Big news! Last month I signed a contract with Vine Leaves Press to publish my second novel, Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers, in 2025. This is the Secret New Novel I’ve been talking about on this blog for literally years. Vine Leaves published my first novel, MFA Thesis Novel, in spring 2022 and were super-great to work with, so it was only natural that I wanted to publish Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers with them as well.
What’s Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers actually about, you ask? Well, LARPing (a.k.a. Live-Action Role-Playing) for one. More specifically, it’s about fantasy role-playing in the real world, with a group of twentysomethings on a quest to rescue a lost Commodore 64 from some bullies in the New Hampshire woods.
Also, it’s narrated in ye olde fantasy English speak, with wizards and maidens and stuff, even though it’s the real world. And the characters talk a lot about ’80s movies.
That’s the bare-bones gist. If you’re wondering why I waited so long to mention the deal in the age of same-day instant internet news, the answer is that I’ve been held up with a little Non-Creative Work Issue that I’ll be talking about in another post. For now, if you want to know more, read on to find out how the deal happened and what comes next.
Pitching the Novel
Every writer quickly learns that getting your work published involves querying, i.e., pitching your work to someone who might want to publish it. In the real world, this translates to researching different agents and small presses, sending dozens of different versions of an email pitch, then waiting patiently for replies. The process can be pretty grueling, and takes a LONG time.
In the small press world, though, things can work a bit differently. Every small publisher is unique, but in general, because they’re not beholden to massive corporate interests, once you’ve published a book with a small publisher, this can open doors to getting future books published with them as well (though your mileage may vary depending on your publisher, timing, the nature of your deal, etc.).
In my case, Vine Leaves Press publishes quite a few books by repeat authors like Elaina Battista-Parsons, Carolyn R. Russell, and Annalisa Crawford, to name a few. This seemed like a good sign, especially since one of the most common questions writers ask is “Would you publish a book with your same publisher again?”
In my case, I had a great experience working with Vine Leaves, and with my editor, Melanie Faith, on MFA Thesis Novel, and knew that publishing a second book with them would be a great step for me, especially since I already had a relationship with them. However, I wasn’t 100% sure what the process was for repeat authors—did I have to query the regular submissions address like I did waaaaaay back in 2020? Or was there a different path?
In my wondering, I decided to take the simplest and most direct route: I asked.
In this respect it’s important to note that I’ve emailed my publisher, Jessica Bell, about all sorts of things: I asked her nicely to make the cell phone images in the later sections of MFA Thesis Novel, and the bookmark I give away with signed copies of the novel, and in general asked her opinion on marketing advice and steps forward. As such, emailing her about my second novel seemed like a natural step.
Jessica responded right away saying that for repeat authors, the process was as simple as sending her the manuscript. However, because the press was pretty backed up (and was actually closed to new submissions due to said backup), it would probably take some time, so would I be OK with waiting?
I told her this was fine, and set about waiting through the spring and summer, hoping for news.
Keeping Up With the Writing Progress
One thing I definitely want to note is that the draft I sent to the publisher wasn’t actually finished and ready to go: it was technically Draft 3, which I got through earlier in 2023. Though I knew I still had a ways to go in editing it, this was the first draft that felt like all the different elements of the novel had come together, and the first draft I really felt comfortable sending out to people, including the publisher.
In this respect I felt torn: was it better to polish the draft to be the best it could possibly be, so as to make the best possible impression? Or, should I send the draft out right away to set the publication process in motion?
In the end, sending out Draft 3 felt like a reasonable compromise: it allowed me to move forward with publication while also presenting a draft I felt reasonably comfortable with, though it still needed work. (Again, though, every author’s situation with every small publisher will be different, so what worked for me might not work for everyone!)
While I waited for Vine Leaves to read and decide on the manuscript, I took some time off to work on other things. Then, after a gap, I started revising Draft 4, which I’ve been working through slowly and am almost done with. In this way, I could actually make progress on the manuscript while the publisher was making her decision, rather than twiddling my thumbs.
(Again, though, if you’re an author reading this, keep in mind that what worked for me might not work for you! For first-time authors especially, the rule of thumb is that your manuscript should be in the best condition it can possibly be before sending it out, so as to make the best first impression possible.)
The Big Yes, Publishers Marketplace, and Next Steps
In early September, Jessica emailed me back saying that Vine Leaves would love to publish Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers, and that a contract would be on its way. Amie McCracken then sent me an PDF contract a few weeks later—it was nearly the same as the one I signed for MFA Thesis Novel, so I felt comfortable with the terms. I printed it, signed it, scanned it, sent it back, then felt a huge sense of excitement. That was when I really started telling people about it via word of mouth, though I’ve held off online announcements until now.
A quick word about the image for this week’s post: the top of this page shows the Publishers Marketplace announcement for Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers, which was amazingly cool to see. Publishers Marketplace has been the go-go for publishing news for more than a few decades, and they regularly post big-name news for book deals and publishers. It’s amazingly cool that Vine Leaves books are now being listed there as well, and I was super proud to see them announce it just as they would for a Big 5 publisher. (Do note, though that because Vine Leaves is technically incorporated in Greece where Jessica bell lives, Publisher’s Marketplace lists their books as “International Rights,” which they’re working on fixing.)
I’ll have much, MUCH more to say in the coming weeks and months about this awesome new novel, of course, but for now, it’s good to have a signed contract and publication date, which will help me move forward in my planning and keep me on track both for finishing this book and starting my next project. Looking forward to July 2025!