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Samantha Stroh on the often misunderstood world of chick lit

The coolest professor I ever had, in a totally out-there OISE course on imagination, asked us to create a character. It only took me minutes, giggling, to conjure the secret life of Wanda X, a leather-loving fetishist.

Creating Wanda X was so much fun, I knew I wanted to write a novel. Not about her – she exited my mind pretty quickly – but in the often misunderstood genre of chick lit.

The pastel covers, strong female friendships and hilarious romances were totally suited to my slightly sarcastic voice. It took me a year to finish that novel, and being young, smug and confident, I went after the big guns, a prestigious New York City literary agency.

I knew the impossible stat that only 1 per cent of writers get agents. But, hell. I was still shocked and ecstatic when one actually came along.

We signed an agreement, and as I held the creamy contract in my hand, I cried a little and dreamed a lot. My agent tossed around delicious words like “auction”, “bid” and “movie rights.” Was it really as easy as it seemed? Sadly, no.

Four years and a few completed manuscripts later, my agent hadn’t found a publisher to buy my books. I despaired, I ranted and eventually I accepted. My smart and edgy chick lit, romantic comedy for those who think the genre is all about shopping and shoes, had nary a vampire or wizard, and traditional publishers were wary of taking me on.

So I pitched magazines and websites. But I still didn’t have what I wanted most (besides the ability to stretch myself beyond 5 feet and for my loved ones to live forever): the right to call myself an author.

And as Canadian publishing houses were shutting down and reputable companies like Penguin began opening up self-publishing options, doing it myself didn’t seem to carry the same stigma any more. E.L. James, Stephen King and the much-hyped Amanda Hocking have done it with astounding success.

Print or ebook? Vanity press or publish-on-demand? After months of researching, I ultimately decided on Amazon’s Kindle platform.

Now, I like my paperbacks, with their dog-eared pages and book smells. But I wanted to see how far my ebook would take me. It cost me quite a bit and was worth every cent. The cover of Finding Lucas is exactly how I’d imagined it, though there was some file converting and computer stuff I knew I didn’t want to mess with, so my beloved and talented Starbucks barista became my tech expert, hand holder and head shot photographer.

Yes, I am still learning how to get Finding Lucas noticed on the world’s biggest bookshelf. And as I hand out photos of my book cover, I know how the Jehovah’s Witnesses must feel when people see them coming.

But some amazing things have happened, too. I was selected as June’s best debut chick lit author on a prominent website, and I’m going on a blog tour in September, which means I don’t have to leave my house or even brush my teeth. I have also met the most supportive and interesting bloggers, reviewers, writers and readers, and my second novel is coming out in the fall.

I may never get that publishing house “call” or do a book signing with people who can actually see me in person, but maybe, just maybe, some Hollywood producer out there….

news@nowtoronto.com | twitter.com/nowtorontonews

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