Getting Past the “Scary” Publishing Gatekeepers

(An Interview with Carrie Schmidt)

Welcome! Introducing Carrie!

Carrie Schmidt is an avid reader, book reviewer, story addict, KissingBooks fan, book boyfriend collector, and cool aunt. She also loves Jesus and THE Story a whole lot. Carrie started the popular blog ReadingIsMySuperPower.org in 2015 and since then has had the honor of co-founding the Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat and JustRead Publicity Tours. In addition to these endeavors, she is a regular contributor to Seekerville and has written for magazines such as RT Book Reviews and Christian Market. Carrie now lives in Georgia with her husband, though her roots range from East Tennessee to Central Kentucky and northern Illinois.

Connect with Carrie by visiting readingismysuperpower.org to follow her on social media or subscribe to email updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meezcarriereads OR https://www.facebook.com/meezcarriewrites
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/meezcarrie
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Interview with Carrie

Tell us about yourself

I am an avid reader who loves talking about books, Jesus, and THE Story (not necessarily in that order). One of my first five words was ‘book’, so my life as a bookworm was pretty much a given from the beginning. Haha. I am a partner in JustRead Tours (we generate blog & social media buzz for books), and I also score the speaking exams that internationals take for career advancement or higher education. In my spare time (hahahahahahahahaha)… Ok, in my former spare time, I used to love working puzzles (jigsaw & word) and cross stitching. I’m also a big true crime TV buff.

Tell us about your books

Well… there was my very first book, which I wrote (and illustrated, thank you very much) when I was five. The Tree That Loved Everyone. Other than that (lol), Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers is my very first book. It’s a resource for authors (aspiring & published) that I wrote with three other women–an agent (Hope Bolinger), a publisher (Linda Fulkerson), and an editor (Rowena Kuo)–to help navigate one’s way through the gates of this industry. I represent the ‘readers & influencers’ gate.

Tell us about your family

I live with my husband in Georgia, where most of our family lives as well. We have no children, but I’m the very proud aunt of eleven nieces and nephews (between my brother & my husband’s two brothers). Eight of them live nearby and I love being invested in their lives!

What inspired you to write this book?

It was twofold. Firstly, I was invited to participate by Hope & Linda. It was definitely not in my plans to ever write a book (The Tree That Loved Everyone notwithstanding) and I debated with myself for a while over whether I really had time to add this to my plate. And, honestly, I didn’t have time. But–and here’s the second part-I kept feeling God’s nudges to do it anyway, that it was another way I could help authors get their books in front of readers–something that’s been part of my personal mission statement since 2015.

Are there specific experiences God lead you through to prepare you to write this book?

Oh man, so many. It’s been a whirlwind of a last few years. In 2013, about this time of year, I got very sick very suddenly. To the point that I could barely get out of bed for days. It took me seven years to be properly diagnosed with Stage 3 Lyme Disease, and during that time I had to give up a lot of things I loved as my health deteriorated. When I became too ill to continue teaching my beloved English As A Second/Other Language adults, I felt rather lost and defeated. But God showed me that He wasn’t done with me yet and I needed to focus on what I could still do, not what I couldn’t. That led to starting my blog–Reading Is My SuperPower–in 2015… which led to the opportunity to help start the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat and JustRead Publicity Tours. It’s also led to being part of the ECPA’s Art of Writing Conference. Such blessings, each of those opportunities. And they all taught me so much about readers and influencers and authors — preparation that God used in each chapter of my section of Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers. That was a really long way of saying that He never wastes anything we go through–the good stuff or the hard stuff!

What one thing do you want readers to take away from your book?

Your story matters, and here’s how to get it read.

What is the toughest test you’ve faced as a writer?

TIME. Lol. Finding time to write my chapters, of course, but also time to promote the book and do all the ‘extras’ that go along with publishing a book.

What accomplishment are you most proud of, writing-related or not?

I think I’m most proud of being part of the founding team of the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat. It was the first event like it, in Christian Fiction circles, at the time, and I think it drew attention to the need for community for both authors and readers–together. Several other fabulous author-reader communities have sprung up since then, and I’m so excited to see what God continues to do with the groundwork CFRR laid for engagement & fellowship.

What do you do for fun when not writing?

I read. All the books. Or at least that’s what I’m aiming for, lol.

What are you working on now and how do we find your books?

I’ve put aside my writing hat for the foreseeable future, and I’m back to reading, reviewing, blogging, and JustRead work. I’m also one of the co-directors of this year’s Art of Writing Conference which I’m super excited about. You can register HERE. And you can find Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers at retail sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. As for The Tree That Loved Everyone… well, my mom probably has a copy somewhere LOL.

About the Book

Title: Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers

Genre: Non-Fiction / Writing Resource

Publisher: Scrivenings Press LLC

Remember when Dorothy finally reached the Emerald City only to be halted by the Gatekeeper, blocking her hopes of seeing the Great and Powerful Wizard?

The path to publication is like that. Agents, and Editors, and Publishers, oh, my! Each one is a barrier between you and a publishing contract.

But what if you understood what agents, editors, publishers, and readers really want?

If you’re struggling to get past the publishing gatekeepers, this book will give you a behind-the-scenes peek at how to win the heart of each type of publishing professional. In fact, Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers won’t just give you a peek—it will give you a guided tour. In this book, four publishing professionals—an agent, a publisher, an editor, and an influencer—share what it takes to unlock each “gate” within the publishing industry.

Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers is a must-have resource for all aspiring authors, and it offers insights to help multi-published authors as well.

Subscribe to the Publishing Gatekeepers newsletter and receive a tip sheet on 12 ways for getting past the gatekeepers.

My Review

I’ve only read Carrie’s portion of this book, and I can already say every aspiring author should read this book. If you want to know what it takes in the publishing industry, these ladies have given you the keys to unlock the gates. Carrie’s portion is something that every author, new or long-time, can benefit from. She focuses on the readers—which is who we’re really writing for, anyway. Every author looks for new ways to reach their readers and sell more books, and Carrie gives some great tips on how to do just that. Chock-full of advice, examples, and resources—Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers—is a book for every author’s arsenal.