Sylvia Weber is the author of the fantasy magic mystery novel, The Wolves’ Keeper Legend (Vanguard Press, March 2009).  We interviewed her to find out more about her latest release and her life as a published author.

Welcome to Beyond the Books, Sylvia. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

I was published for the first time this year.

What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

My first book is this one, The Wolves’ Keeper Legend. I have some others that I wrote later, yet unfinished.

For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I had many rejections. How many, I don’t know. I sent the book everywhere, in terms of mainstream publishers, independently of the publishing tendencies of the companies, because I had the hope that someone who read it could get interested in it and see in it a good business. I absolutely believe in the quality of this book, specially after having received such good critics from unknown people as I did. I didn’t self publish it, but I would if there was no other possibility. I didn’t send it to a vanity press, because the purpose of this publication was never vanity. Those who fight for survival, like me, day in day out, have no reasons for vanity. As to payment, as a first-writer, I had to contribute a little to the payment of this publishing – not in full, though – to minimise the risks to the publishing company. I asked for a loan and it was quite difficult to get.

I must say, to make this clear, that the fact that awoke again my determination to publish was being told several times “We can’t employ you as a teacher, because we can’t be sure that you know enough English to teach!” or “As a foreigner, you couldn’t write a whole essay in English!” I had to prove that I know English, unfortunately, and this was the best way I found.

How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Some rejections made me laugh, some made me cry. I was astonished, when I read rejections with arguments that would put aside great names of the Universal Literature. My husband helped me to raise my head and go on trying; in fact, he tried in my behalf. He kept doing the agent’s job, improving the presentation letters, choosing the chapters, composing the resumes and sending, sending, sending… He kept an agenda of the publishers, of the rejections and of the maybes.

When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

My book was first published in 23 March 2009. It was published by Vanguard Press, a department of Pegasus Elliot McKenzie Publishers. I didn’t choose them; they chose me and I was very happy with their approval. It was the third positive answer I had, I think, but their insistence in the quality of the Work and their conditions were very positive.

How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I felt as if I had won the marathon. I read the letter a thousand times and couldn’t believe that it was real. I put this letter in the wall, like a picture. I celebrated with my family, my husband and my three children, at home. In the next day, I went to work as usual and I didn’t tell anyone.

What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

I sent books to several schools in my area. I also told my mom to promote it in Portugal. The result is that there are interested readers in Portugal, anxious to read it, but they can’t do it in English. So, I must translate it.

If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No, I wouldn’t. I guess, as I’m not a first-writer any more, there may be a possibility of my book being accepted in Portugal, but that’s the only “if” I have to answer to.

Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

I haven’t had other publications, except for my Blog, Rock the Cage. But I am growing and improving day after day, post after post.

Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

It didn’t depend on me at all. I don’t think I could have done anything else but what I did. I was in Portugal, where the conditions to publish are completely different. If I had stayed there, I guess I never would have published. Well, I could have decided to immigrate earlier, study outside, and it would have been good for me. ..

What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

Nothing much has changed in my life, since then. I think at this moment is much more a psychological change.

If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

In the past, I applied to the UN. It would be very fulfilling to work in International Affairs, helping African countries to achieve economical independency. Or, perhaps, something related to Culture.

Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I most certainly would combine the both. I like to work, particularly in a job that keeps me in touch with other people and with other stories. I’m learning every day.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

It is so difficult to foresee the future… I think I will be the same simple woman I always was, but perhaps I will have a better life, without economical constraints. Perhaps I will be able to help more people. I see myself writing – it seems that I can’t live without it any more.