C.J. Miller

For any writers reading this, I thought it might be useful to post my progress in getting my promotional and marketing tools configured, so it might be a jumping off point for your own website creation. Before I was published, I didn't worry about selecting a pseudonym or creating a website. Not only did I not want to jinx myself, I figured when I got published, I would worry about the administrative stuff that comes along with being a writer and setting up a business (more on this later). When I first started looking into creating a website, I was a bit overwhelmed and unsure where to start. I'm going to break the process down into pieces and maybe I can save someone else confusion. Pseudonym: After grappling with several name choices, I decided to pick a pseudonym that is a variation of my legal name. Because my last name is pretty common (Miller), I wasn't too worried about privacy issues. I wanted a name I would respond to, and a name I could easily sign without...

Most authors love to read. I'm no exception. I love to read and have since I was a child. Just thinking of Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, and the Babysitter's Club makes me warm with nostalgia. My late grandmother had shelves filled with Harlequin romances. I think they were Harlequin Presents, although I couldn't swear to it. My mom and aunt read them too and they would pass books by the bagful back and forth. When I could get my hands on one, I would sneak off with it and spend the afternoon reading. That's how I became a 3rd generation Harlequin reader. My love of reading led my imagination to create stories of my own. When I told my husband, who writes as a hobby, about the stories in my head, he said, "Why don't you write the stories down?" From the moment I started to write, I felt something click into place. This isn't to say that anything I wrote that first year (or second) was publishable. But I persisted. Every day, without exception, I...

A brief recap, for writers looking for time lines for their submissions (although it does seem to vary, these are just my dates - roughly): May 2010: submitted a query letter to Harlequin Romantic Suspense (was called Silhouette Romantic Suspense at the time) July 2010: received a request for the full manuscript and mailed it October 2010: received a request for revisions November 2010: mailed revisions March 2011: received a request for a 2nd round of revisions April 2011: mailed revisions July 2011: followed up via email on my submission. September 22, 2011: Got the CALL!

I love reading stories about writers who get the call from an editor or agent when their book is going to be published. In my writer groups, this telephone call is referred to as "The Call." This differs from the dreaded "R," which is a letter of rejection. So without further ado... my story! I had heard that HRS was increasing their word count and I had assumed that when I heard back about my book, it would be either a rejection or another request for revisions to make the book longer. I was cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready to start dinner when I heard the phone ring. It was a 212 number I didn't recognize. I thought the call might be from a contractor we'd hired to install a new front door in our home. I answered and the person asked for me. She identified herself as Shana Smith from Harlequin (at this point I started shaking) and she said they wanted to publish my book (at this point I almost started to cry with happiness). For one small mo...

I read on twitter that Harlequin Romantic Suspense is changing their writing guidelines by increasing the word count for submissions from 55k-60k work to 70-75k words. As a reader, I am not sure I like this. 75,000 words is near main stream romantic suspense, usually 80-100k. One thing I like about Harlequin novels is the length. I don't have as much time to read as I'd like, and the shorter format means I can get to the happily ever after in a night or two of reading. As a writer, my heart dropped. I have three completed manuscripts written to the 60k word count requirement. Could I edit those to be longer? If I did, would the story be as good? How can I use the extra words to have the most improved impact on my story? Should I start over with a fresh manuscript? Thinking about the manuscripts I've written, there have been times when I delete massive chunks of writing or feel rushed at the end to tie up the story neatly and stay under 60,000 words. So as the initia...

The RWA conference starts tomorrow. I haven't received a letter from HRS regarding my submission. This means 3 possible situations: 1. they sent a reply and my mailman lost it / gave it to the wrong address (this happens routinely) 2. my manuscript is still under consideration and I could be receiving a call from Harlequin any day now. (I am still not at the 3 month mark for follow ups) 3. the response is en route at this moment Let's hope it's #2.

When I purchased my car over a year ago, the dealership placed a sticker advertising their place on the back. It wasn't a large sticker, but it bothered me. Buying a car was not a good experience (the games! the stress! the pressure!), I didn't think I needed to provide free advertising in the form of an ugly crown-shaped sticker. Over time, the sticker cracked and chipped and looked plain awful. Every time I saw that sticker, I glared at it. I finally decided to do something about it. A few squirts of DW-40, a paper towel and a little rubbing, and that sticker is good as gone. I will never have to look at it marring my car again! Why I didn't do this sooner, I have no idea. Ten minutes will save me hundred of moments of irritation, however minor. My new resolution: do what I can to make life less stressful, however small, and be more relaxed overall! What small irritants could you take care of day and never have to think about again? Crooked picture frame? Scuff mark...