Spill the Tea Tuesday: Don't Lego

Today, author Rosalie Spielman is here to spill the tea...

Building a writing career is not unlike building with Legos. Everyone builds a little different, some faster than others, some use different methods and are more or less organized than others, and some might have to restart to make their structure work. But everyone has to put the work in, piece by piece, and build it up over time. 

In 2019, I started querying a cozy mystery. During my research, I was introduced to the mystery writers organization, Sisters in Crime (SinC), and joined the national and local chapters. They are a great organization that has provided a plethora of learning and networking opportunities, and joining ended up being my first step toward publication. In the Lego metaphor, it has been a base plate that provides my structure support. 

As a SinC Chesapeake Chapter member, I received an email about anthology submissions. Had I ever written a short story? No, not really. But I had an idea for a story, so I decided to try it. Grabbing this opportunity ended up being my next building block.

I was shocked when I got the email that said my paranormal mystery short story had been accepted for the anthology. Especially since it had come right after a couple agents passing on full manuscript requests. I was in the process of rewriting (aka rebuilding) that manuscript and was thrilled to know I would have something for my writing resume. I was determined to use my new “cred” as best I could and create some opportunities: I contacted the agents who previously or still had my full, let them know about the anthology acceptance as well as changes I was making to the manuscript. I got three re-requests and one of them stuck. So just a little over a month after hearing I was accepted to the anthology, I signed with my agent. That could be considered several blocks built!

The next opportunity was presented shortly after that. My agent posted that a small publisher, Gemma Halliday Publishing, was looking for more writers for their multi-author series, the Aloha Lagoon Mysteries. Though I was doubtful that I’d be accepted, I did my research and decided to give it a shot, throwing my hat into the ring with four story ideas, plus a writing sample, using my short story for the anthology as my sample! The publisher liked one of my pitches and loved the short story, and asked me to write and submit a synopsis and three chapters. My pitch was eventually accepted, and I signed my first contract in November of 2020.  

That Lego building block became my first book, Death Under the Sea, which led to a second Aloha Lagoon book, Death on a Cliff, which is being released today! Shortly after my contract on my second book, another Lego was added to my build when I received an offer from the same publisher for my original manuscript. Welcome Home to Murder, the first in the Hometown Mysteries series, was published last month. 

And that anthology story, my first publication building block? Strangely enough, it won’t be released until the end of this month! So if you’re interested in the story that started it all, check out Chesapeake Crimes: Magic is Murder! and my story “What’s a Little Murder Between Mammals.”

I’m determined to keep building on my structure, grabbing all the building block opportunities I can! No matter what your end goal, keep working away. I’m no expert, I’m just getting started, and not even sure what my Lego creation will look like in the end! But advice – if you’re a mystery writer, join SinC. And regardless of your genre, build up your resume. Try your hand at short stories, flash fiction contests, or whatever other opportunities come your way. Just keep building!

Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband and four creatures—two teens and two fur babies. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to www.rosalie-spielman-author.com

Welcome Home to Murder, the first in the Hometown Mysteries series, was released in June. Death on a Cliff, Rosalie's second contribution to the multi-author Aloha Lagoon series, will be released today, 9 August. You can find order links on her website. 

The tea has been spilled! Who's gonna clean it up? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments!