![]() Hello Friends. I wanted to share some exciting news. I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, "Learning the Art of Deception," has been named as a finalist for a 2015 Royal Palm Literary Award. The winners will be announced at the awards banquet on October 17, 2015. I’m particularly excited because this short story was originally the first chapter in my upcoming novel, Behind the Mask. Unfortunately the entire chapter was cut in the first round of edits. As you can imagine, I was devastated at the loss of an entire chapter, especially one that I loved so much. I couldn’t say good-bye to the chapter, so I rounded it out and made it into a short story. I’m honored to be a finalist, and I’ll be sure to let everyone know the outcome of the awards night. ![]() As many of you know, I finished the first draft of my debut novel, Behind The Mask, on Thanksgiving morning 2013. Since then I've been working tirelessly on editing the manuscript to get it ready for publication. The most difficult part of the publishing process has been finding the right publishing relationship. As a first time author, I was confused as to which path was right for me. While the traditional publishing process offers many opportunities, it is a slow, arduous, path to publication. The first time author is also forced to give up many rights to a traditional publication company. The other end of the publication spectrum is self-publication. However, this path did not seem right for me because as a first time author I knew nothing of the process. As I struggled to find a balance between traditional and self-publication, I found the perfect solution . . . hybrid publishing also known as partnership publishing. Hybrid publishing encompasses the middle ground between tradition and self-publishing and is making huge strides in today's changing market. Hybrid publishing is a combination of self-publishing and traditional publishing that allows the author to retain creative control, keep most of the royalties, and still have access to the traditional trade retail distribution for the book. The trade-off is that the author is expected to promote and market themselves and their product. I've found an amazing hybrid publishing company who has agreed to act as a partner in my quest and help me navigate the industry. Wish Ink Creative Publishing is a full-service boutique agency for authors. They guide authors through the arduous publishing process by providing assistance with editing, book design, print-on-demand, offset printing, social media management, and proofreading. Due to the inherent time demands required by hybrid publishing I have decided to launch Behind The Mask in the Spring of 2016. The book launch will coincide with my retirement from the FBI. As I leave my law enforcement career behind I'll begin my second career as an aspiring author. I'll keep everyone notified concerning details of the launch as the date approaches. The next big event in the process will be the unveiling of my book cover. I've been working with the cover artist at Wish Ink and can't wait to see the finished product. This is going to be an amazing journey and I invite all my friends and family to come along with me for the adventure! In October I had the pleasure of attending the 13th Annual Florida Writers Conference. Hats off to FWA because this years conference was fabulous. Over the weekend I met some marvelous people and learned so much. I was honored to have my short story, The Bridge, selected to appear in the Florida Writers Association Collection #6: Important Firsts. This privilege provided me the opportunity to participate in my first ever book signing along with the other authors who were published in the collection. Sitting with the other authors and signing copies of the book felt AMAZING! During the conference, Bill and I attended the Royal Palm Literary Awards. My full length novel, Behind the Mask, was nominated for a Royal Palm Award in the pre-published category. Thank you FWA for another spectacular event. I'm already looking forward to next years conference. ![]() This week I had the honor of attending the Southeastern Writers Conference which was held on the captivating St. Simons Island in Georgia. The tranquility of the retreat and the breath-taking beauty of the island created a magical setting for the conference. As a newcomer to the conference, I was unsure what to expect. What I discovered was a group of wonderful, generous people who truly embrace the logo, "writers helping writers." I met some amazing writers who happily shared their writing experiences and offered advice. I had a marvelous time learning from the fantastic speakers and socializing with the other attendees. On the last evening I attended the SWA Awards banquet. I didn't think the conference could get any better, then the most unexpected thing happened . . . I won several awards! My pre-published novel, Behind the Mask, won both the Hal Bernard Memorial Award for best novel and the Edna Sampson Award of Excellence for best novel by a first time attendee. I was shocked and honored by such a distinction. Thank you SWA for the generous recognition. I just returned from vacationing in South Carolina. Vacation in and of itself is a great thing, but on my way to Murrells Inlet, I checked my e-mail and discovered that I was a winner of the 2014 Florida Writers Association Short Story Collection #6. You’re probably wondering what that means and why I’m so excited. It means my short story, The Bridge, was selected along with fifty-nine others to be published in the FWA Collection #6 The First Step. Writers submitted short stories, up to 1,200 words in length, relating to any first venture. Judging this years contest is New York Times and USA Today best selling novelist, Mary Burton. From the sixty selections, Ms. Burton will now select her top ten choices. The top ten will be announced later this year at the FWA Writers Conference in Lake Mary, Florida. This was my first writing contest, so I was ecstatic to learn that my story was going to be published. Thanks to FWA, I can now add, published author to my resume.
Yesterday I met with two literary agents and pitched my completed manuscript for the first time. With only ten minutes allotted for each agent, I had to think fast. Being from the south I tend to talk slowly, so having to sell my manuscript to a total stranger in ten minutes or less was a daunting task. There was no time for nerves, so I summoned up my most confident expression and marched in to meet the person who might possibly hold my future in her hands. Only time will tell if either one was impressed enough to want to represent me. Regardless of what happens, I live to pitch another day.
My wonderful editor, Bobbie Christmas, returned my manuscript this week. I stared at the unopened FedEx box for about an hour before I mustered the courage to open it. I took a deep breath and opened the box, terrified I would find that Bobbie hated it and that it was unsalvageable. The sixty-seven page evaluation and recommendation report that accompanied my manuscript was alarming at first. My first thought was to open a bottle of wine, but after further consideration decided a clear head was the smarter plan. So, I centered myself and sat down with the report. Bobbie's report was concise and informative. I have no doubt that I selected the perfect editor for the job. After reading the report and thumbing through my manuscript, which looked like a red ink pen exploded, I realized that my errors were not insurmountable. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was nothing that couldn't be remedied with a few weeks of re-writes. Absent any major life crisis, I am hoping to have the manuscript ready to pitch to publishing houses and to enter in the Royal Palm Literary Awards. Time to get to work!
Happy New Year everyone. I'm hoping 2014 is the year I find an agent and get a publishing deal for my novel. I would like to start the new year off by thanking some of the people who have helped me with my manuscript. I guess I should start out with my mom. She was the reason that I started writing originally. It was at the urging of my mother that I kept journals chronicilling my undercover experiences. It was fun going back and reading my entries from over the years.
My wonderful husband Bill has been the driving force behind completing my manuscript. He provided constant encouragement and became my first line editor. Without him there would be no finished manuscript to send to my editor. I would also like to thank my dear friend Victor Lopez. It just happened that Victor and I were both in the middle of writing projects at the same time. He is busy writing his Memoirs but was gracious enough to read my entire manuscript and make notes for me. Victor and I have an interesting history which stems from my work as an FBI agent in the Caribbean. Our unlikely history led to an amazing friendship. One day, with Victor's permission, I might have to tell everyone the story. Better yet you can read all about it when his Memoirs is published. Victor, you are the best and I am so grateful for you input. Finally, to my editor Bobbie Christmas. I just love her name! Bobbie is putting her finishing touches on the manuscript and she should have it back to me mid February. Once it is returned and I make my final changes, I plan to send it out to my beta readers while I search for an agent. So, an advance thank you to my beta readers: Nora, Jason, Scott and Erin. If all goes well I hope to enter it in the 2014 Royal Palms Literary Awards Competition. In short, now that the manuscript is complete, the real work begins. The search for a literary agent and a publishing house. Wish me luck! 2014 is shaping up to be a very busy year. As many of you may know, I finished the first draft of my manuscript on Thanksgiving morning. I just finished making revisions and as of this morning the manuscript is in the mail to my editor! It's an exciting time for me, but after working on this novel almost every day for the past 14 months, I'm at a loss as to how to spend my time. Of course when my editor is finished, then the real work begins. Final changes and pitching the manuscript to agents and publishing houses! Anyone have any advice, I'm all ears.
Our home in South Carolina has become a wonderful writing retreat for me. We haven't bothered to get cable or internet connections, so we spend most of our time reading and writing in solitude. I finished the manuscript much ahead of schedule thanks to our South Carolina visits. In a mere two years we will be living in South Carolina permanently, and I can't wait! I would like to thank my wonderful partner Bill for his help and dedication. He is a wonderful first draft editor and an all around great guy! Thanks Bill for your love and support. I hope to one day be a published author and take you on a nice vacation! |
AuthorDana Ridenour is a retired FBI agent. She spent most of her career as an FBI undercover operative. An award-winning author, Dana lives in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina with her amazing husband. She is the author of two FBI undercover thrillers: Behind the Mask and Beyond The Cabin. Archives
August 2021
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