Updated post as of 11/11/18! Read how one old story was given new life – three times!
I wanted to give you an example of a rejected project that nagged at me until I finally sat down and rewrote it in Scrivener, converted it to an ePub, then released it as a novella out into the world. This is how I gave an old story new life.
The Christmas Thief, a cozy mystery, started off years ago as a romance with a completely different title. I’d written a few chapters, sent them to a publishing house, and got the coveted letter asking me to send the rest of the book.
I was thrilled! (Like doing-cartwheels-in-the-house kind of thrilled.)
My kids were little then, and I struggled to write the remaining chapters amidst the chaos. But I did it and sent them off to the publisher.
Unfortunately, the manuscript was rejected. Broke my heart! So, I picked myself up and wrote another story ~ and that one was rejected too. (What did these people want, anyway??!) Eventually I wrote a chick-lit novel (Chocolate Beach), and that first sale led to other book contracts.
Give an Old Story New Life … as a Novella
But I never forgot about Tasha and Marc in the little town of Cottage Grove. So, I dusted off that original manuscript … and realized that it needed work. As I read through it, I winced at the passive voice and one-dimensional characters.
Still, I could see the tip of a diamond peeking out beneath the rubble, so I called my mom, Elaine, a mystery fan, and asked her to brainstorm with me. The result was the novella, The Christmas Thief, my first foray into the cozy mystery genre.
This little book showed me a few things:
- I CAN write in another genre that I love (more than one agent advised me not to try)
- I CAN sell in another genre that I love (there are two more in the series now)
- I CAN write, publish, and sell eBooks on my own (and you can too!)
In an article for Geekwire, Frank Catalano wrote: “The future of ebook publishing may increasingly belong to the independent author, especially as traditional publishers shift more marketing weight onto the writers while charging a premium for their traditionally published product.”
My traditional publishers relied on me to get out and market my own books, so it made sense for me to hold my finger on the pulse of the market as well – and then to follow where that led.
I followed up my first cozy mystery with book 2 titled All Was Calm, and just released book 3, The Christmas Heist! See how much you can do with old stories??
Do You Have an Old Story Waiting for New Life?
Maybe it’s time for you to experiment, too. You don’t have to change genres, of course, but is there a project collecting dust in your office? An old story you’ve been wanting to change in some way or finalize? Can you think of a way to breathe new life into it? To reach a new audience now that some time has passed and you have grown as a writer?
Well, then … just do it. (You knew that was coming, right?)