Joan F. Smith on The Ins and Outs of Writing and Publishing "The Other Side of Infinity"

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Today’s guest for the SAT is Joan F. Smith, author of The Other Side of Infinity which releases today!

Are you a Planner or Pantster?

One million percent a planner, but with permission to deviate from the plan if a better choice arises. (If it’s part of the plan to go with the flow, then you’re still a planner, no?)

How long does it typically take you to write a novel, start to finish?

It varies. The Other Side of Infinity was my shortest “done” book. I had a weird “lightning strike” moment for it, and then it took me three months to draft it, and two more to revise it to a first real draft. My planning stage lasts a few weeks to a month. I usually write a book with a fairly clean first draft in a four to five month timeframe. About two-thirds of the way through drafting, I usually re-plot something for another week. I then let it sit for a solid length of time, revisit it myself, and attack it with a revision action plan. After whatever that time asks for—could be a month, could be three—I send to my critique partners, revise again, and then kick it to my agent. TL/DR: So far, the books I’ve written have taken five months to two years for a finished manuscript in a pre-submission format. 

Do you work on one project at a time, or are you a multi tasker?

Multi-tasker, especially when you incorporate the business side of authorship. Currently embarking on promotion for my upcoming book The Other Side of Infinity, going out on sub with my first adult manuscript, and drafting my second. The audiobook for my debut The Half-Orphan’s Handbook actually just released a few months ago, so there was a moment in time where I was also pushing that one. 

Did you have to overcome any fears that first time you sat down to write?

I’ve been writing since before I can remember! I think I probably experienced the opposite effect of brazen over-confidence, which has now thankfully been taken down.  

How many trunked books (if any) did you have before you were agented?

Technically, zero, which I’m grateful for. My debut was the first book I ever finished writing. I did have a few false starts, though—I think I wrote maybe half of maybe 2 books prior to actually buckling down and finishing that first one. 

Have you ever quit on an ms, and how did you know it was time?

Yes! I am a person who is okay with quitting something that doesn’t feel right. Writing can be a chore once in a while, but if you’re full of dread every time you approach a project, I think it’s fair to say it can be set aside. I have also returned to books I’ve set aside before—there’s a solid chance I’ll be doing that this summer, actually. 

Who is your agent and how did you get that "Yes!" out of them? 

My agent is Kerry D’Agostino from Curtis Brown, LTD. She was a traditional query. She had requested the full manuscript and then our timeline sped up because I nudged her again a few days later once I received offers from two other agents via PitMad.

How many queries did you send? 

I sent a few less than 30 queries over a few months. 

Any advice to aspiring writers out there on conquering query hell?

First: Give yourself some time between finishing the work to craft your query. Once you’re distant enough, read your manuscript start to finish one last time before you decide you’re ready to query. Then adjust the query if needed (I find it almost always is). I think if you do your research and send your query whenever it’s ready, so long as the agents are open, then you’re already ahead of the game. Patience is paramount (though incredibly difficult for me). I also don’t generally think it’s realistic for authors to expect feedback from agents—it takes a very long time to read a whole book and compose a reply, so if an agent is compelled to give you some, then I’d sit up and take note of it. 

How did it feel the first time you saw your book for sale?

Absolutely incredible. On release day, I went to Barnes & Noble to sign their local stock. It was the first time I had been in-person in a bookstore since the previous summer (thanks to the pandemic). One day later, I went to the Brookline Booksmith and they had a stack of preordered copies for me to sign. It was surreal. I personalized books to those who requested it, including to other authors' names (who I never expected to order), and truly couldn't believe it. 

How much input do you have on cover art?

My editors have always been very gracious in consulting with me on what I like, along with the artist selection and concepts. I’ve given small bits of feedback but I’ve been happy with the process so far!

What's something you learned from the process that surprised you?

So much (too much?) of writing has absolutely nothing to do with writing.

How much of your own marketing do you?  Do you have a blog / site / Twitter?

I have an online presence of sorts, and I think of myself as a partner of marketing and PR with the magic they spin. 

Website / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Facebook

When do you build your platform? After an agent? Or should you be working before?

You can only control your own actions. You can’t control when an agent decides to sign with you. Some of the most talented writers I’ve ever read have had a huge run of difficulty finding agents. I’d work to build a platform if you think you have something you’d like to share, and only so long as you enjoy the process. You also don’t magically become successful at any step of the way—I think it’s a cumulative effect for most people. Overnight successes aren’t newborns; they have a ton of nights behind them, too. 

Do you think social media helps build your readership?

I hesitate to say unequivocally yes, but I do think it helps, and I think it depends. Even readers who are guaranteed to buy your book are probably thankful for a quick social media link—I know that these days, I am more likely to buy something if I see it as opposed to seeking it out in a store. I think I’m in the “can’t hurt” camp on this one, and probably helps at least a little!

Joan F. Smith is a novelist, essayist, and dance instructor from Massachusetts. Her writing uses humor to explore the themes of unanswerable questions and the intersection between truth and lies. Joan does her best writing on airplanes, and her worst with no caffeine. She studied creative writing and social science at Providence College and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. When she isn’t writing, Joan teaches dance, travels, exercises, mentors writers, and wrangles her kids. She is the author of the young adult novel The Half-Orphan’s Handbook (Imprint/Macmillan 2021) and the The Other Side of Infinity (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan April 2023). She was the 2021 Writer-in-Residence at the Milton Public Library. Her writing has appeared in various publications such as The Washington Post and The Mary Sue. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and kids, where her daily requirement as a parent includes dance parties in the kitchen. You can find more about her at joanfsmithbooks.com, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest @jf_smit.

Julie Carrick Dalton’s Lessons on Writing the Sophomore Novel

We all like to hear about the journey to publication, and hopefully other people's success stories help bolster the confidence of those still slogging through the query trenches. But what happens after that first book deal? When the honeymoon is over, you end up back where you were - sitting in front of a blank Word document with shaky hands. Except this time, there are expectations hanging over you. With this in mind, I’ve created the SNOB (Second Novel Omnipresent Blues) interview.

Today’s guest for the SNOB is Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper which releases today!

Whether you’re under contract or trying to snag another deal, you’re a professional now, with the pressures of a published novelist compounded with the still-present nagging self-doubt of the noobie. How to deal?

I had a two-book deal right out of the gate, which was wonderful. And horrible. I had the security of knowing there would definitely be another book, but I also had to deal with a tight deadline to write it while launching my debut. It took me thirteen years to write the first book. I had less than two years to write the second. My debut novel, Waiting for the Night Song, came out in January 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic. I found myself locked down at home with loads of time – but I couldn’t write. I panicked. What if the new book wasn’t as good? What if I couldn’t finish it? I don’t remember what flipped the switch, but shortly after Night Song’s launch, I was able to relax a little and write again. From that point on, having my manuscript waiting for me every day helped me cope with the anxiety of living through the pandemic. It became my retreat, my escape. In the end, having that deadline hanging over me was a good thing. It pushed me. I know some authors don’t like multi-book deals because of the pressure it creates, but for me, it works. In fact, I recently signed another two-book contract for books three and four. So now, as I’m launching The Last Beekeeper, once again, I’m facing a tight deadline. Yes, I’m panicking again, but underneath that panic is a wee bit of confidence. I’ve done this before, and I can do it again.

Is it hard to leave behind the first novel and focus on the second?

Yes! I lived in the world of Waiting for the Night Song for thirteen years. I knew what was under every rock, in every medicine cabinet. I knew those characters like old friends because they were old friends. Waiting for the Night Song is set in the mountains and forests of New Hampshire, which I know well in real life. The Last Beekeeper is set in the near future. Not only did I struggle to leave the woods of New Hampshire, but it took a while to find my footing in the imagined world of Beekeeper. In fact, after the first draft, I completely relocated the setting of one of the timelines because it wasn’t working. After I got the setting right, the characters began showing themselves to me, and oh my gosh, do I love these characters now! I’m still firmly grounded in The Last Beekeeper as I launch it into the world, but I’m also easing myself into my new book and new characters. I’m finding the transition less jarring this time.

At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut and writing / polishing / editing your second?

I never stopped promoting my debut. Most of my energy right now is focused on doing interviews, recording podcasts, and supporting the launch of The Last Beekeeper, but I still get requests to talk or write about Waiting for the Night Song. And I'm working on Book Three. I’m in deep on all fronts! Waiting for the Night Song is still out there. Folks are still reading it. I still see it on the shelves in airports and bookstores. It’s easy to get caught up in the publicity and social media, which is important. But I often need to remind myself to get back to the writing. Supporting a backlist book, promoting a launch, and writing a new book all at the same time requires focus and organization, neither of which are my strengths. I tend to throw myself into one thing for a week or two. I’ll spend all day writing for weeks and ignore social media and publicity. Or vice versa. My goal for 2023 is to be more balanced and intentional in my approach to all three books. (If anyone has any great strategies, please reach out! I have not mastered this part yet!)

Your first book landed an agent and an editor, and hopefully some fans. Who are you writing the second one for? Them, or yourself?

I love this question because no one has ever asked me this. I definitely wrote the first book for myself. I was exploring childhood memories, friendships, and agricultural issues I dealt with as a farmer. I didn’t have any expectations that it would make it into print. I just had fun with it. During the editing process, I made changes for my agent and editor, but it was still a book I’d written for myself. When I started drafting The Last Beekeeper, I definitely had my editor in mind. I thought about the feedback she had given me on Waiting for the Night Song and tried to apply it to Beekeeper preemptively. The result was a disjointed, dysfunctional first draft. My editor nudged me to change the setting to a place that would feel more natural to me, where I would be more comfortable. So I rewrote half of the book and set it in a place I love – a farm. In essence, I went back and rewrote it for myself. I hope my readers love it too!

Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re a professional author? 

Time management is NOT my strength! I feel like I have so many jobs now. All of a sudden, I was a novelist, a publicist, a public speaker, and a writing instructor. I’m also a mother of four humans and two dogs, and I ran a 100-acre farm. Shortly after my debut launched I was struggling to keep up with all of it. I had four main things to juggle: running my farm, parenting, being an author, and maintaining my sanity. It became clear one of these things had to go. I certainly wanted to maintain my mental health, I love my family, and I had finally achieved my dream of being a writer. So, sadly, last year, I sold my farm. Fifteen years ago I rescued that tract of land from being developed and I established a successful farm I’m proud of. I hated letting it go. But I sold it to someone who loves it as much as I do. It was a difficult decision, but I’m proud of myself for recognizing I couldn’t do it all. I have no regrets. And, just for the record, even without the farm, I’m still struggling to balance the demands of being an author, a speaker, and a parent. But I think I’m getting a little bit better.

What did you do differently the second time around, with the perspective of a published author?

I’m more willing to say no to requests if I feel overburdened. I also have a lot more confidence in myself as a public speaker. As I approached the launch of The Last Beekeeper, I didn’t hesitate to speak up and pitch myself to conferences, bookstores, libraries, or podcasts. I also have a different perspective on what success means. I used to gauge success in book sales and Amazon ratings. Now I judge myself on the quality of my writing. In the end, I want to be proud of the work I put out into the world.

Julie Carrick Dalton is the Boston-based author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, named a Most Anticipated 2021 novel by CNN, Newsweek, USA Today, Parade, and others, and an Amazon Editor’s pick for Best Books of the Month. A Bread Loaf, Tin House, and GrubStreet Novel Incubator alum, Julie is a frequent speaker on the topic of Fiction in the Age of Climate Crisis at universities, conferences, libraries, and museums. Her writing has appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Orion, Newsweek, The Boston Globe, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, and other publications. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find Julie digging in her garden, skiing, kayaking, or walking her dogs.

Kelly Sokol on Starting Over With Her Second Novel

We all like to hear about the journey to publication, and hopefully other people's success stories help bolster the confidence of those still slogging through the query trenches. But what happens after that first book deal? When the honeymoon is over, you end up back where you were - sitting in front of a blank Word document with shaky hands. Except this time, there are expectations hanging over you. With this in mind, I’ve created the SNOB (Second Novel Omnipresent Blues) interview.

Today’s guest for the SNOB is Kelly Sokol, the author of Breach which is a story about the blurring of the boundary between the battlefield and home front.

Whether you’re under contract or trying to snag another deal, you’re a professional now, with the pressures of a published novelist compounded with the still-present nagging self-doubt of the noobie. How to deal?

When I signed with an agent who then sold my debut novel, The Unprotected, to an editor at a sizable, respectable New York publishing house, I naively thought I'd accessed the keys to the publishing kingdom. I'd done those two, nearly impossible things, and surely everything in my writing and publishing life would be easier from then on. On top of that, The Unprotected had earned back in its first month and I was already accruing royalty payments. My debut novel was out in the world and it was a small success.

So much for the keys to the kingdom. Within a couple of months after publication day, I was left reeling. It started with an email from my editor: "I'm moving on to another house." Then the marketing and PR folks said the same. I didn't know that a third of the publisher's staff left or were let go that summer. It continued with an unanswered email and a second unanswered follow-up email to my agent. She had suddenly stopped agenting completely, and her clients found this out from one another.

I was completely on my own now to market and promote my novel. Impostor syndrome roared between my ears. The two professionals who'd championed my novel left it back in my lap. What did that say about my work? About me as a writer?

Fortunately, I'd formed partnerships with communities like Postpartum Support Virginia who were interested in The Unprotected and its subject matter--a driven woman who overcomes infertility to have the daughter she's sacrificed everything for and who is driven to the brink of insanity by the life she created for herself. I connected with book clubs who enjoyed arguing over protagonist Lara James's complicated decisions. I learned that, ultimately, no one cares about a novel like its author. No one will support my work if I don't.

But it still royally messed with my head.

Is it hard to leave behind the first novel and focus on the second?

Yes! In the months leading up to publication day for The Unprotected I wrote personal essays. I couldn't find the energy for fiction while swirling in the outward facing parts of an author's job (that part that I thought I wanted so badly--interviews, questions, early reader reactions).

At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut and writing / polishing / editing your second?

I am always writing, whether it's a novel draft or in the form of personal essays for publication, race reports to share with fellow trail and ultra runners, or morning pages to mine what my o'dark-thirty mind has for me. I'd written for years prior to publishing any of my writing, and I've always known that writing is how I make sense of the world.

The moment I decided to let go of my first novel and devote myself to Breach is fresh in my memory. It was the summer of 2017 (The Unprotected debuted in April 2017), and I was sitting with a group of writers all scribbling to the same prompts. As I made a prose list from one of the prompts, I met Marleigh, the protagonist of Breach. I knew she wouldn't let me go until I got her story down onto the page as truthfully and faithfully as I could. For me, stories always begin with a character, and when I meet a character that keeps me up at night worrying and wondering, I can't help but devote myself to her.

Your first book landed an agent and an editor, and hopefully some fans. Who are you writing the second one for? Them, or yourself?

I write my early drafts for me, and then revise and rewrite for readers. First drafts are compulsive. I'm tugging a knotted thread to see how far it will go before it breaks. I'm writing for the moment that my main character takes control of the plot and shows me her full humanity, power and truth. That experience is like nothing else. When reworking the later drafts, it's imperative to keep the reader in mind. How do I pace the book to keep them from putting it down? How vivid can I make setting and atmosphere? I tell my creative writing students this frequently, too. The joy of creating doesn't necessarily translate into a joyful read. An enjoyable read takes work!

Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re a professional author?

It's incredible when a reader of my first novel asks when or where they can find Breach. I knew I had multiple novels inside me, but I wasn't sure I had the stamina or discipline or thick skin to write and publish more.

I'm incredibly thankful that I had dedicated students who motivated me to keep at it. Who wants to learn from someone who has stopped writing and publishing? And my family took my writing more seriously after I had one book in the world, so I could be more protective of my writing time and schedule when I worked on Breach. It still took nearly five years from that first night of writing until publication! Nonetheless, my third novel is now finished and in the late draft revision stage. I'm much better at structuring and adhering to the writing schedule and process that work for me.

The months immediately surrounding publication are a heady whirlwind of promotion and touring, and they require serious time management. I'm definitely better at that this time around.

What did you do differently the second time around, with the perspective of a published author?

I didn't spend more than nine months looking for agency representation for Breach. That was a major change. I researched independent publishers, and quickly found two that took a serious interest. The experience with koehlerbooks has been terrific so far. I've had transparent insight into every step of the process, as well as much more input than I expected. I think it's important to know that there are different roadmaps to traditional publication.

I learned after The Unprotected that even if I sign with an agent and even if that agent sells my book to a large publisher that no one will care for my novel more than I do. I knew that ultimately I was on my own not only in writing the best book I could, but also in marketing, promoting and selling my work. No one is going to do that for me. Like Marleigh in Breach, I realized I am in charge of keeping my book and myself well afloat.

Kelly Sokol is the author of Breach and The Unprotected, which was featured on NPR and named one of Book Riot's 100 Must-Read Books of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. She is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author and MFA creative writing graduate. Her work has appeared in Alpinist, UltraRunning Magazine, The Manifest-Station, Connotation Press, and more. She teaches creative writing at The Muse Writers Center. When she is not reading, writing or parenting, Kelly dreams, in color, of the mountains. She can often be found running in the backcountry. She resides in Virginia with her family.