publishing | Cindy L. Rodriguez

Back to the Beginning

Posted on December 30, 2025 by cindylrodriguez Leave a comment

On January 10, 2011, I published my first blog post. Here it is:

I decided to start this blog in anticipation of my YA novel RESURRECTING EMILY being sold to a publisher. It could happen tomorrow or months from now. Still, in visiting other author sites, both published and unpublished, the message was the same: it’s never too soon to start sharing your work with the world, hoping to build interest for the day when the manuscript has become a published novel.

So, here I am! I have started by completing the “About Me” section and outlining how I wrote my first novel in the “Resurrecting Emily” section. In future days, I will post the faux-book cover I created to stay inspired and other things related to the novel.

Since I am not a full-time blogger, I won’t be posting daily, but I will be posting at least once a week or when there is news. I will also be blogging about other things that interest me, including YA novels I am reading.

That’s all for now!

Almost 15 years later, I’m back here on the blog. Why? you ask. Why not? I say. Seriously, though, in 2011, having a website and a blog was really THE thing to do as an aspiring writer. Since then, a lot has changed. People dropped blogs for social media content–posts and reels and live events. And many people converted their blogs to newsletters as a more permanent, controllable way to keep in touch with readers. I’ve tried all things, and I’ve realized that this space right here is where I feel most comfortable, the spot I feel like I can most control.

So, let’s get reacquainted. In 2015, my publishing career officially began when my YA novel, retitled WHEN REASON BREAKS, was published by Bloomsbury. My upcoming middle grade contemporary fantasy, THE FIRE SERPENT LEGACY, which will releases 7/28/26 with HarperCollins will be my 10th book. You can explore the web site for the other titles. I’ve written YA, middle grade, and a picture book that’s available in English and Spanish. Two titles are graphic novels based on true events. I’ve done work-for-hire projects as well as my own, and my writing has been published by small and large presses, including one of the Big 5.

I’ve accomplished a lot, but I want to do more.

I’ve learned a lot about publishing, but I still have a lot more to learn.

I have a lot to say, and I’ll do it here.

One thing I won’t do this time is overpromise. I will not post regularly. I know that’s breaking a golden blogging rule, but the reality is I don’t always have something worth posting twice a week or even twice a month, so I’m not going to set a schedule like that. What I will do is post when I have something to say–about the books I’m reading, lessons learned, and other insights like my experiences with work-for-hire and what it means to be a midlist author, which means I’ve had some success but there’s always the possibility that my current contract will be my last.

I’ve maintained the old blog posts that I thought might be helpful–ones about the struggle to find writing time and the process I went through with my first novel. If you have any questions or want me to honestly address certain topics, let me know. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the holidays and HAPPY READING!

Writing

No News Is…

Posted on April 19, 2011 by cindylrodriguez 2 comments

…good news because it’s not bad news, but I wish I had some good news to report.

I haven’t posted anything for a while because I thought, I’ll post something when I have news about the book. But then, I didn’t have any news that I could report. Some things have happened, but I have learned through other online blogs that when it comes to having a manuscript on submission to editors, writers have to ix-nay the alking-tay. It makes sense. It’s kind of like when I tell the world that I have a date, which is always breaking news considering my love life, and then there’s all sorts of excited talk and high hopes. Then, I have to go back to everyone I blabbed to about the date to report that the guy was a rabid gerbil enthusiast or former drug dealer. In other words, not my type.

So, it would be more than a little bit embarrassing to report: “I might have a book deal!” only to report days later: “I don’t have a book deal.” Also, the blogs argue that if an editor Googles a writer and reads in her blog that the manuscript is on its fifth revision and third round of submissions, well…that doesn’t sound good.

On the other hand, hearing about what a writer goes through can be helpful to someone like me, a first-time novelist who had no connections to the publishing world when I started to query agents last summer. Many successful authors have been turned down numerous times before they landed a book deal. (J.K. Rowling anyone?) Just the other day, I read a blog post by Mandy Hubbard, an author and agent whose road to publication included nine drafts and several rounds of submissions to editors. Her novel, PRADA AND PREJUDICE, was bought by an editor who had read it for the third time. I like hearing stories like Hubbard’s because they help me to better understand the process and how long it takes. Of course, these stories also help me to believe that yes, it will happen, although it will take time.

So, while the general consensus is that mum’s the word when the manuscript is on submission, I think it’s safe for me to say that I love my agent, Laura Langlie. All of her comments and suggestions have been right-on. The manuscript today is very different compared to the one she first read, but I think it’s a much better manuscript. I trust that she will find the right home for it, and when that happens, I will post the good news.

In the meantime, I will blab about other things here, like bad dates and good books. On second thought, I think I’ll just stick with good books.