An Exciting Writing Journey

by Erik S. Meyers

As I write this, I still can't believe my first cozy crime just published this December.
 
I love mysteries and always wanted to write one myself.
 
At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a lot of time on my hands, as many people did.
 
So I got to writing. Three and a half years later, Death in the Ozarks will be published by Level Best Books December 12.
 
So how did I get here?
 
My writing journey began with a novel idea way back in March 2000. That book became my Jewish LGBTQ historical fiction novel Caged Time I self-published with Mirador Publishing in February 2021.
 
From my research, I realized to get a literary agent and a publisher could be a bit easier if I already had something published, even self-published.
 
In June 2020, I self-published my business book, The Accidental Change Agent, a curated series of essays on a wide range of topics from communications, digital transformation, living abroad and more.
 
As the pandemic began, I sat down to write a murder mystery/cozy crime. I love reading mysteries and always wanted to my hand at my own. I did outline the basic story and the characters before I began writing. In a cozy crime, it is important to be clear on who could be the murderer and why and where before you begin. I sketched out several scenarios as I wasn't quite sure. But I also used the ideas to sprinkle clues throughout the book. The mark of a good mystery is allowing the reader to help solve the crime. You shouldn't hide key details or clues from them, in my opinion.
 
I was astounded that I finished the first draft in about 3 months. The writing just flowed, which it doesn't always.
 
So what next?
 
I reworked it myself but I believe it is essential to have an outside editor. You are too close to your writing.
 
I found a great editor through Reedsy and she helped me rework the story dramatically.
 
That's another important thing about writing. Your goal is to tell a great story, not cling to every word in the first draft. You won't be successful. Believe me, I know!
 
The editing and rework took some time, but by the beginning of 2021 I felt I was ready to try and pitch Death in the Ozarks to literary agents and small publishers.
 
I kept an extensive spreadsheet of people I had contacted once I started querying April 2021. In total I contacted 66 publishers or agents. I was so lucky to find my wonderful literary agent Cindy Bullard at Birch Literary. Finding her was really a quirk: it was through PitMad on Twitter (now X). Writers pitch with hashtags and agents and publishers like posts that they want to find out more about.
 
She has been such a strong supporter and was able to sell Death in the Ozarks to Level Best Books (in a three-book deal) in May 2022 and to Blackstone Audio for the audio version in July 2022.

The best advice I can give to someone is: don't give up! One rejection is not the end of the world. And remember, not everyone likes everything they read, so why should an agent or publisher. Keep going, trust in yourself and your writing, and you will go far.
 
Be well!

Currently in Austria, Erik S. Meyers is an American abroad for years and years who has lived or worked in six countries on three continents, the longest in Germany. He is an award-winning author and communications professional with over 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles. Reading and writing are his passions, when he is not hiking one of the amazing trails in Austria or elsewhere.