How to Get Published is a continuing feature at The Book Bin where we ask authors to tell us their publishing stories. Was it a rocky road or did it come easy for them? Did they start with an agent and get a NY publisher interested in their book or did they self-publish? What words of wisdom do they have for all of us who would like to be published one day?
Today’s guest is J.J. Hebert , author of the Christian fiction novel, Unconventional.
James Frost, the central character in my debut novel Unconventional, and I have a few things in common... One of our shared experiences: James received plenty of rejection letters from literary agents. Some agents sent me form letters while others wrote personal responses. Either way, rejections definitely stung.
I finally landed an agent after a long search. I cheered. I sang. It was wonderful... That business relationship lasted only about six months, though. We amicably parted ways, and I decided to start my own publishing company, MindStir Media, and self-publish Unconventional. Looking back, that agent-author split was the best thing that could have happened to me because it prompted me to form MindStir, and nowadays I’m able to help other authors self-publish their work. Unconventional—both the paperback and Kindle—has spent time on Amazon.com bestseller lists. The Kindle edition has been the #1 inspirational book in the Kindle Store many times.
When I first started writing seriously, my heart was set on finding a literary agent to represent me. I felt that was the only way I could succeed in publishing. My advice to aspiring authors: Become adaptable. I see so many stubborn writers out there these days. They believe traditional publishing is the only way to go. I’ve known many aspiring authors who have wasted years waiting to get an agent and/or publishing contract. And these are good writers, by the way. If they would just adapt, they could see their work in print and also prove that there’s a market for their work, instead of allowing their manuscript(s) to sit around collecting dust. Aspiring authors should treat publishing as a business, not a hobby. Any long-lasting and successful company is adaptable; otherwise, it goes out of business or is never able to launch to begin with.
J. J. Hebert is a writer. Surprising, huh? He has written fifty-two novels, including the immensely successful, award-winning Willard’s Heart. J. J.’s also an archaeologist, and he recently unearthed an ancient religious scroll in Jerusalem that, in time, will prove absolutely nothing about anything important. He presently resides in Yemen, where he enjoys being the richest man in the land.
Of course, the aforementioned isn’t true (except for the “J. J. Hebert is a writer” part), but you found it entertaining, right? Perhaps just a little funny?
Honestly: J. J. Hebert’s debut novel, Unconventional (paperback), became an Amazon.com best-seller in three categories on July 19, 2009. The Kindle version has been the #1 Inspirational Book in the Kindle Store numerous times. J.J. is also the founder of MindStir Media, which helps authors successfully self-publish and distribute books worldwide. Currently, he lives alone in New England, home to some of the greatest sports teams in the world (for now), where he’s at work on his latest novel, Saving Dad, and a children’s book, Weepy the Dragon.
Visit J.J.’s website at www.jjhebert.net or his blog at www.jjhebertblog.com. Connect with him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/authorjjhebert or Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorjjhebert.
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