Every book has a story of its own, a path leading from the initial idea that sparked it to its emergence into the world in published form. No two books follow quite the same path, but all are shaped by a similar array of market forces and writing craft concerns as well as by a cast of characters stretching beyond the author. Behind the Book explores how eleven contemporary first-time authors, in genres ranging from post-apocalyptic fiction to young adult fantasy to travel memoir, navigated these pathways with their debut works. Based on extensive interviews with the authors, it covers the process of writing and publishing a book from beginning to end, including idea generation, developing a process, building a support network, revising the manuscript, finding the right approach to publication, building awareness, and ultimately moving on to the next project. It also includes insights from editors, agents, publishers, and others who helped to bring these projects to life. Unlike other books on writing craft, Behind the Book looks at the larger picture of how an author’s work and choices can affect the outcome of a project. The authors profiled in each story open up about their challenges, mistakes, and successes. While their paths to publication may be unique, together they offer important lessons that authors of all types can apply to their own writing journeys. “What a book-lover’s fantasy! To see behind the making and launching of eleven diverse books, to hear stories of first and last drafts, of book tours and artist residencies, of publicity letdowns and bolts out of the blue—in short, tales of struggle, success, hard work, and luck, all told with Jones’s keen eye toward craft—what a generous gift to the aspiring writer! The joy of this book is not to push a single path to publication, but to celebrate the endless variety such paths might take. Showing how we get our stories, real or imagined, into the world is this book’s unique gift—and that’s a proposition that feels particularly urgent in these tumultuous times.” -- Edward McPherson, author of The History of the Future: American Essays “An indispensable tool for writers eager to peek behind the curtain and learn about the realities of writing and publishing. Myths and mysteries about being an ‘author’ abound, and this book shines a bright light on it all. Full of valuable nuggets, Behind the Book draws on real-life stories as well as the wisdom of the very best writing guides to reveal an empowering truth: There’s no one path to publishing success.” -- Katrin Schumann, cofounder of GrubStreet’s Launch Lab and author of The Secret Power of Middle Children “Contains a treasure trove of advice for first-time writers. . . .What emerges from the accounts is that publishing a book is not easy or simple, yet it is ultimately rewarding. Budding authors should consider adding Behind the Book to their personal library.” ― Journal of Electronic Publishing Chris Mackenzie Jones is marketing and communications director at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, one of the premier literary arts centers in the United States. Behind the Book Eleven Authors on Their Path to Publication By Chris Mackenzie Jones The University of Chicago Press Copyright © 2018 Chris Mackenzie Jones All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-226-40580-3 Contents The Brief Lineup, The Ignored Question: How, 1: Sparks of Story, 2: Processing Process, 3: Sources of Support, 4: Craft Quandaries, 5: Thorough Themes, 6: Reviewing Revision, 7: Publishing Paths, 8: Setbacks and Perseverance, 9: Preparing to Publish, 10: The Book in the World, 11: Lessons Learned, Acknowledgments, Appendix: The Complete Lineup, Notes, Index, CHAPTER 1 The Sparks of Story Every book starts with the spark of a story. That spark might ignite quickly in a moment of genius or burn slowly for many years. Over time it may continue to fuel the project or fade to a smolder, but there's always something of that spark in the final flame of a published book. It is, however, just the starting point. The fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss once encouraged writers to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) by blogging, "The worst unpublished novel of all-time is better than the brilliant idea you have in your head." Anyone can say they have an idea for a book, but very few make the effort to follow through and write it. The spark will flicker out unless it's acted upon with skill and determination. And yet for some reason, ideas are the most publicly revered part of the writing process. Read ten author interviews or attend ten author Q&As, and the question will come up at least nine times: Where did you come up with the idea for your book? The question suggests that prolific, successful writers have a kind of padlocked treasure chest of creativity, and if they'd just reveal the combination, we'd all be able to write the next best seller just like them. In a 199