We all love 'em. We might publicly tell people something other than that, but when Christmas rolls around, we gather around the tv with our hot cocoa, cookies and Hallmark Christmas movies. Every year, I get a ton of submissions from new authors knowing that these movies are hot commodities and their latest novel is clearly heading straight to the movie screen.
Unfortunately, probably not. Let me explain.
Those holiday slots are prime time slots for authors. Editors work really hard every year on their schedules to find the right author for that slot. They look at sales and they look for those dedicated authors who have been there throughout the year with their stories ready to go. They look to those authors who have not missed deadlines. And that is just for the book.
As for those movie contracts, the production companies are not just grabbing every story. They have to find those projects that are easy to produce, bring a unique twist, and yes, even dealing with the latest current social issue out there.
For new authors, you simply have not proven yourself yet. Sure, you may have written a lot in self-publishing but it is still an extremely uphill battle to even prove you would deserve that slot over those established authors with a following.
Now, are there people out there who have been successful with the holiday story as a "newbie?" Yes. But those are the anomalies I always talk about here.
My personal recommendation. Write those great projects that ARE NOT the holiday stories first. Go with the traditional projects. Get yourself known, and then drop that great holiday project on your editor. You'll have a better chance then!
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