A Writer's Dream Comes True: My Path to HarperCollins

When your dreams come true, it's hard to believe you're awake. HarperCollins Childrens Books has acquired World English rights for the first four books in my Winged Herds fantasy series! Here's the blurb from Publisher's Weekly today:

 

"In a four-book pre-empt, Rosemary Brosnan and Karen Chaplin at HarperCollins Children’s Books took world English rights to a debut middle grade fantasy series, called The Winged Herds, by stay-at-home mother Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. Jacqueline Flynn at Joelle Delbourgo Associates brokered the sale, and the first book, The Winged Herds of Anok, is tentatively slated for fall 2014. The work, Delbourgo said, has drawn comparisons to Erin Hunter’s Warriors series; Alvarez’s story follows five herds of winged battle horses, called pegasi. Chaplin will be editing the series."

It's humbling and amazing.

The editors, Rosemary Brosnan and Karen Chaplin, at Harper have been wonderful and my agent, Jacqueline Flynn, has shepherded me through this whole process with enthusiastic expertise.  

The road to Harper began in May of 2012 when I changed my thinking about traditional publication. Instead of "it will never be me", I started thinking "why not me?" It was my frustration with being passed over for job employment that led me to change my thinking.

The world was upside down and wrong side out--I was a forty-two year old college graduate who couldn't land a job interview! The recession had decimated my husband's construction business, our savings, and our equity, landing us in a five year struggle to stay afloat--but competition for jobs is fierce and my B.A. could not overcome my non-employed years as a stay-at-home mom. 

So I decided if the possible were suddenly impossible, then the impossible must suddenly be possible. It made a weird kind of sense to me. I'd been submitting novels on and off to publishers since I was 19 years old, but I'd never had a hard time finding a job. Now that the world had reversed itself, I decided my time to break into publishing had come! I would just need a better book.  

Star
The black foal of Anok

Eight days later as I was driving down the freeway, I was struck by the vivid image of a winged horse. She was flying south for the winter with her herd, but she was falling behind. The mare was heavily pregnant with a very special colt named Star. I knew he would be born a dud, a pegasus who is unable to fly, but I also knew he held the future of the herds in his helpless wings. I had to write his story! 

Forgetting market trends and what's hot with publishers--I threw myself into my pegasus book and had a blast writing it. In fact, it was like the book wrote me. Soon after I finished the manuscript, I sent it to Jacqueline Flynn of Delbourgo Associates. I had queried her months earlier with a teen novel that she'd kindly passed on. This time she requested the full manuscript and then offered me representation! This began our journey to HarperCollins.

Jacqueline sent the book on submission to publishers and then set an auction date. HarperCollins came in early with an impressive four-book pre-emptive offer which we were happy to accept!

I can't wait to work with my new editor, Karen Chaplin. I don't believe writers can be objective about their work, and I think every writer is improved by a good editor. Think of the relationship between athlete and coach. Ms. Chaplin is an experienced professional developer of books and authors. The opportunity to grow as a writer under the guidance of someone like Karen is an amazing opportunity! 

Signing the contract!

A few friends asked me if I'm intimidated by a four-book deal. Absolutely not! I recently wrote a post about an author's need for a team--well now I have HarperCollins and my fabulous agent, Jacquie Flynn, behind me. I am surrounded by talented professionals who want me to succeed.

It's exhilarating! I can focus on writing and promoting full-time, and I have an advance to take some of the financial stress out of my life. Instead of carving out time for my "hobby", I can now officially call it my job without getting an eye roll from anybody. It's a luxurious feeling! 

I'm grateful to my husband and friends (online and off) who have supported me, my agent Jacquie for pulling me out of the slush pile, and the fantastic team at HarperCollins Children's Books! But I will always be especially grateful to Rosemary Brosnan and Karen Chaplin who understood so well mine and Jacquie's vision for the Winged Herds series. Rosemary has been promoted to Editorial Director of HarperCollins Children's Books. Congratulations Rosemary!

Is this a dream? I don't know, does it matter? It's my reality now and it feels as good as I thought it would.

by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez 

*Update: The series has been retitled The Guardian Herd series. The first book, STARFIRE, released in hardback on 09/23/14!

Book #1

Book #2