Exciting News!

I promised some exciting news, and I can finally share it:

New World Library (my publisher for FAST FICTION) will also be publishing my newest nonfiction book for writers: STORY SPARKS: FINDING YOUR BEST STORY IDEAS, AND TURNING THEM INTO COMPELLING FICTION!

This has been a few years in the writing. It will make a great companion book to FAST FICTION, and so I am thrilled that New World Library is interested in publishing it. There will be more to come, in terms of what sorts of things it will include, but for now I can tell you that it is being fast-tracked to be out this fall. Very exciting!

Anyone who has been hamster-wheeling a story idea for years or has hundreds of pages exploring various approaches on their hard drive knows there must be a better way. There is. Successful young adult novelist Denise Jaden shows exactly how to create the captivating stories that prevent dispiriting wasted time. Busting the “visitation from the muses” myth, she shows that inspiration is a skill that can be learned by understanding how story ideas work (or don’t), fertilizing the ground for fresh and sound ideas, and moving swiftly through stuck points. Practical and inspiring, Jaden’s approach celebrates the imaginative sparks that make innovations of all kinds possible while pinpointing the precise tools writers need to fan their unique creative flames.


And to help celebrate this exciting news, my generous publisher has offered a giveaway of a book that I'm sure any writer would love to have on their bookshelves:



Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents:
Who They Are, What They Want, How to Win Them Over
By Jeff Herman

Still the Best Guide for Getting Published - If you want to get published, read this book!

Comprehensive index lists dozens of subjects and categories to help you find the perfect publisher or agent.

Jeff Herman’s Guide unmasks nonsense, clears confusion, and unlocks secret doorways to success for new and veteran writers! This highly respected resource is used by publishing insiders everywhere and has been read by millions all over the world.

Jeff Herman’s Guide is the writer’s best friend. It reveals the names, interests, and contact information of thousands of agents and editors. It presents invaluable information about more than 350 publishers and imprints (including Canadian and university presses), lists independent book editors who can help you make your work more publisher-friendly, and helps you spot scams. Jeff Herman’s Guide unseals the truth about how to outsmart the gatekeepers, break through the barriers, and decipher the hidden codes to getting your book published.

Countless writers have achieved their highest aspirations by following Herman’s outside-the-box strategies. If you want to reach the top of your game and transform rejections into contracts, you need this book!

“When you get to the ‘finding the agent’ stage, check out Jeff Herman’s Guide. I found it very useful because it gives more background on agents. Keep in mind that publishing is very personality driven.”
— Emily Giffin, New York Times–bestselling author of First Comes Love

“I got my agent by using this guide!”
— Meg Cabot, New York Times–bestselling author of The Princess Diaries

“I highly recommend Jeff Herman’s Guide. It was the most helpful book I bought about how to get published.”
— Nicholas Sparks, New York Times–bestselling author of The Notebook

This contest is for a hard copy of this huge resource, and is open to anyone with a US or Canadian mailing address. Simply leave a comment below to be entered, or enter on my Facebook Fan Page. 

Even if you're not a writer, and not interested in this prize, I hope you'll raise a glass of virtual champagne with me :)

Updates!

Sorry if I've kind of fallen off the face of the blogosphere lately. If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me going on and on about my new audiobook for LOSING FAITH. Sorry, I couldn't help myself, because I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS! But I have had to go through the entire thing twice in the last week, on top of many other obligations, and it has kept me very busy.

For those who haven't heard, Becca Battoe--the narrator of the FIFTY SHADES books--has been hard at work bringing LOSING FAITH to life, and she has done such an amazing job with it! She just finished, and so the audiobook should be available in about two weeks through Amazon, Audible, and ITunes.

But...for now, I wanted to give you a sneak peek! This is a short sample from the end of chapter two (hoping this works--I've never added an audio clip to my blog before). Let me set it up for you just a little. Brie is the main character, and during chapter one, she lies to her older sister Faith in order to get her out of the house and drive Brie to meet her secret boyfriend. At a party with her boyfriend later that night, Brie receives a broken-up phone call from her dad, telling her to come to the hospital. Her BFFN (best friend for now) Amy is driving her...



What do you think???

Besides that bit of excitement, I also have a publishing date (or at least month) for my next book! It looks like FAST FICTION will be out from New World Library in March 2014! This may seem like a long time, but with my first two books with Simon & Schuster, it actually took 18-24 months from offer to the books hitting the bookshelves.

I'm thrilled about the timing, because it will be available for March Madness, and Camp NaNo, and there will also be lots of lead time to get it in the hands of next year's NaNoWriMo participants.

I also have jacket copy! Another difference between a big publisher and small one (there are lots, and I'm sure I'll be giving you plenty of glimpses over the coming months) is that I was asked to write my own jacket copy summary (with S&S my editors did this for me). I admit, I was pretty nervous about it. I've never felt very talented in the "pitching" or selling your work department. But it seems I have to do that more and more lately. My agent recently asked me to write up a short pitch for one of my books as well.

Funny story...right after I made the deal for my first book, I went to my very first author event in Vancouver. It was with Ally Carter, and I got a chance to chat with her afterward. I remember telling her that I was so glad that I had an agent now, and had sold my first book, because now I wouldn't have to pitch my work anymore. She told me (paraphrased) "Oh no, this is just the beginning of pitching your books," and boy was she ever right!

Anyway, my editor at NWL likes the jacket copy I wrote, so even though I'm a little nervous to share it, I figure I better get used to it. Here is what FAST FICTION is about...

Fast Fiction is a step-by-step guide to writing a structurally sound and engaging draft of a novel in the shortest time possible. It is not a get-rich-quick plan for taking over the world of publishing, but rather a strong starting point for ditching time-wasters and detouring frustration. It will give you a map to let you decide where you want to go with your story and how to get there by the most direct route.

Thoughts? I still wonder if I should add something in there about motivation, because the whole middle section is really a motivational section to keep people writing every day. Hmmm.

Anyway, thanks for sharing in my little bits of exciting news with me! Happy Wednesday, everyone!