How Publishing My Memoir Helped Me Write a Novel That Sold

I have a grinning photograph from the day my first paperback copies of LOST IN TRANSPLANTATION arrived, taken inside my car. I was so excited I didn’t even wait to get home to open the box. I ran back into our tiny post office and waved my book around, exclaiming “My book is here!” to all two people inside.

They smiled, mildly impressed I suppose but nowhere near the level of enthusiasm I’d hoped for. Looking back I realize that to them it was probably like someone showing off pictures of their grandchildren. This was my baby and to me, the most beautiful book in the world. To them, just another paperback albeit in the hands one very enthusiastic neighbor.

I never planned to write a memoir. My first love is and always has been fiction. I’d spent most of the decade between the late nineties and the mid-ots working on a couple of novels. As a busy single parent, the writing came in fits in starts, but I eventually signed an agent for my chic-lit novel and a coming-of-age story titled, A WRETCH LIKE ME. As a neophyte writer, I assumed a book contract at that point would be a slam-dunk!

We had some interest in the first book from a well-known editor at a large NY publishing house.

She requested an R & R (rewrite and resubmit) which I did, but she didn’t love the story enough to acquire it. I changed the title of my second book to AMAZING GRACE hoping it sounded less depressing but we didn’t get any other offers for either novel.

Eventually, my agent lost interest in shopping my books. When she became pregnant, I was transferred to another agent who never followed up with me. To say I was discouraged is an understatement; I was devastated. So much so that I tucked both manuscripts into a drawer and focused on my massage therapy practice and raising my young son.

When Jacob started college I also signed up for some courses, hoping to finally pursue my creative writing degree. During that first semester, I met a young gal with kidney disease and ended up writing a paper about the unfair practice of turning away altruistic kidney donors. While researching the essay, I became acutely aware of the tragic shortage of organs and became motivated to donate a kidney.

My story was featured in the documentary Perfect Strangers. After traveling to screenings of the film with the director, I realized people had so many unanswered questions, mostly about my motivation.

I decided once again to put a story on paper, this time my own. LOST IN TRANSPLANTATION was an attempt to answer the “why” of my decision to donate a kidney. I spent a year writing, editing and rewriting until I felt the book was truly ready. Having been down the traditional publishing path leading to a perceived dead-end, I decided to forego pitching to an agent in favor of self-publishing my memoir.

I knew that even if I was fortunate enough to quickly sell my manuscript, it might be years before it would release. I wanted to get the book out while the story was fresh and relevant in hopes of inspiring others. So I took a deep breath and plunged in, learning the ropes of becoming an indie author as I went along.

When the reviews started coming in I took another breath and held it, fearing the worst. To my relief readers not only enjoyed the story, but many remarked on the quality of writing. It was this positive feedback that gave me the courage to dust off my novel and start revising and rewriting to make it the best book possible and changing the title to THIS I KNOW. I queried several agents and signed with one who I felt would be a champion of my work.

When the first hardcover copies of my debut novel arrived on my doorstep I didn’t immediately rip the tape off the package. I didn’t record a live video of me tenderly clutching the book to my chest. I didn’t even open the box. Instead, I dragged the carton into my office and left it there for three days. On the outside, it would appear I wasn’t excited, but the truth is I wanted to wait for a time when I could quietly immerse in the moment. And all the moments that came before it.

What I understand in hindsight is that publishing my memoir is what helped shape me into a better writer and saleable author. Through trial and error(s) I learned to develop my story, kill my darlings, lose superfluous exposition, and tighten my ms into a book worthy of publication. I developed relationships with other authors and built a platform of readers. Of course THIS I KNOW would not have sold if my editor didn’t believe in the story, but by the time he read it I had a substantial following on social media and over one-hundred positive reviews that I’m convinced helped sell him on me.

Would I recommend publishing a memoir before shopping your novel? Possibly. You need a unique story that will stand out enough to attract readers. You’ll also need a budget to cover a developmental editor, book interior/cover designers, and advertising. In other words, if you have a fascinating story, can tell it well, and back it up with the required investment, then yes, I’d highly recommend it for honing your craft and establishing a platform.

What I do know is that you should never give up on your dreams. I was 54 when my memoir came out. I’m 59 now, and 60 when the second book publishes in June of 2019. Whatever path you decide to take, light it with optimism and intention.

—

Eldonna Edwards is a beloved writer’s conference instructor and former therapeutic journaling facilitator, who “cut her teeth” as she puts it, on the back of Southern Baptist pews in her provincial Midwest hometown. She grew up in a large family with an evangelical pastor at its head, an upbringing that provided a fertile background from which to harvest setting and characters.

The voice in her debut novel THIS I KNOW comes straight from the heart. Eldonna is also the subject of the award-winning documentary “Perfect Strangers” that follows one kidney patient and one potential kidney donor in their search for a possible match. Her memoir LOST IN TRANSPLANTATION also chronicles this life-changing decision. She currently lives on the central California coast with her long-term partner Brer. For press or publicity inquiries about her novels, please contact Claire Anderson-Wheeler of Regal Hoffman & Assoc.

THIS I KNOW, Eldonna Edwards

Set in a small Midwest town in the late 1960s and helmed by an unforgettable young protagonist—compassionate, uncannily wise Grace—This I Know is a luminous coming-of-age story from an astonishing new voice.

Eleven-year-old Grace Carter has a talent for hiding things. She’s had plenty of practice, burying thoughts and feelings that might anger her strict Evangelical pastor father, and concealing the deep intuition she carries inside.

The Knowing, as Grace calls it, offers glimpses of people’s pasts and futures. It enables her to see into the depth of her mother’s sadness, and even allows Grace to talk to Isaac, her twin brother who died at birth. To her wise, loving Aunt Pearl, the Knowing is a family gift; to her daddy, it’s close to witchcraft.

Grace can’t see into someone’s thoughts without their permission. But it doesn’t take her special talent to know that her small community is harboring its share of secrets. A young girl has gone missing. Within Grace’s own family too, the cracks are widening, as her sisters Hope, Joy, and Chastity enjoy the normal life that eludes Grace. It’s Grace’s kinship with other outsiders that keeps her afloat—Lyle, a gentle, homeless man, and Lola, a free-spirited new girl at school.

But when her mother lapses into deep depression after bringing home a new baby, Grace will face a life-changing choice—ignore her gift and become the obedient daughter her father demands, or find the courage to make herself heard, even if it means standing apart . . .

BUY THE BOOK HERE

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing