A Huge Announcement!
Today, I am very excited that I can finally tell all of you something I’ve had to keep very quiet for the last few weeks. This is a big one, so hold onto your hats!
I have a book deal!
My agent, Sally Harding, and I, have sold the Canadian English rights to my debut novel, Nowhere Wild, to editor Hadley Dyer at HarperCollins Canada. This is a huge step in my writing career. I’ve worked on this book for over four years now, and the thought that this will actually get published sends chills up my spine.
I cannot begin to express adequate thanks to Sally, as well as Rachel Letofsky and the entire team at The Cook Agency, for continuously pushing me to improve my writing skills, and for finding the right fit for this book. I also cannot wait to begin working with Hadley and her team at HarperCollins to bring this book to market and to make it the biggest success possible.
I must also thank those people who have read the numerous drafts and provided so much feedback, especially Jason Black and Ben Newland. So much of my improvement in my writing skill over the last two years is due to Jason’s amazing editorial feedback, and Ben’s willingness to reread and critique the same book multiple times.
There were many other people who read drafts of this book, and you are not forgotten. Thank you, thank you, thank you so very much for all your encouragement and support.
Last, but not least, I must thank my wife, Lisa, for telling me to buy that laptop back in 2008 so I could use my commute to work for something positive, and for providing so much support (and reading so many drafts) in the last four years. I’ve lost count of how many days she took the kids somewhere so I could write or edit. She believed in me even when my writing was, well, odiferous, always knowing that it would just be a matter of time and hard work. I could not have done it without her.
I will have more information regarding the release date at some point in the near future as the details get ironed out.
Thank you, again, to all who helped me to bring this dream to fruition. I could not have done it without you!
Joe Beernink 
Yay Joe!!!! I can say I know someone famous now!!!! LOL In all seriousness, I can’t wait until it is released.. I will definitely be in line to purchase it!!!
Thumbs up! Be sure to “accidentally” leave copies out on your coffee table at home. “Oh! How did THIS get here? Silly book of mine, always laying about.” It’s what all the pros do.
Good to learn the tricks of trade early!Thanks for stopping by!
That’s wicked awesome, Joe. 🙂 And I’m glad you finally get to announce it!
And! (he remembers, immediately after clicking “post comment”):
Local library systems are your friend. At NW Bookfest last weekend, I had a King County Library System person tell Nathan and I that they’ll purchase just about anything from a local author/publisher, as long as they receive the approprate request for purchase form. I imagine the same is true in Pierce county.
Similarly, KCLS loves just about any kind of programming a local author is willing to do, particularly programs related to writing and publishing. Another librarian friend of mine told me that I was basically guaranteed to be accepted if I pitched them something like that, but to plan it for at least 4 months in advance. That’s about how far out they schedule their meeting rooms. As a nice bonus, KCLS also pays presenters a small stipend, but she suggested not asking for more than about $200, and that you’re allowed to sell copies of your stuff at the event.
And while Harper Collins damn well ought to be doing this for you, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure the book is submitted to Kirkus for pre-publication review, as well as to Booklist and Library Journal. If your book gets reviewed well in Library Journal, in particular, that’s your route into the nation’s library system which can result in a lot of sales.
Congratulations! This is great news and I’m very excited for you. Or course I’ll be buying a copy as soon as it comes out … autograph will be expected the next time you’re back home!
Awesome news, sir! Congratulations to you and the team at Cooke Agency.
Congrats Joe! My wife is an avid reader and I’ll definitely be buying her one of your tomes. I can’t wait to see your books in our local Chapters and Barnes & Nobles!
Joe I am really proud of you. This is awesome news. I guess I have a soon to be famous cousin!!!
Thanks folks. It’s been an amazing 24 hours. Going to be hard to get back to “normal” today.
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Congrats. The first one is always the hardest!
Thanks, Brad! I hope the first one is the hardest. I’m going to be in trouble if it takes 4 years to get each book right.
Congrats Joe! I look forward to reading it.
Thanks, Royce!
Woohoo!! Congratulations Joe!
Morgan will be so jealous (and excited for you!)
Thanks, Rochelle. If you’d just let Morgan drop out of school and write full time, I’m sure she’d pass me in no time.
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