Fanfare! At last!

[SueRoe]

Hi everyone. I don't know if you remember me moaning about a month or so ago about how difficult the submission process is - and that a publisher had told me my manuscript had gone to the Editor's desk. Well - after 5 months, they finally rejected me on Monday. *cue awful rejection syndrome*

Then yesterday another publisher (who I also really wanted) wanted to talk to me by Skype. And lo! A contract!!!
Crooked Cat Books (Crooked Cat - Crooked Cat Books | Indie Publishers) are going to publish "Forever Autumn" my fourth novel in February. *cue wonderful acceptance euphoria*.

And here's a little snippet. My submission to Crooked Cat (isn't it a lovely name?) was a RESUBMISSION. I did tell them, but they said they'd still look at it. When I subbed, I forgot to attach the manuscript and therefore had to send it in another email. Doh! 'That's it,' I thought. 'No chance they'll accept a resubmission that isn't properly submitted.' But they did :-D

 

[Carol Rose]

Congrats!!

 

[James Marinero]

Fantastic. Interesting - being open and honest in the way you were probably made someone stop and think.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Congratulations! Your experience proves that persistence and timing are crucial to achieving success.

I wonder if the publisher took their name from the 19th-century English nursery rhyme:

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

 

[Geoff]

Congratulations!

 

[Howard]

Congratulations! I am suitably green with envy!

 

[Island Writer]

Wonderful news! Congratulations... I'm thrilled for you.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Hoooorrraaayyyy! How brilliant Well DONE!

Tell us again about Forever Autumn.

 

[Kitty]

What wonderful news - I have a couple of friends with Crooked Cat and they sounds like a great little publisher!

 

[Lex Black]

That is terrific! Congratulations!

 

[SueRoe]

Congrats!!

Thank you xxxx

 

[SueRoe]

Fantastic. Interesting - being open and honest in the way you were probably made someone stop and think.

I wonder. I don't know - I really thought I'd made a mess of it. I did everything a writer's told NOT to do in a submission.

 

[SueRoe]

Congratulations! Your experience proves that persistence and timing are crucial to achieving success.

I wonder if the publisher took their name from the 19th-century English nursery rhyme:

There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

Oh that's right! I haven't found out yet why they're called that, but it might just be from this rhyme :-D

 

[SueRoe]

Congratulations! I am suitably green with envy!

Howard, thank you! Submission rejection is hell on a person's confidence, it really is. And I was distraught on Monday after the other publisher's rejection (5 months!!!). But then, along came Crooked Cat. So I think the old adage about having patience and something will come along, is correct. I did have to get this manuscript professionally edited (and was thinking of getting it done again after Monday) and I think initially the m/s was faulty. (I don't THINK it was, I know it was )

 

[SueRoe]

What wonderful news - I have a couple of friends with Crooked Cat and they sounds like a great little publisher!

Kitty, I've been published by two other publishers (in the US) and I have to say the personal attention I've received from CC is so different. They also have private author groups where people can exchange ideas and marketing spots. I think it's a "hands on" publisher that thinks of its authors as well as its readers.

 

[SueRoe]

Hoooorrraaayyyy! How brilliant Well DONE!

Tell us again about Forever Autumn.

Thank you! I'm "rebranding" myself -) ). I live in Portugal and have decided to set my books here. I do have a book - Rising Tide - which was published in 2015 which was about the wonders of the sea and a small fishing village in the south of Portugal. This one, Forever Autumn, is about a London classical ballerina who comes to Lisbon to try and find answers - she lands up in another small village (these villages don't exist!) in the forest just outside Lisbon (the forest exists). So, as Rising Tide was about the magic of the ocean, Forever Autumn is about the forest.

 

[Masquereader]

Congratulations! Great to hear good news - and encouraging for us all

 

[David Newrick]

Congratulations SueRoe.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Congratulations!

 

[SueRoe]

Thank you!

 

[Sea-shore]

Congratulations and well done!! Well deserved!!

 

[Sea-shore]

Thank you! I'm "rebranding" myself -) ). I live in Portugal and have decided to set my books here. I do have a book - Rising Tide - which was published in 2015 which was about the wonders of the sea and a small fishing village in the south of Portugal. This one, Forever Autumn, is about a London classical ballerina who comes to Lisbon to try and find answers - she lands up in another small village (these villages don't exist!) in the forest just outside Lisbon (the forest exists). So, as Rising Tide was about the magic of the ocean, Forever Autumn is about the forest.

Oh, I remember a ballerina opening piece you wrote ages ago. Loved it. Your writing sucked me in immediately. I remember thinking, Sue is definitely going to get published.

 

[AliG]

Congratulations - such good news. Well done.

 

[SueRoe]

Oh, I remember a ballerina opening piece you wrote ages ago. Loved it. Your writing sucked me in immediately. I remember thinking, Sue is definitely going to get published.

Gosh! Thank you xxx

 

[SueRoe]

Congratulations - such good news. Well done.

Thank you Ali. x

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Whenever I read the latest reply to this thread, I wind up with the Moody Blues song Forever Autumn as an earworm!

 

[Marc Joan]

Hi everyone. I don't know if you remember me moaning about a month or so ago about how difficult the submission process is - and that a publisher had told me my manuscript had gone to the Editor's desk. Well - after 5 months, they finally rejected me on Monday. *cue awful rejection syndrome*

Then yesterday another publisher (who I also really wanted) wanted to talk to me by Skype. And lo! A contract!!!
Crooked Cat Books (Crooked Cat - Crooked Cat Books | Indie Publishers) are going to publish "Forever Autumn" my fourth novel in February. *cue wonderful acceptance euphoria*.

And here's a little snippet. My submission to Crooked Cat (isn't it a lovely name?) was a RESUBMISSION. I did tell them, but they said they'd still look at it. When I subbed, I forgot to attach the manuscript and therefore had to send it in another email. Doh! 'That's it,' I thought. 'No chance they'll accept a resubmission that isn't properly submitted.' But they did :-D

Well done! Many congrats!

 

[Ancora Imparo]

Great to hear such positive news, congratulations! Crooked Cat sounds like a good outfit too. I love the name.

 

[Richard Sutton]

Well deserved, Sue. I see I've missed a lot in my absence...

 

[SueRoe]

Well deserved, Sue. I see I've missed a lot in my absence...

Thanks Richard !