Writing fiction has long been a labour of love for Innisfail business owner Carol Ritten Smith. Her passion for the written word began with a love of reading, and evolved when she began wishing she could turn a phrase as well as her favourite novelists.
"I started thinking to myself, how do I know I can't write like that unless I try," she said.
With that realization, Ritten Smith began writing what would eventually become her current novel, Subborn Hearts. "I played around with it for a while and then I decided I should probably join a writers' group to find out if I could even really write," she said.
She joined a group in Red Deer that came highly recommended at the time. "They were really a great group," she said. "They were supportive and critiqued very well, and I learned a lot from them."
Eventually, Ritten Smith finished her novel, which grew into something much different than what it was when she started it. She credits the group for its completion. "Truly, I don't think I would have finished it at all if it wasn't for them."
Of course, upon completion of the novel, the natural next step was to begin submitting it for publishing consideration. That's when Ritten Smith learned the unfortunate truth about the whole business of publishing.
"I submitted it before it was ready," she said. "Back then it could take sometimes up to a year to get back a rejection letter. I would submit my book and then sit around and wait, and wait, only to get another rejection letter. I would get frustrated and end up putting the novel away and start working on a short story to sell."
She may have had an unrealistic idea as to the true nature of the publishing process based on her very first submission, she admits. "The first thing I ever submitted to a publisher was actually a short story, and it got published -- so I thought, well this is easy. I couldn't have been more wrong," she laughed.
Eventually Ritten Smith found a publisher, Crimson Romance, which felt the novel was worthy of a chance. "It was a new publishing company that was actively seeking submissions, so I got quite lucky, I think," she said.
The book is a historical romance about a girl who is trying to escape her felonious past. "She has two young brothers she is trying to care for so she takes a job as a school teacher in a one-room school located in a very small town," said Ritten Smith. Eventually suspicions are raised when the brothers begin to do things that draw the attention to the local blacksmith.
"It's a feel-good book, ultimately," said Ritten Smith. "However, there is also a lot of great tension right up until the end."
Of course, having a book published does not necessarily mean it will sell. Ritten Smith found out quickly that she would have to do her own marketing and promoting of the novel if she wanted to see it make it into the hands of actual readers.
"Publishing companies don't promote books like they used to," she said. "I had to learn all about Facebook and Twitter. The hardest part was to learn to toot my own horn. We are taught to not do this, so it is tough to overcome that programming."
While she still sometimes struggles with this aspect of the business, she understands the importance of it. "I now 'like' pages of authors I enjoy and write reviews of their books," she said. "I really encourage people to do this. It creates interest in a novel."
With one book on the market, Ritten Smith has been focusing on her next two novels. One is a contemporary romantic suspense novel with the working title of Hearts Racing, which is currently being reviewed by friends and peers. The other novel is another historical romance, and is about two-thirds competed. "Contemporary books are easier to write in some ways," she said. "You don't have to worry so much about being historically accurate. I really enjoy the research, though."
Plans to publish these new novels are still in the works, however anyone interested in purchasing Stubborn Hearts can do so by visiting any of the major online book sites. Ritten Smith also handles the print-on-demand books through her store, Studio Arts, located on Main Street. "There isn't a lot of money to be made with the print-on-demand books because the author unfortunately doesn't get a special rate. Who knew?" she laughed. "However, some people really don't like dealing with the whole online order process, so I do what I can to provide this service for them at a reasonable rate."
In the end, it is really more about the enjoyment of sharing the story than it is about the money. "Most of us don't usually get rich from our hobbies," she said. "I just appreciate all the support everyone in the community has shown me so far."
