Spotlight Profile
September 2003
After surviving divorce, raising teenagers alone, and battling breast cancer, Cindy Daniel didn’t throw up her hands in despair. She found Mr. Right and married him, and then she wrote a book. The result, DEATH WARMED OVER—COMING SOON, will be out from Quiet Storm publishing in October and I think you’ll agree, after you read it, that it is fun and humor is very good medicine.
Since this is Cindy’s first trip through the publishing jungle, she has a beginner’s insight into a process some of us are still dreaming of. Her bubbly personality makes her interview feel like we’re sitting in the shade chatting over iced tea.
Welcome to the Spotlight, Cindy Daniel!
IC:
Your first novel, DEATH WARMED OVER—COMING SOON is going to be hitting bookstore shelves soon. How long has it taken for your dream to reach reality?
CD:
I started writing in December 2001 to see if I could do it. Just to prove something to myself. The first draft was completed in May 2002 and I started sending queries out right away. Quiet Storm Publishing signed me to a 3-book deal in November 2002 and my book will be released October 2003. So, I’m a lucky one. My dream is coming true really fast.
IC:
Quiet Storm publishing is the home for the Death Warmed Over series, how many misses did you have before you found them?
CD:
A total of about 120 queries were sent, probably 50% hard copy and 50% email. I received about 90 rejections, the rest didn’t bother to answer. Some of these requested partials and full manuscripts – which was encouraging and kept me going. Also, I had read somewhere that if you weren’t getting a rejection-a-day you weren’t sending out enough queries. That REALLY kept me going. I looked at each rejection as one step closer to getting published.
IC:
Did you query a lot of agents or did you go directly to the small publishers?
CD:
Everything I read, magazines and how-to books, said to query agents.
So, probably the first 75% went to agents.
But I also read that agents were harder to get than a publisher,
so I finally gave in and started mailing queries directly to publishers (small and large presses).
Basically to anyone who would accept my query, with the exception of self-publishing houses.
I had made a decision early on that self-publishing wasn’t an avenue I would pursue.
Death Warmed Over-Coming Soon was started for fun, not because I believed I was incredibly talented.
That’s an issue that is still open for discussion…
If my book was good enough to be printed I needed someone in the industry to confirm that.
I guess you could say I wasn’t confident enough in myself to self publish.
To do that must take tremendous strength and courage.
IC:
Are you still looking for an agent?
Any advice for those just setting out on the daunting agent hunt?
CD:
I am not looking for an agent.
Hopefully the day will come when I will need someone to review royalty statements and such,
but right now I’m concentrating on trying to get my name out and make
DEATH WARMED OVER—COMING SOON a success.
My advice to those looking for an agent is to explore and utilize the many mystery associations available
to you (i.e. Sisters in Crime, Kiss of Death, Mystery Writers of America).
The information they provide new writers is priceless!
I’ve heard several agents speak at their workshops and meetings and have learned so much.
Now, would I have been able to garner an agent had I been armed with this info going in?
Quite possibly.
IC:
How long was the pre production stage with your publisher and what was expected of
you during that time?
CD:
This is hard to answer because I’m still in the pre-production stage.
Since I signed the contract last November the only thing I’ve done (production-wise) is decide on a cover.
An editor has it and will begin working with me soon.
IC:
What did you learn during this time that surprised you?
CD:
I had the idea that as soon as I signed the editor would start re-writing.
For some reason I believed it would take months to go through that cleaning-up process.
My nerves get the better of me when I look at the calendar and realize the release date is so soon and
I haven’t even begun the fine tuning.
But I always calm down when I see the work the Quiet Storm editors have done on the other books
released – AND - they always make the projected release date.
IC:
Promotion is a huge issue for authors today,
especially those with small publishing houses.
What have you done so far to start the buzz about Death Warmed Over-Coming Soon?
CD:
Everything is happening so fast, I feel like I’ve had to take a crash course in ‘How To Be A Published Writer.’ When I was offered a contract I didn’t know what trade paper and mass market meant. Let alone POD, Ingram’s, and B&T. And, like with everything else, every person you ask will give you a different answer.
This, again, is where my Sisters in Crime membership (Guppies, Agent Hunt) has been invaluable. I’ve been able to get expert advice/opinions. I can type in a question, get dozens of viewpoints, and then decide what’s best for me – based on knowledge and experience of others who have been in my shoes.
IC:
Could you give us a timeline for your promotional activities?
CD:
Before I was even picked up by the publisher I had begun promoting; last year at Bouchercon I set information out on the distribution table with the name of my book and my website address. Last month at a conference someone told me they had picked one of my promo pieces and still had it! It worked. But I also immediately became active with SinC, MWA, and several Yahoo lists in order to get involved with the mystery community, start making good contacts, getting my name around – basically networking. Through these contacts I have already received a couple speaking engagements and have become involved with a local Barnes & Noble CRM in planning a children’s mystery event (the CRM has already mentioned having a book signing for me). I plan to have a huge launch party, but won’t plan that until I have my book in hand and know it will be available.
IC:
Do you have any regrets about going with a small publisher?
CD:
None, whatsoever! And, from what I am hearing from many authors, my small publisher is giving me more support than larger houses give new authors. Quiet Storm has an email group that all the authors belong to; we’re in constant communication with each other and with the publisher this way. We share our marketing/promoting successes and also warn about what doesn’t work or may be a waste of time and money. Clint Gaige, the publisher, has a tremendous wealth of knowledge about the publishing industry as well as radio, TV, and movies, and keeps us up to date on current trends. He is also careful to keep us grounded and reminds us that we are in this because we love it. I feel very privileged to be affiliated with Quiet Storm and their authors. Authors which include our own Lonnie Cruse, Randy Rawls, Babs Lakey, Chris Freeburn, Jan Christensen, and Karen Wiesner.
IC:
You’ve probably learned a lot this first time through the publishing mill. Anything you plan to do differently the next time around?
CD:
I have two more books in this series contracted to Quiet Storm, and have spoken with them about a non-fiction account of my breast cancer experience. So, I won’t be doing anything different any time soon. However, I’m very pleased and can’t see that I would change anything. I have, however, learned so much from my Guppy critique group about cleaning up my story that next go round the editor won’t have to work so hard.
IC:
Okay, let’s get personal now. Tell us about Cindy Daniel. What do you do in your spare time? How does that help your writing? How did you get started writing?
CD:
I really got started on a whim. After editing a medical textbook I got it in my head that I could be a writer. My kids are grown, my husband and I are real homebodies, so I didn’t have to sacrifice too much in order to make room for writing. The sacrifice though, and it was HARD, was housework. I no longer clean house.
My kids, well they probably enjoy my preoccupation with writing thereby not meddling into their business. My husband, he’s a saint! He encourages me, supports me, and doesn’t seem to mind that I don’t cook and clean like I use to. Or, maybe he thinks my lack of cooking is a blessing.
Because I have a day job, my spare time is limited to weekends. My favorite past-time is driving through small East Texas towns. My imagination runs wild as we see the lovely ranch-houses sitting on rolling hillsides, cattle grazing. This gives me tremendous peace of mind but at the same times provides setting and background for my stories. Shopping on a town square in a corner boutique is priceless in terms of character mapping.
About the REAL me, well I’m a pretty shy, boring person. I enjoy writing because I can give Hannah and Ruth all those qualities an introvert like me keeps hidden away. My alter ego, so to speak.
IC:
Are you working on the next Death Warmed Over mystery?
CD:
I finished book two (Death Warmed Over-Grand Opening) several months ago and started book three (Death Warmed Over-Private Party). Then decided I needed to take a break, walk away from three until one was released, afraid of getting too far ahead of my self in case the editing process brought changes.
IC:
What have you learned through your publishing experience that you wish you’d known before?
CD:
You know, I don’t think I would change a thing. Every day is a learning experience and I’m loving it. If I’d had a mentor that had held my hand and helped me every step of the way I don’t think I would have the tremendous feeling of accomplishment I have now. That’s a wonderful feeling.
I started with absolutely NO KNOWLEDGE of the writing/publishing business. The contacts I have are because I went out and found them. Nothing has been given to me. The book in my hand – that will be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But wow, what a ride the rainbow has been.
IC:
Thank you Cindy, for sharing this exciting time with us. DEATH WARMED OVER-COMING SOON is a fun fun read. I can’t wait for the next one.
If you’d like to get to know Cindy a little better,
visit her website,
This interview was conducted during the month of August 2003 for SinC-IC
by Kadi Easley.
E-mail Cindy
E-mail Kadi
Read an earlier Spotlight Profile
