Del Sandeen: Rejections Are Part of a Writer’s Life
Del Sandeen lives in northeast Florida, where she works as a copy editor and writes speculative fiction. Her work has appeared in FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Nightlight podcast, and Gay Magazine. Learn more at DelSandeen.com, and follow her on X (Twitter).
Del Sandeen
Photo by Christy Whitehead; JaxPhotographer.com, 2022
In this interview, Del discusses combining horror with colorism in her debut novel, This Cursed House, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Del Sandeen
Literary agent: Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret LLC
Book title: This Cursed House
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: October 8, 2024
Genre/category: Southern gothic horror
Elevator pitch: Instead of embracing her ability to see ghosts, Jemma has spent her life running from it. But now, she must use her gift to save a cursed family, or else suffer their same fate.
Bookshop | Amazon
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What prompted you to write this book?
I’d just finished a project and I didn’t know what to write next. Usually, an idea comes to me while I’m busy with something else, but in this case, I had to chase the story. The first thing that came to mind was “cursed family.” Being able to explore the ugliness of colorism in a horror story was another huge factor, because both ideas are horrible to me: being haunted by ghosts and purposely discriminating against someone based on the color of their skin.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
The idea sprouted in March 2021, and I completed my first very messy draft in December 2021. The core idea didn’t change, but quite a few of the plot elements did, due to feedback from my agent and editor. One major plot point, however, stayed the same, despite my editor initially wanting me to change it. I entered Berkley’s Open Submission Program in January 2022, so I didn’t have an agent at the time. Once editor Anne Sowards expressed interest, I secured an agent, but I did one major revision during the summer, and in the fall of that year, Berkley made us an offer. Since my novel publishes in the fall of 2024, it took over three years from idea to publication.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I want to say everything was a surprise since it was all new to me! The whole experience was a learning moment, but finding out how much goes on behind the scenes, before a book ever reaches bookstores, is probably the biggest eye-opener. There are so many wonderful and talented people involved in the process, all so that readers can finally hold your story in their hands.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
Yes, I was surprised by the details that emerged as I wrote. I usually have a “big picture” view of a scene, but it’s not until I start writing that small details come out. As an example, I usually have an idea of how a conversation will go between characters, but once I start writing the conversation, they sometimes say things I wasn’t expecting. I’m always delighted by that.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope they’ll recognize the underlying themes. Even though this is a horror story, it’s also a story about family, acceptance, and forgiveness. And for readers who’ve ever dealt with colorism (at any place on the spectrum), I hope it offers some hope and healing, that this issue is something we can work on and work past.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
If writing is what you love, don’t ever give up. Rejections are part of a writer’s life, but instead of viewing them as a reflection of you, remember that they’re a reflection of the subjectivity of the industry. So, keep going, keep improving, keep reading, and most of all, keep writing!
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