Writers know all about reality. We only have to be online for two seconds before we read an article or see a tweet espousing the roadblocks that lay before us.
We know how insanely difficult it is to get an agent. Once we get an agent, we discover how many steps we have to pass through in order to get a book contract. Once we have the contract, we find out crazy things. Like the average book only sells a thousand copies and most authors don’t earn out their advance and forget about making a living. We’re not called starving artists for nothing.
It is super rare to see a debut novel anywhere on a best seller list, let alone the New York Times and USA Today. So when Julie Cantrell’s debut novel, Into the Free, made it on both, I was highly intrigued.
The against-all-odds hope many of us tuck away in our back pocket, became a reality to Julie. I wanted to know what that was like.
So she agreed to be a guest today and answer some of my questions. I hope you enjoy!
When I saw your starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, your book jumped to the top of my to-be-read list. When and how did you first hear about this stellar review? Do you think it has played a role in the success of your book?
I was leaving work and my phone started ringing like crazy. I was getting a lot of calls, texts, and emails all of a sudden, so I assumed something was wrong. I was afraid to answer while I was driving, just in case the news was as bad as I feared. I drove to my husband’s office a few miles away and asked him to be with me while I checked my messages. (I always fear the worst.)
I went to email first and saw a string of messages from random folks asking to be my agent/publicist/website guru, etc. It was strange. I thought I’d been added to some spam list or something. Then, I got to the emails from people congratulating me on the PW review. I still hadn’t seen it and really had no idea what anyone was talking about. I finally found an email from my editor, Nicci Jordan Hubert. She forwarded the review to me and said simply, “JULIE!!!”
I was so green, I didn’t understand the magnitude of such a review. I’d heard of starred reviews from PW, and I noticed the review had a small star in front of it, so I forwarded it to my publisher and agent with a short note…”Have you seen this? Does this mean it’s a starred review?” Within minutes, my agent, publicist, and publisher were all calling me to offer congratulations. That’s when I realized what a big deal it might be. It was one of those life-changing moments, and it’s certainly one I’ll never forget.
And…yes, it has certainly played a huge role in the success of Into the Free. I’ll probably never know who wrote the review, as the power of PW is the anonymity, but I will always be grateful to that reviewer for giving me such a positive start as a debut novelist.
Your book was on the USA Today’s best seller list and NYT’s best seller list two weeks in a row! What was your reaction? Other than it being a phenomenal book, what other factors do you think played into the great sales?
Well, the news that it had reached those two lists was a second life-changing moment, and I was blown away. To be honest, I never dreamed anything like this would happen and I’m completely overwhelmed with gratitude.
My publisher, David C Cook, and my publicist, Jeane Wynn, should both be credited with this book finding its way to readers. They’ve believed in this book from the start and helped it cross the great divide in publishing, finding a market with both CBA and ABA readers.
Did you ever dream this would happen? How you are soaking it all in? Is it having an impact on your life?
I really never did dream of this. I was happy to have a novel published and never set certain expectations when it came to sales or reviews. It’s still soaking in, really, and while I always assumed bestselling novelists were living the highlife, nothing has changed in my life at all as a result of the book’s success.
I’m busier with interviews and author events, but other than that, I muck stalls, cook dinner, drive carpool, teach elementary school, and all the things that most moms do every day. I think it’s still too early to tell how the book’s success will impact my career as a novelist, but I do hope to be able to write fulltime someday.
Other than that…no glamorous high life here, but feel free to soak in the fantasy.
What are you working on next?
I’m writing the sequel to Into the Free, which I’m happy to say will be published by David C Cook. We’re shooting for early Spring 2013, and I hope readers will stay tuned to find out what happens next in Millie’s life.
Thanks for being our guest today, Julie! I’m so thrilled that Into the Free is doing so well. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Let’s Talk: What about you? Do you dream of being a best seller? How do you think you’d react if you discovered your book had made it on one of those lists?
I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it.