Posts Tagged ‘wise elder within’
In the summer of 1999, I took 2 three-week leaves-of-absence from my full time day job to plunge into what I knew would be the final rewrite of my novel Love Made of Heart (the story inspired by my mother–a beautiful woman who suffered mental illness all her life). Three writers (Luisa Adams, Martha Alderson, Susan Canale) read that draft and gave me the most helpful criticism. I made the improvements. That summer I queried about 60 agents. By autumn, four agents asked for an exclusive read… I followed protocol.
In December that year, Stacey Glick of Dystel Literary Management (now Dystel & Goderich Literary Management) gifted me with these words: “Teresa, you’re a talented writer. I would like to represent you.”
An agent’s advocacy doesn’t guarantee landing a publisher. After receiving 22 rejections from all the acquisition editors she pitched to, and another seven months had passed, Stacey had incredible news. It’s now April 2001, editorial director John Scognamiglio of Kensington Publishing NY had called Stacey Glick; Kensington wanted to make me an offer–to buy the publishing rights of my novel. Laurie Perkin was the publisher; Debbie Tobias was Sales Director; Lou Malcangi for lovely book cover; Libba Bray (who is now an author of young adult books) for book jacket copy; Jacquie Edwards for copy editing; everyone who helped in the publishing process. I’ll show my “Acknowledgments” in Love Made of Heart as another blog post.
Fast forward (I had to deliver more rewrites) . . . eighteen months later on October 1, 2002 the hardcover edition of Love Made of Heart made its debut. I had so many people to thank. And so many presentations to deliver.
In October 2003 the trade paperback edition of Love Made of Heart was released.
The trade paperback edition has the same striking book cover as the hardcover. The trade paperback has my Author’s Note to Reader that the hardcover edition doesn’t have.
Author’s Note to Reader
Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you. Many readers have asked me what the characters in the novel have done for me. My answer is this: I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.
Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.
Who is Mrs. Nussbaum? She lives in all our hearts. Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.” May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
http://www.dystel.com/client-list/#r
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=6274
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Since 2007 I’ve been a writing career coach. Since January 2010 I’ve been known as “22-Day Coach Teresa” The new edition of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW is available through Amazon. I created the fun workbook to help fiction and nonfiction authors gain a competitive edge. Whether you want to be your own publisher or sell rights to another publisher, attract readers and more readers now! http://writingcoachteresa.com
In 2003 when my editor at Kensington Publishing Corp. New York told me that they were going to release the trade paperback edition of my novel Love Made of Heart (hard cover edition had been published in October 2002), I asked if I could add an “Author’s Note to Reader” and he said “Yes.”
To the readers who have read/are reading from the hard cover edition, here is the Author’s Note to Reader:
Thank you for letting me share Ruby Lin’s story with you. Many readers have asked what the characters in the novel have done for me. My answer is this: I’ve learned that behind every face is a compelling story.
Please remember me as a writer who says YES! to compassion for mental illness and NO! to domestic violence and child abuse.
Who is Mrs. Nussbaum? She lives in all our hearts. Just as we have the “child within,” we also have the “wise elder within.” May you always embrace your compelling story and allow your Mrs. Nussbaum to embrace you.
Sincerely,
Teresa LeYung Ryan
author of Love Made of Heart