Wednesday is for Writers: Nicole Collet’s publishing journey

So I am finally publishing my book. I can hardly believe it.PBOOK007_RED

It’s been a long, intense and exhausting journey. Writing, rewriting-to-death based on readers’ feedback (regular readers, contest judges, editors, friends) and on my own readings about storytelling techniques. Some great fiction and non-fiction books also sparked interesting ideas. Losing sleep, forgetting to eat, drinking buckets of coffee and skipping going out with friends on the weekends. Knocking on doors only to be rejected time after time after time by agents and publishers.

This has been my life since January 2013 when I started writing RED. Six months to write it in Portuguese and translate it into English, and then 22 months rewriting and polishing both versions. Since it was my first book, I made a lot of mistakes and had to learn the hard way.

I found SOOP in 2014 and submitted my book idea. I was then building my platform on Wattpad (the world’s largest online reading community) without even knowing what a platform was and how important it was to build one before publishing. I just posted my book there hoping to get exposure.

Connecting with real readers, getting encouragement and honest feedback from them made all the difference. Thanks to them, I was reassured and able to improve the manuscript. Thanks to them, I’ve got my needed votes for publishing.

I think the keyword is persistence. To keep going and learning from your mistakes. Write what you’re passionate about but never lose sight of the reader: cut out fluff that you enjoy but doesn’t add to the story. Write the book you would like to read, and you’ll find a readership.

RED has been steadily on Wattpad’s Hot List for almost 2 years now, and I believe that’s the result of my efforts in creating the best story possible within my means.  Readers loved the book; contest judges didn’t, so that signaled it had potential and also problems.

In the first year, I’ve received some negative feedback from contest judges and felt really miserable, but then a few days later I would be furiously editing to correct flaws.  I just couldn’t rest knowing my book was out there being read with those flaws in it.

Last but not least, I’m so grateful to have found SOOP. The team has been incredibly helpful from the beginning and a joy to work with. They are talented, competent and passionate. I couldn’t be happier!

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nicole01Nicole Collet is Brazilian, with a BA in journalism and a MA in cultural management. She has published a non-fiction book and short stories in Portuguese. Having lived for ten years in the U.S., her main interests are human behavior and relationships, literature and arts, feminism and philosophy. Her profile and works posted on Wattpad can be found at
http://www.wattpad.com/user/RedSins

Comments

  1. Christian Lee says:

    So excited for you, Nicole!!! It’s so encouraging to hear, once again, that if you put in the work, you’ll “make it” eventually! 🙂

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