Guest Column by Natalie Caña

Natalie Caña has been many things: a teacher of fun-sized to king-sized humans, a seriously unqualified softball coach, a scaredy-cat Halloween store manager, an Emmy award winning public television producer, and more. The one thing she’s ALWAYS been, since she first picked up a pencil, is a writer. Her contemporary romance series, Vega Family Love Stories, will add a third novel to the collection with Sleeping with the Frenemy releasing October 29, 2024.

Before recounting my publishing journey, I want to be clear that my experience was not the norm. Please don’t think this is a guide for how things typically go. It’s not. Nor am I bragging. I fully recognize that many things fell into place via divine timing. This is simply me sharing my story.

Now onto the whirlwind that was Fall of 2020…

The Query

Earlier in 2020, I’d entered Author Mentor Match and was chosen by the delightful Brittany Kelley. With Brittany’s guidance and encouragement, I revised the manuscript I ended up selling aka RULES OF ENGAGEMENT aka A PROPOSAL THEY CAN’T REFUSE. Of course, everything was chaos due to COVID quarantine, so I ended up editing in between teaching virtually. I finished on a Sunday afternoon in October and emailed Brittany to celebrate with me. She did, but then she said, “Now write the query letter, because we’re sending out the first rounds tomorrow morning!” Luckily, I had most of a query already written which only required minor changes to be ready.

On Monday morning I woke up, taught my first virtual class for two hours, sent out the first round of queries during the midmorning break, and then went on to teach the rest of the day. Early that evening, I logged into my email account. For reference, I had no reason to expect any replies. I’m simply a masochistic chaos demon. Imagine my complete surprise when I had three requests for the full manuscript waiting for me. I sent them out ASAP and then prepared myself to wait. Everything I heard said these things take time.

The Call

When I woke up the next morning, I had an email waiting for me from an agent, from my dream agency, requesting a call. If you’re unfamiliar with “The Call” like I was, it’s when you get to speak with the agent, ask them questions, answer their questions, and just see how the two of you vibe. Basically, it’s like a professional blind date with someone you matched with online. Luckily, I’d made friends with authors who knew the drill and could share their expertise, so I was prepared for my “Call” with a list of questions to ask and suggestions of what to look for. After my first call, I received my first offer of representation. I felt like I was dreaming. I may have twirled around my house like a Disney Princess for a while. Then I remembered the other agents. Immediate mental record scratch. I had no idea what to do next.

The Nudge

My Author Friends Avengers Crew assembled again and provided a template for a “nudge” email. It went something like this:

“Dear [Agent],

I was blown away to receive an offer of representation within twenty-four hours of submission. I’ve asked for two weeks to respond. I’d love to hear your thoughts on RULES OF ENGAGEMENT. I’ve copied the query below again and attached the full manuscript for your convenience. I sincerely hope to hear from you by [deadline]. Whatever your decision, I’m grateful for the opportunity to put my book in your hands. Thank you for your time & consideration.”  

This email piqued the interest of over half of the agents I’d queried. This wasn’t surprising since I’d learned in many workshops that if their peer wants a book, an agent is more likely to give it consideration. While some backed out due to time constraints and others passed because it wasn’t for them, I ended up having calls with four more agents which led to five offers of rep in all.

Trust me, no one was more astounded by this than me.

I almost felt like I was being Punk’d. Of course, the imposter syndrome quickly set in. I felt an immense amount of pressure to make the right choice, because there was no way I’d ever have this opportunity again. Not to mention that at this point we were nearing the 2020 presidential election and everyone was a mess of stress and uncertainty.

The Choice

I loved all the agents and their ideas for my book and my career. I would’ve chosen them all, if I could. Sadly, *insert Clancy Brown voice “There can only be one.” I tried to go about making a decision the logical way (pros and cons lists, researching sales numbers, talking to clients, Eeny Meeny Miny Moe, etc) but ultimately, I’m not a logical person despite being an information-loving Gemini. Masochistic Chaos Demon, remember? In the end, I had to go with my instincts. I made my choice and felt a sense of peace about it. But, let me tell you, informing the other agents that I didn’t choose them was the worst thing about the entire process. Apparently, I’m a people pleaser. A revelation to me as I typically view myself as a sarcastic and crotchety rebel.

On Submission

Once I signed with my agent, I thought there would be a bit of a break, but that didn’t happen. My agent said we were going on submission and we’d sell by the end of the year. At this point it was still early November, so while I was totally digging her excitement and ambition, I was also skeptical. I’d heard that publishing slows to a crawl at the end of the year due to the holiday season. But I was proven wrong yet again. My badass agent started an auction for my series. This led to more “Calls” but this time with editors at publishing houses. Again, I was stuck wishing I could work with more than one. With the helpful advice of my agent and author friends, I ended up choosing Mira. A week before Christmas, I signed a six-figure contract for a three-book series.

As 2021 started, I struggled to wrap my mind around everything that happened. I felt like there had to be some mistake. At some point everything was going to come crashing down, because this wasn’t supposed to happen so quickly and especially not to me. Hello anxiety my old friend. Then my dear friend, Alexis Daria, said, “This isn’t quickly. Remember all the years of work you’ve put into your career. This is just a reward for all that work.” She was right. Yes, finding representation and signing an amazing deal happened quickly, but I had been actively working towards being a published author since 2010. I’d attended countless conferences and events, joined national and local writing organizations, bought many craft books which I studied cover to cover, built friendships with other authors at all levels in their careers, and wrote/rewrote more words than I can count. Every minute helped me get to the place where I was ready to take advantage of the amazing opportunities the end of 2020 afforded me.

The Work

Now when asked what advice I’d give to aspiring authors, I still freeze for a minute because, ya know, pressure. Then I tell them that I’ve found building a good community while continuously working on the craft is what helps the most. We need people, who truly understand what we’re doing, to share in the ups and downs of this wacky journey that is being a creative. We should also strive to better ourselves with every story we write. There is no point where we can say, “I’ve made it, so I’m done trying.”  So to anyone out there feeling like this isn’t for them or they don’t deserve it… remember that you’ve put in a lot more work than you realize and there is no reason you can’t have a story like mine: surprising but in the very best way.

Sleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie Caña

Leo has been on leave since the gunshot wound that sidelined his career as a firefighter. But that’s not the only thing on ice. His love life has also been on the back burner since his secret relationship with Sofi fell apart. Now, he’s healed and ready to get back to his job and Sofia. On the other hand, she is determined to stay out of Leo’s bed and repair things with his sister, her best friend. Circumstances, however, land them in an uncomfortable roommate situation where proximity, a pair of mischievous grandparents and a rescue dog have other plans.

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