collide | Jennifer M Eaton

When Melissa approached me with this topic, I couldn’t resist. The publishing business is so subjective, just like singing. Let’s hear what Melissa has to say!

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Jennifer!

While I know The Voice has been on for several seasons, I only started watching it recently. As cheesy as it sounds, it moves me to watch all the people on this show pursue their dreams. It reminds me so much of what writers go through on their journey to publication, and here are three reasons why.

1. Many of them have walked a long road just to get to the blind auditions. There are so many stories of singers who struggled and worked tirelessly for years for the chance to get on that stage. It isn’t so different for us as writers. Several challenges come up along the way as you work to finish your book, and you need to push forward and make it happen, no matter how hard it seems sometimes.

2. A lot of the contestants talk about going on the show to prove to themselves they can do this. They’re looking to validate their dream, to see that other people can believe in their talent and potential. Even if they don’t get a chair turn, having a successful artist in the music industry tell them they’re
good and to keep working is a huge encouragement. When a writer first starts
querying agents and publishers, similar thoughts cross their mind. If their
manuscript is rejected, constructive feedback can feel like a win. It lets the
writer know, you are almost there. Don’t give up yet.

3. If the contestant gets on the show, it’s only the beginning. They have much to learn and will grow as a result of all they’re exposed to during their time on the show. When your first book finally gets accepted for publication, it’s the
start of the next phase in your career. I’m yet to meet a published author who
said they learned nothing when they published their first book, and I suspect I
never will.

Do you watch The Voice? Can you think of other
reasons why it’s like pursuing publication?

When the balance between Earth, Afterlife, and Heaven are threatened, the fate of the universe falls on a selfish girl who must sacrifice everything to save it.

Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.

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Melissa J. Crispin lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and an adorable Siberian Husky. She spends her days in the corporate world, and pursues her passion for writing in the late nights and early mornings.