Ann Duddy
asked
Alice Sherman Simpson:
Like every industry, the publishing industry glorifies youth, hence the ubiquitous Authors Under 30 lists. As a "not under 30" author, did you encounter roadblocks to getting your first novel published? If so, what did you do to overcome them?
Alice Sherman Simpson
Ann, That was a very tactfully put question—"not under 30" author!
Had heard lots of rumors, while rewriting The Query Letter for at least the 200th time, that authors need to be young, photogenic, quirky—and have a query letter to knock an agent's socks off. I doubt that anyone receiving mine knew how old I was—really old! (Yes, it's only a number—unless you are trying to put your dance shoes on.)
Finding the right agent or publisher today is generally via email, which can, for a time, hide one's age and good looks. Ultimately the work stands on its own two feet, and BALLROOM found an agent who believed in it and, within a week, a publisher who felt the same way.
My creative life has been a rich and varied one, something I could and still can turn to for meaning, joy, a sense of accomplishment—and best of all, a place of serenity. My major roadblock was me—waiting as long as I did—to take a deep breath, stop working the manuscript to death and, excuse the expression, step onto the dance floor.
Had heard lots of rumors, while rewriting The Query Letter for at least the 200th time, that authors need to be young, photogenic, quirky—and have a query letter to knock an agent's socks off. I doubt that anyone receiving mine knew how old I was—really old! (Yes, it's only a number—unless you are trying to put your dance shoes on.)
Finding the right agent or publisher today is generally via email, which can, for a time, hide one's age and good looks. Ultimately the work stands on its own two feet, and BALLROOM found an agent who believed in it and, within a week, a publisher who felt the same way.
My creative life has been a rich and varied one, something I could and still can turn to for meaning, joy, a sense of accomplishment—and best of all, a place of serenity. My major roadblock was me—waiting as long as I did—to take a deep breath, stop working the manuscript to death and, excuse the expression, step onto the dance floor.
More Answered Questions
Anna Faversham
asked
Alice Sherman Simpson:
Hello Alice, how disciplined are you with your writing and do you set a separate time aside for marketing?
Alice
asked
Alice Sherman Simpson:
Susan Storer Clark, Washington Independent Review of Books asks: Gabriel ...married an artist he met in Greece, someone he has not allowed to practice her art, and she is now a joyless woman and a heavy drinker. “It seemed to Gabriel that she was ruining his life.” Have you known someone who was so completely self-centered who might have expressed such a thought out loud?
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