About two years ago I started writing my first novel, Killing Red. It’s the story of newspaper reporter Alex Chapa’s struggle to find a woman who very well be the target of a copycat killer.
But long before I first typed the title of my debut thriller on a blank page, I spent several years trying to learn as much as I could about the publishing business. I was very fortunate to meet authors, agents, and editors who spoke openly and with candor about their successes and failures, what worked and what didn’t. Their advice proved to be extremely useful, and I don’t know whether I would have been able to launch my career as quickly as I did without it. In short, the advice I received helped me avoid some common pitfalls, and gave me a much better sense of the business I was determined to break into.
Once Killing Red was finished (after months of rewriting) I was fortunate to get an outstanding agent, who quickly landed a two book deal with Kensington. Killing Red will be published in June, 2009 as a lead title under my publisher’s Pinnacle imprint.
Over the coming months I will be using this space to discuss my experiences as an unpublished author trying to break in, as well what the process has been like since I landed my first book deal. I also want to encourage a cordial and positive exchange of ideas on my blog.
NEXT TIME: Getting Started
About Me
- Henry Perez
- Henry Perez is the author of the critically acclaimed thrillers Killing Red and Mourn the Living, a number one Amazon Kindle bestseller about which Publishers Weekly said, “Keeps the adrenaline pumping right through the ending.” He has worked as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade. Born in Cuba, he immigrated to the U.S. at a young age, and lives in the Chicago area with his family.
6 comments:
Hi, Henry -
Can't wait to read the book. Congrats!!
Martel
I was at the library when you made a presentation. It was very inspiring, and I have since started working on my own book again. I'm really excited about how it is going, and thank you for your suggestions.
Your website is very good, and I will be following your blog and anticipate picking up a lot of additional information from it.
I'm looking forward to ordering Killing Red from Amazon as soon as it's available. Will you be sending out an e-mail when it's out?
Congratulations and continued success to you, Henry.
Hi Henry,
I was at a presentation you gave at our local library a few months ago, and found it very informative and helpful. It motivated me to get back to work on my own book. Thank you for that.
Congratulations on the success you've already achieved, I'll be one of the first to buy KILLING RED as soon as it's available.
Most of what I know of the business side of publishing has come from you, and I am looking forward to learning more.
Thank you all for the kind words, and also to all who emailed me about the new website.
Henry,
As an aspiring writer myself I look forward to hearing from you how you made inroads in the notoriously insular world of publishing. Thank you for offering to make your insights available and congratulations to you on having your first novel published, I'm sure you're thrilled.
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