Breaking the Ice with a Debut Novel
Showcase Interviews Crissy Van Meter
Los Angeles resident Crissy Van Meter authored the highly acclaimed debut novel Creatures. A teacher of creative writing at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, she foundered the literary project Five Quarterly, and serves as managing editor for Nouvella Books. We’ve asked her about the debut novel process.
Showcase: When did you start Creatures?
Van Meter: I started writing Creatures in 2015. At first, it began as a lot of notes and then a short story. As I kept going, I realized it was something more and pursued the idea as a novel.
Showcase: How long did it take you to finish it?
Van Meter: About three years. I was working full-time in media and wrote whenever I could.
Showcase: Did you submit the entire manuscript?
Van Meter: I submitted the entire manuscript. I waited until I felt the book was exactly what I wanted it to be before I showed anyone. This took a lot of willpower, but it paid off. I had heard that sending the manuscript in best possible shape, with my real vision, would help in the long run. It did; The published book is very close to what I submitted to agents and editors.Showcase: Did you work through an agent, or go directly to an editor?
Van Meter: I submitted to agents and eventually, my agent submitted to editors. I sold my manuscript to an editor at an indie publishing house in a pre-empt.
Showcase: How did you find the agent? How many houses did you try before acceptance?
Van Meter: I researched and found the agents of books I loved. I cold-emailed about 20 agents. I emailed another I met at a conference. I wrote a very short, and to-the-point query and hoped for the best. About half responded with requests for pages and eventually, I signed with a wonderful agent who really understood my vision for the book.
Showcase: How did Covid impact the roll-out?
Van Meter: Creatures was published in January 2020. I was so lucky to travel for the book tour. I had some events cancelled when March came around, and in general, a lot of press and publicity died off. I think though, that might have happened anyway. I have tried to focus on the wonderful parts of publishing the book (It’s published! It got reviewed! I got a book tour!), but Covid certainly changed things. I did enjoy meeting readers and other writers via online events, and without staying home, I’m not sure I would have met so many people from afar. That part was great.
Showcase: What advice do you have for would-be debut novelists?
Van Meter: Write whatever you want to write. Send it far and wide when you think it’s ready-ready. There are so many pathways to publishing. Keep going. Remember that you wrote a book because you love writing, not because you love publishing.
Showcase: What comes next for Crissy Van Meter?
Van Meter: I’m slowly working on another novel. I spend a lot of time thinking, making notes, collecting ideas, and now, living again. I write to answer questions in my own life, and lately, I’ve got a lot of questions!
Learn more about Crissy Van Meter
on www.crissyvanmeter.com