From P to P

It starts with Pondering. An idea. If all goes well, it ends with Publishing. When I think back through the years as these books became a reality, it conjures up writing, rewriting, editing, rewriting, deleting, and rewriting. And then on to the next sentence!

UNCHARTED had its start years ago at the Salt Cay Writer’s Workshop in the Bahamas with its knowledgeable staff and talented participants who supported me as I started me down this path.

Then there was the process of querying agents and receiving those standardized rejections. “Thank you for allowing me to read your synopsis, but this is not what I am looking for at this time. My opinion is subjective, and I encourage you to continue querying as I am certain you will find an agent who believes in your work.” Or something like this. I could acknowledge the few who dropped in an occasional positive word that convinced me to continue this discouraging process, but rather than bore you with that long list, I will cut to the end when I finally found what I was looking for.

Slogging through websites finally revealed Sistership Press- in Australia, no less. This small press focuses on writing built around life on the water, exactly what I was writing. They knew their market. I was thrilled when I received a response to my query within 24 hours, asking for the completed manuscript, which, of course, I sent back immediately, thinking, maybe, just maybe. Naively, I thought the manuscript was actually ready for publication.

Fortunately, Sistership also came with a compassionate editor, Shelley Wright, who, among her many credentials, is a seasoned sailor and writer. Working with Shelley, and at that time, her associate, Jackie Perry, convinced me that the hard work and thoroughness of an editor do not get enough praise. It is a daunting task and takes endless red pencils and a delicate hand to manage a newbie’s fragile ego.

Shelley believed in my novel and patiently worked with me to fine-tune the manuscript into a publishable work. This required many back-and-forth emails and anxious delays, compounded by personal issues and the havoc caused by widespread fires in Australia and the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Australia is sixteen hours ahead of US East Coast time. I would write to Shelley on Monday, and her reply would come on Tuesday, or something like that.

Successfully releasing a book to the public requires people with skills beyond writing. I am indebted to Ann Clermont, a fellow writer who constructed this amazing website, and to Annie Seaton, a well-established author and designer of the stunning cover of Uncharted. And to Wayne Beardsley for giving me permission to use his photograph on the cover of Uncharted, and to Bill Whitmore for drawing the map in Uncovered.

When Shelley Wright agreed to publish Uncharted, she suggested a two-book deal. I didn’t have even the slightest idea for a second novel, so I said no. Then I stumbled across an article in a Florida newspaper about the capture of a neo-Nazi with dual American and Bahamian citizenship. That led me to think, how would a neo-Nazi cell in the Bahamas affect life there? One thing led to another, and a basic outline for Uncovered emerged. The development of this novel took a very different course from Uncharted. But it did emerge, and the two books together form The Wind Chaser suspense series. Will there be a third book? A plot is brewing. But only time will tell if it moves from A to P.

Now the job is to convince the public that it is worth their money and reading time. More to come.

Shelley Wright, editor and publisher at Sistership Press.