Publisher’s Weekly calls Kirsten Menger-Anderson’s debut, Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain – just out from Algonquin – “Vivid and Original”! Her work has appeared in Ploughshares, the Southwest Review, and other journals. And her story of how the she got into print is inspiring. Leave a comment to win a signed copy of the third book in this month’s 3-book giveaway: Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain! – Meg

Doctor Olaf van Schuler’s Brain is my first published book and the third book that I’ve written, which means, among other things, that I tried and failed to publish two books before I found a home for Dr. Olaf. The first two books may be in a drawer, but more likely they exist only digitally on my computer.

I think the major difference between Olaf and my previous efforts is this: I kept revising and reworking and resending Olaf instead of collecting rejections, getting discouraged and moving on. There are a number of reasons for this. Because the book is a collection of linked stories, I had more flexibility than I would have had with a novel. I could remove stories or add them; I never had time to tire of a character. And I loved doing background reading and research. People drilling holes in their heads? Drinking radium to improve their health? Every time I started a new story, I got to learn a bit more about the odd and often colorful history of both medicine and New York.

Finding an agent for Olaf took some time. I began querying agents well over a year before I found one, and the book my agent saw was significantly different from the book I sent out originally. The stories became more tightly linked. I pulled out pieces concerning the Spanish flu and abortion, and added ones more focused on the head: the title story, which concerns a search for the human soul; a story concerning trepanation, an ancient medical technique involving a drill and a human skull; and a story concerning early psychosurgery. In addition, the role of the Steenwycks family—a fictional line of eccentric doctors—became more clearly defined and present throughout all the stories.

After I signed with her, my agent worked with me on the manuscript, particularly on the ending, which went through several versions before the collection was sent out. And then, indeed, the manuscript went out! Waiting to hear from publishers was nerve-racking; I was very lucky that Algonquin was interested early on. After the contract was signed, I continued to revise Olaf with the help of Antonia Fusco, my editor at Algonquin. She went through several edits with me before the book went on to the copy editor, who made some great contributions as well. I learned a lot at every step of the process.

Only this year, as I started getting ready for the book release (building a web site, getting a photo taken, seeing the first early reviews) has the fact that the book will arrive in October begun to feel real. Of course, I’m very excited, but I’m also nervous and very distracted by all the activity (imagined and real) around the big event. Which brings me to the end of my first book story. Thanks for reading! Before I sign off though, one more thing: I know that rejections can be discouraging. What helped me most was talking to other writers. They aren’t hard to find, and I’ve never met one I haven’t liked. In addition to providing feedback on work, they share experience, connections, support, and advice. So much of writing happens alone in a room that it’s easy to forget how nice it is to talk about the good, the bad, and the confusing with a community of people who can help you recover or celebrate, depending on the day. – Kirsten