Today, we’re going to hear from Lisa Orr, a very accomplished woman (Ph.D. in literature from U.C.L.A. and creative and non-fiction writing teacher for 20 years). She has published memoir, book reviews, works of literary criticism, and news stories. Her scholarly essays have appeared in the journals American Indian Culture and Research Journal,  Women’s Studies Quarterly, and others. In 2007, her book Transforming American Realism: Working-Class Women Writers of the Twentieth Century came out from University Press of America. She has edited three anthologies on for Greenhaven Press, and co-edited a special issue of Women’s Studies Quarterly.

But now, she’s trying to become a published writer in fiction.  And she’s finding it tough. Here’s her story.

I bought a bottle of champagne the day I landed an agent, but I haven’t opened it yet. I had worked so hard to find her—sending out more than 100 queries, over the course of more than a year—that I mistook signing with an agent as an end, rather than a beginning.

We all hear stories of writers who get an agent and a book contract all in one week. I myself know of one such lucky person. Much more common, however, is the return to waiting for a response, this time from editors. Of course, a good agent does not merely wait, but follows up with editors. Still, mine tells me that some editors sit on a manuscript for a year before making a decision. I signed with my agent in June, and now, more than six months later, I still await that phone call that means I can pop the cork.

Startlingly, one editor responded that she only takes review-driven books these days. I didn’t know one could get a review before a book even had a publisher. I had to ask my agent what that meant, and she admitted it was the first time she had heard that line, too.

While some reviewing sites, such as Kirkus, offer a pay-for-reviews service, they still want ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) or ISBNs, which means the book has a publisher, even if it is oneself. Most bloggers ask the same. After all, the major reviewing blogs are snowed under with submissions, and must set priorities. If a reader is intrigued by a review but cannot yet even pre-order the novel, how can the review drive sales?

My agent suggested securing blurbs, the brief promotional reviews that appear on book covers, but even there I found that some authors make a policy of not reading books that do not yet have a publisher. Given the time commitment, I could hardly blame them.

My advice: start where you have a connection. I wrote to one author I had been acquainted with 30 years ago in journalism school. He responded generously, reading the manuscript and returning an eye-poppingly positive blurb that made me blush. Another novelist, however, responded that her agent had asked her to blurb many manuscripts, and she had found herself unable to recommend any of them. I thought best to bypass that particular reader.

Then I moved on to emailing authors whose work I admired. Again, I was surprised and touched by how willingly busy authors responded to a request from a stranger. One overworked writer sent me such a kind and supportive no that it was almost as good as an acceptance.

Besides blurbs, I needed a web presence. If editors were going to Google me, I needed to give them something to find. I set up a Facebook Page (as opposed to a personal timeline) and added interesting research tidbits related to my novel. I learned that the algorithms that govern which posts appear in the most feeds favor those with links or images, and that I got the most interactions if I posted on a Sunday morning. Overcoming some initial embarrassment, I invited coworkers I did not know personally to “Like” my page. You never know: the person down the hallway may be an avid fan of the genre you write, and thus your ideal beta reader.

Goodreads.com gave me another way to connect with readers, since I could join discussion forums as specific as “American historical fiction.” It helps me keep up with new books in my genre, and allows writers to upload their own writing, which brings in more readers. So even before my book is published, it has fans!

I confess that I joined the international Historical Novel Society while researching agents, for access to its databases. But serendipitously, I received an email from a woman looking to start a local chapter. There I met an especially generous fellow member, who lives in a remote region and relies on the internet to connect with other writers. She put me in touch with her online circle, and I have learned so much from those interactions that I plan on attending the Society’s conference this June, where we can meet in person.

I don’t live in Manhattan, and I don’t have connections in publishing. But I do now have connections to other writers and readers of my genre. When the day comes to celebrate, I’ll know whom to call.

Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your story, one many of us have shared.  I hope by the time this comes out, you’ll have that contract and have popped the cork.

Her historical novel, The Adventuress, is represented by Joyce Holland of the D4EO Literary Agency.