I was only three weeks into the querying process when I found my match. Her name was Nadene Carter and she had three qualities that put an end to my search.

1) She is a dynamo. A whirlwind of focused energy. Tackling several things at a time, she manages her schedule in a way that gives each project her full attention without ever becoming overwhelmed or frustrated. I saw this in her treatment of my submission, going through the reading with haste, but managing to catch every nuance. At the same time, she was running a small publisher, looking at other submissions, finalizing three other books, and in a way that communicated excitement, not frustration. It’s the way I work. I never expect it out of any other. Nadene is the same way.

2. A positive attitude. The economy isn’t great. The publishing biz is going through tumultuous times. Nadene and NLP see opportunity where most see despair. Seizing the latest POD technologies and using them within a traditional submission/editing/royalty structure, they are upbeat about their chances in a sector that’s become overly glum. The same attitude carries over in her workload (as mentioned above) and her grasp of New Media as an incredible marketing opportunity.

3. Her love of my work. Selfishly, perhaps, this was the overwhelming motivator for me. Nadene fell in love with my characters and my story, even in its roughest form. To this day, she tries to explain to me what sort of potential the Molly saga has, and I find her enthusiasm to be infectious (even if I’m not showing full-blown symptoms yet). The fusion of these three elements creates a driving force, propelling me along, wanting to perform at my best. At times, I feel that Nadene and I are defying the 2nd law of thermodynamics, two dynamos spinning ’round each other, transferring their energy in an endlessly-uphill direction, creating perpetual motion.

It would be dizzying, I’m sure, were I not having so much fun. Anyway, for more about Nadene, check out this interview. I think it says something else about her that I just found out about this and through someone else!

http://lindamfaulknertips.blogspot.com/2009/08/publisher-interview-with-nadene-carter.html