Outside the iconic antique sign of Norstedts Publishing House, founded 1823, in historic Gamla Stan/The Old Town. “Tryckerigatan” translates to “Printing Street”– such a fitting name!
I’m still basking in the warm wishes I received after announcing my book deal on Instagram a few weeks ago! I’m so grateful for the support and encouragement–especially since my journey from aspiring to published author has been far from linear. I started with Penguin USA in 2005, published independently in 2018, and recently signed a contract with Sweden’s oldest publishing house, Norstedts Förlag, to release a Swedish-language version of my third novel in 2021. On the one hand, I’m chuckling at the circuitous route my writing has taken, but I’m also not entirely surprised since it reflects the twists and turns I’ve navigated to establish a writing career.
There is still a lot of work ahead and I’m full of questions. For example, how will the story read in Swedish? How will it be received by a Swedish audience? The tale of Linn and Zoë Holmgren, a mother and daughter who live on a small island in the Swedish archipelago, came to me last year as I vacationed at our own summer place. What would happen if the Holmgrens’ lives intersected with a sophisticated family from New York City? Drawing on my own observations from both cultures, I tried to create a fictional world and explore the themes of mother/daughter relationships, family secrets, race, class and the universal emotion of feeling like an outsider.
One thing is for sure: I would have never caught Norstedts’ attention had I not chosen to self-publish Lagging Indicators. Through a series of coincidences, the novel got in the hands of an engaging editor and thus began a dialogue about my writing and whether I could set a story in Sweden. I accepted the creative challenge, although I was not convinced I could craft an intriguing plot within a Swedish framework. It was almost too close to home and I was wary of mining that terrain. I discovered I could, in fact, remove my inner self from the narrative and assume the roles of my characters. It wasn’t about me, but rather their thoughts, experiences, conflicts and motivations. This has been a valuable exercise for my writing, enabling me to be more brave and authentic.
I’ve explained in a previous post how much insight I gained from releasing Lagging Indicators independently. So, why did I make the decision to shift back to traditional publishing?
For one thing, writing can be a very lonely endeavor and I appreciated the back-and-forth I had with my future editor at Norstedts. Her passion for books, good storytelling and diverse narratives restored my faith in the publishing industry. Norstedts has the potential to open a whole new world for me in Sweden and since this is my home base, I jumped at the opportunity. Previous attempts to attract interest for my writing stateside had left me discouraged, but my point of view finally clicked with a Swedish publisher. You just never know where your voice will resonate!
I’m so excited to work with a team on revisions, proofreading, layout, cover and jacket design, printing, distribution, creating an e-book and something totally new for me, an audio edition (although I won’t be narrating it with my American-accented Swedish 😉). I also look forward to meeting other authors, readers and industry people. Writing/authorship is an ongoing learning process and this new chapter is an unexpected, enriching development!
However, becoming an indie author was the turning point for me. I recall how nervous yet determined I was to get Lagging Indicators out into the world and the byproducts–both large and small–have exceeded my wildest dreams. I hope others will take this as an example to believe in your work and never give up.
I want to share as much as I can with you about the evolution of Sommaren på Nornö/Summer on Nornö, so please stay tuned!