Traditionally Published: how Suzanne Craig-Whytock did it

I’ve featured several self-published novelists here at Happiness Between Tails. Now it’s time to hear what it’s like to be published the old fashioned way!

BookLand Press conducts most of Canadian writer Suzanne Craig-Whytock’s publicity, i.e., taking her book to conferences like From Page To Screen (where Ontario film producers find books) and distributing it to all major outlets. On her own, Suzanne arranges book signings and local TV appearances.

Contrary to how publishers have been described to me, hers give her much control every step of the way. Her first book’s cover, Smile, was publisher-designed, yet she designed the cover for her upcoming book, The Dome. For both books, the publisher went with her titles. They would have deep-edited her books, but given how print-ready she handed them over, their revisions were minimal.

For more about Suzanne — and when you want or need to laugh — visit Suzanne’s humor blog, mydangblog. In her own words, here’s how she became a traditionally published author…

Everyone Needs A Carol by Suzanne Craig-Whytock

I’ve been writing all my life. Poetry, short stories—you name it, ever since I can remember. I still have them in a drawer—and that’s where the manuscript for my first novel was hiding for a long time. It was a Young Adult novel that I’d submitted to a couple of different publishers and got immediately rejected, as one does. So I shrugged my shoulders and put it away. It wasn’t until I changed jobs 5 years ago and met a colleague who was a literary editor that my publishing journey really began.

We were talking about writing one day, and I said, “Oh yeah, I have a manuscript sitting in a drawer at home.” She replied, “Oh, I’d love to read it!” She was excited; I was terrified. My family loved the book, but she was a professional editor with a Ph.D.—what was she going to say about my little YA novel?! But she gave me excellent feedback and said, “You need to get this back out there.” So I did some much-needed revisions based on her suggestions and took a chance.

I didn’t know anything about agents or “querying”; I just sent it to a reputable Canadian publisher that considered unsolicited manuscripts. Shockingly, they accepted it. I ran down the aisle at work with the email on my phone, looking for my colleague to show it to her before anyone else.

When my author copies arrived and I held Smile in my hands for the first time, I cried. 50 years old and finally a published author.

Now, my second novel The Dome will be out this October with the same publisher, and the third book is underway. Thanks, Carol.

About the author: Suzanne Craig-Whytock is a Canadian writer published by Bookland Press. Her first novel, Smile, was released in 2017, and her new novel, The Dome, will be released this October. Both books are available on Amazon, Chapters Indigo, and with most other online booksellers.

You can read all about her weird sense of humor on her website mydangblog or find her on Twitter @scraigwhytock

If you’re a traditionally published author, how did you do it?