This past weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia for book research on my next dark mystery novel, which I’m tentatively calling The Jekyll Island Hunting Club. (It’s about six generations of women who have protected the island by killing bad men.)
I have never seen a place quite like Driftwood Beach where trees have been uprooted, overturned, dismantled, and displayed to look like an art exhibit—and all this done by Mother Nature. My mind sprang to life with all kinds of Southern gothic imagery.
A solid draft of this novel is mostly done, though I am awaiting feedback from beta readers and my editor before another hopefully-quick revision to send out on submission in Fall 2024.
We’ll see how it goes because something else kinda came up: Next week I’ll be officially sharing book news about my ‘lighter,’ contemporary mystery, but what I can say today is that the next few months require A LOT of writing. Like, a lot. In fact, it’s about 150K words that I haven’t written (which may be a hint that it’s a series of some sort ;)).
I shared my writing schedule with my dear friend Olivia Day Wallace and asked, “Do you think this is doable?”
Her response: “It’s…ambitious.”
Yep, it is. Maybe too ambitious, but the opportunity was too exciting to pass up, so I’m putting my head down (‘putting my fingers to the keyboard’ might be a more apt term), and I’m doing what I always joke about with my oldest daughter when I can’t find the word for something: “Hi, I’m Kristen. I put the words on the pages.”
In the meantime, I’m so excited to introduce you to today’s guest. I met Meagan Church last year at a book event in the Woodlands, a beautiful area north of Houston. She was in town to talk about her debut novel, The Last Carolina Girl, a fabulous historical fiction novel set in the Deep South in 1935.
We started chatting about the publishing industry and novels, and I could see immediately that she was a person who thought deeply about life and people and how we treat one another. We’ve kept in touch, trading industry tidbits and writing advice, and I even had the opportunity to read opening pages of her third novel, which I’m so excited to see on shelves in the not-too-distant future. I’m excited to share her publishing journey because I am confident you’ll learn as much from Meagan as I have.
Can you tell us about your debut novel? Feel free to share any business details with which you’re comfortable, including the year, the advance (a range or number or figures is fine), the kind of marketing you received, how sales performed in the first year.
Meagan: My debut novel, The Last Carolina Girl, released from Sourcebooks on March 28, 2023. This historical fiction story takes place in North Carolina in the 1930s and follows an orphan who is fighting for her future against the very real backdrop of eugenics and forced sterilization. LCG was part of a two-book deal that I signed in the summer of 2021 for a mid-five-figure deal (a nice deal according to Publishers Marketplace). The advance was lower than I had hoped, but after having toiled over two books that I knew would never be worthy of publishing, I was thrilled that anyone was interested in my book. The original publication date was going to be fall 2022, but Sourcebooks decided to push it to spring, thinking that would be a better season for book clubs, as they were positioning it.
My marketing push started in fall of 2022 when they sent me to the Southern Independent Bookseller Association’s (SIBA) conference in New Orleans. I hit the ground running, pitching my novel to booksellers and telling them the story-behind-the-story (the inspiration came from the fact that a great aunt of mine was sterilized by the state of Indiana during her adolescent years). As a debut author, I was pleased with the marketing Sourcebooks put behind me. While I wouldn’t have turned down an offer from a Big 5, I did have a fear that I would be a small fish in a very large pond if I went that route. Sourcebooks did a large ARC campaign, building early buzz by getting copies into the hands of booksellers, press, and social media reviewers. We released in hardcover and trade paperback simultaneously, in part because of demand from libraries who prefer hardcovers. They also sent me on tour which was something we weren’t sure was going to happen when I signed the deal because COVID restrictions were still in place.
As for sales numbers, I only have royalty reporting for the first nine months. I’m happy to say that I earned out on my first statement (which reported the first three months of sales). At the end of December 2023, it’s reported that we have sold a few shy of 25,000 in hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook. We are still waiting on an audio statement.
How many novels have you published since then? Have you ever changed publishers? What differences have you noticed in the publishing experience with these later novels?
Meagan: My second novel, The Girls We Sent Away, released March 5, 2024. That was the second novel of my two-book deal, and my experience was very similar, as far as marketing, publicity, and book tour were concerned.
Have you ever had a novel ‘die on sub’? At what point in your writing career did this happen? How did you handle that (emotionally and/or practically)?
Meagan: Not exactly, but sort of. I did pitch two ideas to my editor last summer. While she didn’t completely turn them down, she didn’t feel they were ready yet. She said that she would reconsider them after further development, or consider any other ideas I had.
While it wasn’t a total rejection, it did feel that way. I had been a bit naïve about the process. Having two books under my belt, having pitched the second one with only a couple of sentences, and having earned out quickly, I assumed pitches or options moving forward would be a bit more informal and that we could hash out ideas together. After I gave myself a bit of time to feel all the feelings, I realized that I needed to treat even options as initial submissions and put more work into completely developing the idea, synopsis, and opening pages. That’s not to say that what I submitted had been shoddy work, but I expected a bit of conversation to discuss the ideas and possible directions they could take. As a discovery writer, pitching on spec is difficult since I don’t fully know all the details of the story when I start writing, but because of the timeline of publishing, I was hoping to pitch an idea for consideration instead of waiting for the entire manuscript to be written first.
What has been the best part of publishing? The worst part? Or, what has been your highest high and lowest low in publishing?
Meagan: This debut year has been full of learning experiences. I have worked in marketing and public relations my entire professional career, and I thought those skills would more readily transfer, but the publishing industry operates in its own unique way and your first year as an author is trying to figure out the ins and outs of it all.
Let’s start with the lows:
Over 50 rejections before I signed with an agent.
Having my publication date bumped back last minute because of a printing issue.
Not having my initial option enthusiastically accepted by my editor.
Receiving my second royalty statement and realizing I had grossly miscalculated.
A constant feeling of uncertainty. As someone who worked for years and wrote two practice novels before writing one that actually landed me an agent, I thought the hard part was behind me. I got the agent and a two-book deal, so it’s smooth sailing now, right? Wrong! Now it’s a steady stream of uncertainty: Will the book sell? Will the reviews be good? Will my editor like it, love it, hate it? Will I get a marketing push? Will anyone show up at an event? Will I ever get an accurate report of how many books have sold? Will I come up with another good story idea? Will I ever get another book deal? And on and on and on….
As for highs:
Signing with my beloved agent Rachel Cone-Gorham.
Signing the two-book deal with Sourcebooks.
Another announcement that will come soon…
GWSA landing on the SIBA bestseller list for the first three weeks on sale (thank you, Independent Bookstores!). And, I got to celebrate that announcement in person with my publicist, Anna, because we were at a book festival together, so that was really special.
Being on book tour, especially for my second book. The first time around, I hoped people would show up. That still continues, of course. I’m always nervous that no one will come, but the high has been walking into an event and people are there because they read LCG and they can’t wait to read GWSA. Not only that, but being at events and hearing people share their stories and personal connections to the subject matter means a lot. GWSA has to do with a teen in the 1960s who is sent away to a maternity home when she becomes pregnant. I am honored and moved by the personal stories that people have shared with me. One of my goals is to start conversations about forgotten or overlooked experiences of women while also deepening empathy for those who have been pushed to the margins of society. The stories these readers have shared with me are reminders that I’m succeeding at that goal.
Would you consider other types of publishing (indie, hybrid, digital first, Kickstarter)? Why/why not?
Meagan: As I said, I have worked in marketing and publicity for about twenty years now. I know what it takes to launch a brand or a product. It’s not easy. I wanted to go the traditional route because I wanted to work alongside a team of professionals who have expertise and reach that I don’t have on my own. I am thrilled every time a friend sends me a picture of one of my books in a bookstore, airport, library, etc. That is what I wanted; for readers to have access to my books in those types of places. I don’t have the ability to make that happen on my own, nor do I have expertise in cover design, title selection, sales and distribution, metadata, SEO, etc. So for me, at this stage of my publishing journey, traditional is the path I prefer. But I also know there’s never a guarantee that I will always have that option because this industry is fickle and authors have to be nimble.
Do you think of yourself as a full time writer? Do you have other streams of income that help pay the bills?
Meagan: I have been a full-time writer for over twenty years. I started as a freelance writer and editor for blogs, brands, organizations, and publications. I was also editor and publisher of a literary journal before kids came along and demanded my attention. I still work with marketing and communications clients, and I offer story coaching and editorial services to authors. So, yes, I am a full-time writer and, yes, I have various streams of income.
What would you tell someone/what advice would you give to someone who wants to be traditionally published?
Meagan: The same thing my writing professor always told us: perseverance is the key to publishing. There is always opportunity to give up, whether it’s in developing the story idea, writing, revising, querying agents, going on submission, etc. It takes a lot of practice and learning over time to hone the skill of storytelling, so even if your current work-in-progress won’t someday become the next Great American Novel, keep going. Consider this necessary practice. Just like in sports, you need to build the skillset over time. Even Michael Jordan wasn’t Air Jordan the first game he played. If publishing is your goal, keep going, learning, and growing one word at a time.
What does success in publishing look like to you at this point in your career? Has it changed over time?
Meagan: At the base level, success to me is writing stories I want to tell that readers want to read and have easy access to, all while providing me with income. I don’t need a million-dollar advance or earnings (though I wouldn’t turn it down…), but to make even a modest living from the work I love is a measure of success to me. Of course, there are other goals I’d love to hit some day, but those are bonuses. This has always been my measure of success because storytelling has always been my preferred profession.
Is there one thing you or your publisher did that you think may have helped sell books to readers? We love tips and advice!
Meagan: I think a few things helped: building buzz with ARCs, getting my books into libraries, and doing sales like BookBub, ebook, and audio down pricing.
And, I think book events make a difference. Being able to look readers in the eyes goes a long way in creating relationships. When readers can meet you, shake your hand, hug you, take a pic, hear you discuss the story behind the story, it all makes the reading experience even more multi-dimensional. They are then more likely to tell their friends about you and your book, and they are more likely to auto-buy your next one. Plus, for me, being able to meet readers and hear their stories helps me as I’m sitting alone in my office wondering if anyone will ever read the words I’m tapping out that day. I think of those I’ve met, I remind myself of the stories they’ve trusted me with, and it gives me motivation to keep going even if it’s one of those days that’s filled with self-doubt and crushing uncertainty.
Do you have any tips for protecting your mental health in such a tough business?
Meagan: Find yourself a book bestie. One of the highs of my debut year has been connecting with other authors. Thanks to Hollywood, I assumed the publishing world was a bit cut-throat and competitive, but I have found other authors to be kind, caring, and supportive. I have built a network of author friends who I can text, call, or grab lunch with when I need to. And I have my book bestie, Terah Shelton Harris, who I know is always there when I have a question, concern, or celebration.
I would also say, keep a world outside of books. Publishing can become all encompassing. Maintain lifelines beyond the book world, so you can be reminded that a bigger world exists. Bookstagram can be great, but sometimes I need to log off and instead put my attention some place that isn’t consumed with bookish things and publishing news. The same holds true for real life. We can’t tell stories if we don’t have experiences and observations to report on. To write, we must live.
Is there anything that I didn't ask that you feel is important to let other authors know about trad publishing?
Meagan: One thing I’ve learned over this debut year is that there is a lack of real time data when it comes to reporting sales. I receive royalty statements twice a year, but they report on sales that are over four months old. I follow BookScan through my Amazon author portal, but BookScan doesn’t report all sales, so that’s really only a rough gauge that we can use to best guess as to how the book is performing.
I realized with my second royalty statement that I made a mistake when trying to forecast. BookScan reports point-of-sale (POS) of an estimated 85% of retail print book sales. Royalty statements report units shipped. So, after my first royalty statement, I continued to monitor BookScan, thinking I could roughly estimate what my next statement would look like, but what I didn’t account for was that those two things measure two different data points: POS and units shipped. The info I didn’t have to be able to accurately estimate my next payout was how my publisher ships. Do they ship a lot at on sale? Or do they take a slow-and-steady approach over time? And how many returns will be accounted for on that second statement? While I still had earnings on my second statement, it was about 25% of what I had best guessed by watching my BookScan numbers. That was a bit of a…ahem…shock. Now I know to not guess and to just wait and see, even as hard as that is. While I said the key to publishing is perseverance, the key to surviving as an author is patience. So. Much. Patience.
You can find Meagan’s books at your favorite bookstore. You can follow her authorly musings on Substack at Writerly Ruminations. She’s also on Instagram, Threads and Facebook @mchurchwriter. To stay up-to-date on announcements and happenings, visit MeaganChurch.com to sign up for her newsletter.
Thanks for sharing your story and insights, Meagan! As ever, you can find more about me at www.kristenbird.com. Happy writing—or not!