leaving me forever.
So what if that editor didn't like me? So what if that Wall Street oriented Big New York City publisher cared more about its shareholders than developing my story? Does that really mean my story - our story - is any less valuable?
Our story wasn't destined to be read by folks in big publishing. Our story was meant to be read by people, a lot of people. And these people could give you ideas on how to tell the story better or teach you how to write dialog better or even make sure you stop spell that word (you know the one I mean) wrong.
Because stories were meant to be told to readers. By just telling the story and sticking me in a drawer (or hard drive), you're breaking the sacred relationship between story--->author--->reader.
If you're not careful, I might just take my story to another author.
So take me out of the drawer; get me off your backup drive; and let me out into the world. Start a blog and post me a chapter at a time. See what your friends have to say. Put me up at Kindle. If you want a lot of people to read me, put me up for free.
Go for it. Never before has there been as many people eager and ready to read stories.
And who knows? You might win the book lotto and sell a bazillion books or get a huge publishing contract.
What's more likely is that, like a small apple seed, you and I will start your slow journey toward growing your dream. But I can't help you fulfill your dream while sitting in this drawer!
Get me out! Send me into the world!
What do you have to lose?
Sincerely,
Your manuscript
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Claudia Hall Christian is the author of the intriguing Queen of Cool, Texas, the sweet and crunchy romantic serial fiction the Denver Cereal and the fast paced Alex the Fey thriller series. Her work is defined by intense action where memorable characters are faced with impossible situations only to triumph with the every day help of their friends and family.
Claudia writes books and keeps bees in Denver, Colorado.
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