Kelly McClymer started her career writing science fiction but achieved her goal of being a published author when she branched out into historical romance novels. She decided to try something new and dove into the Young Adult world of fantasy and witchcraft.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
For me, the hardest part of writing is knowing when I’ve done the best job on a scene, so that readers feel like they’re living it with the characters. A famous writer once said to skip all the boring parts, and I aim to do that, but I’m never sure I have—there are many things that others find boring that I am fascinated by, for one thing. So I like having beta readers and editors to double check me.
When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I first started writing for my high school newspaper (I was co-editor and did movie reviews). I began writing short stories and submitting short science fiction stories in college, but didn’t have the confidence to begin a novel until after college. My first novel is firmly settled under the bed, but it did get me an agent and some interest from publishers.
My second novel, a historical romance entitled The Fairy Tale Bride, was the first novel I ever published. My agent loved it, but we had some trouble selling it, until Kate Duffy, an editor from Kensington Publishing, made an offer for it—and two more books about the somewhat unconventional Fenster siblings. Thus was born the seven-book Once Upon a Wedding series, which I’ve just finished releasing in ebook.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (if any)?
I got many a rejection on the way to the publication of my novel. I educated myself by reading writer’s magazines, joining writer’s organizations, and going to writing conferences in the hopes to find out the “secret.” But, ultimately, it was just a matter of timing — I signed with an agent who had a good relationship with Kensington Publishing and they were starting a new historical romance line and eager for new writers. I was lucky—but I also was prepared to take advantage when lightning struck because I had a book ready, and I was willing to write the next few books under very short deadlines (this is a common occurrence in romance publishing).
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