Becoming an Author - From First Draft to Publishing Deal (Part 2)
The unexpected journey from manuscript to marketplace
10 weeks until "Harvesting Game" launches
Last week, I shared how my relationship with storytelling evolved from passive consumption to active creation, culminating in the first draft of what would eventually become "Harvesting Game." However, having a completed manuscript and a published book are separated by a chasm wider than most aspiring authors realize. And every stage is a transforming labyrinth of its own, twisting, turning, mutating, hiding, revealing, and growing into an organism of its own… much like kids.
The Humbling: Getting Editorial Help
After the high of completing my first draft came the sobering realization that what I'd written wasn't ready for the world. Not even close.
I sought editing help online, connecting with freelance editors specializing in my genre. The feedback was... illuminating. Entire sections needed restructuring. Characters required deeper motivations. Plot holes gaped wide enough to swallow chapters whole. And I eventually learned that entire sections had to be born.
It's a peculiar kind of devastation to discover that the work you poured yourself into isn't as brilliant as you thought. But it's also a necessary crucible. Every comment that initially stung eventually strengthened the work. My ego stabilized, and I was clear that my story-baby needed some nurturing.
So I revised. And revised again. And then revised some more.
The Great Publishing Debate
With a manuscript that finally felt worthy of readers, I faced the next crossroads: traditional publishing or self-publishing?
I researched both paths extensively. Self-publishing offered creative control and faster time to market, but it required me to handle everything from cover design to marketing. Traditional publishing provided professional support and wider distribution, but it meant surrendering certain creative decisions and accepting a much longer timeline.
I decided to try both approaches simultaneously.
I submitted to publishing houses and agents while also preparing for self-publication as a fallback. I designed cover concepts, researched formatting requirements, drafted marketing plans, and built an initial social media presence. I even worked with illustrators to craft the visuals I thought were essential to my larger vision of how this story should be displayed.
And then, just as I was finalizing my self-publishing timeline, something unexpected happened.
The Call
I didn’t see the message until the next morning. A small but respected publisher was interested in "Harvesting Game." They wanted me to submit more to see if my unique, ambitious pitch was rooted in reality. Then, after their review, they wanted to schedule a call to discuss the manuscript further. This was all from a Twitter pitch event for new authors.
I nearly deleted it, convinced it was either spam or a vanity press trying to separate me from my money. But something made me research the publisher more carefully, and everything checked out. They were legitimate, with a catalog of books I respected.
The call itself was surreal. They saw potential in my work that I hadn't even fully recognized. They fully supported my vision and wanted to help me bring it to life. Most importantly, they believed in what I was trying to accomplish with the story.
We signed the contract two weeks later.
The Real Work Begins
If I thought the journey to a publishing deal was challenging, it was nothing compared to what came next.
Rewriting and editing under professional guidance is an entirely different experience from working independently. My editor pushed me harder than any online freelancer had dared. We went through the manuscript with surgical precision, questioning every scene, every line of dialogue, every descriptive paragraph. I learned the mechanics and magic necessary to write a story that stirred emotions, provided adventure, and incited action.
"Does this serve the story?" became our mantra.
Sometimes the answer was yes, and we kept it. Often, the answer was no, and we cut it—even passages I dearly loved. Occasionally, the answer was "not yet," and we would reshape and reposition until it did.
The Final Stretch
The path to publication continued with reviews—first a developmental edit that shaped the big picture, then a line edit that refined the prose, and finally a copy edit that polished the details. Each stage revealed new opportunities to strengthen the work.
Then came the illustrations. Finding an artist who could capture the visual essence of the world I'd created was its own adventure. We went through numerous concepts before landing on the style you'll see in the finished book.
Now, as I write this, "Harvesting Game" is in its final publishing preparations. The cover is being finalized, the interior design is completed, and the marketing plan is activated (that's what these posts are part of, after all).
What began as a personal creative outlet during a strange period of workplace limbo, then exploded into an entire world during the great global “Panini”, has transformed into something that will soon exist in the world independent of me. Something readers will experience in their own way, bringing their own interpretations and taking away their own meanings.
And that might be the most magical part of becoming an author.
Next week: "The Strategy of All Things - How Systems Thinking Shaped My Work/Art/Life" — A deep dive into the unique perspective that forms the foundation of "Harvesting Game" and how seeing interconnections changes everything.
"Harvesting Game" launches July 29th, 2025. Pre-order HERE.