On The Cusp is a regular series I do on this blog, comprising an interview with another writer who’s about to become a debut novelist. I send them the standard list of ten questions and ask them to please pick five, and to also answer the bonus question, since it always leads to unexpectedly interesting answers.
This week we have the US-based Rita Feinstein, who I know through an online group for debut authors. Her novel-in-verse for young adults, Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension, will be out on March 19. Pre-order it here.
Why did you pick traditional book publishing? Why not self-pub or even some other art form, to tell this story? Interpretive dance, perhaps? A computer game? A series of sculptures? Why a novel, with a publisher?
Trad pub has always been the dream, and I’m extremely stubborn! Ever since I wrote my first “novel” (13,000 words, 12 protagonists) at age 10, I’ve been determined to see my books on shelves.
I considered self-publishing but, for a number of reasons, it never felt like the right path. I didn’t trust that I had the skills, discipline, or platform to do my own marketing, so a relationship with an established publisher had always been appealing. Additionally, the upfront costs of self-publishing were a nonstarter for me. I spent several years after college scraping by on barista work and freelance editing gigs, and paying for anything other than rent, gas, and groceries would have broken the bank.
As for “why a novel?”, I was the kind of baby that wouldn’t fall asleep until my parents read like five books to me, so I’ve always been captivated by the written word. Writing is how I process my thoughts, feelings, and the world around me, and has always been the way I feel most comfortable expressing myself.
Why this genre? Why this age group? Why these characters?
Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension is about someone whose fundamental sense of self and reality is shaken, so I wanted it to be a coming-of-age story with a college freshman protagonist. The campus setting–far away from Crosby’s known world–was essential for her growth as a character. In some key ways, her journey mirrors my own–a witchy teen encountering pushback to her beliefs when she leaves her small hippie community for college.
Though I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write about a psychic having a crisis of faith when their apocalyptic prediction fails to come true, it took me years to find Crosby’s voice. It wasn’t until the rise of QAnon conspiracy theories that an essential part of Crosby’s character–her rage–fell into place. It wasn’t enough for her to believe the world was ending; she needed to campaign to save it. Even if saving her loved ones meant pushing them away.
Crosby’s fear and anger define her actions through the novel. When her friends and family dismiss her terror of the rogue planet Malachite, she finds sanctuary with people who do believe her–an online community of conspiracy theorists. My goal with this book was to capture Crosby’s singular experience while also addressing the question of how people–people on the alternative left, specifically–can become radicalized by social media.
As the novel became more emotionally charged and less tethered to reality, I realized it needed to be told in verse. I’ve always written prose, but my technical training is in poetry, and I’d been wanting to try my hand at a novel-in-verse for years.
Was it a long road to get here? Do you have drawers full of previous manuscripts?
Yes and yes! I started querying at age fourteen with a giant mess of a fantasy novel about a dragon saving her hometown from an evil human princess. I still love that book with my whole heart, but needless to say, it is very much in the drawer. Thirteen years and a dozen manuscripts later, I got an offer of representation from an amazing agent. It was another two years before we sold Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension. At that point, having spent nearly half my life querying, I had acclimated to being in a state of constant limbo. It was totally surreal to have an offer in hand and realize that I’d achieved what I’d been working toward essentially my whole life. There were some much-needed celebratory cocktails that day!
How nervous are you, on a scale of 1-10 (I’m sitting at a 5 today) and how are you dealing with that?
Only about a 2, with occasional spikes of 7 or 8. Between my full-time job, promoting Fourth Dimension, and working on other projects, I don’t have much time to be nervous! From having published two poetry collections (Life on Dodge and Everything is Real) with a small press, I know the importance of self-marketing, and while there are many factors outside my control, I like the feeling of agency that comes with doing my own outreach. It’s been really energizing and rewarding connecting with booksellers, bloggers, and fellow authors. Whenever I need to step back from book stuff and recharge, I love cooking, walking my dog, and playing fantasy RPGs.
Most writers on their path to publication think about giving up at some point. Was there anything that made you feel this way? What kept you going?
Oh my god, yes. Interestingly—and depressingly—my request rate declined the longer I spent in the query trenches. I think this is partly because the first couple manuscripts I queried had more marketable hooks and partly because the publishing landscape became more competitive over time. But this knowledge didn’t lessen the sting of my growth as a writer having an inverse relationship to my success. By the time I was querying the manuscript that ultimately got me representation, most agents were ghosting me and the rest were sending boilerplate rejections. The closest I came to giving up was actually just a couple weeks before I got The Email from my agent. After thirteen crushing years of rejection, I just wanted to melt into a self-pitying puddle while watching Miss Americana.
And yet, giving up was never an option. If I hadn’t gotten an offer, I think I’d still be trudging along with the grim determination of Sam and Frodo scaling Mount Doom. Sometimes a rejection would trigger a months-long creative dry spell, and while those fallow periods were necessary for my mental health, the real healing happened when I found my way back onto the page. Even on the hardest days, there’s nothing I love more than writing. And of course, writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum! I have so many people to thank for keeping me afloat during the eternity I spent querying and on sub. To all my friends, family, colleagues, mentors, critique partners, and students who supported and believed in me–you’re the reason I kept going too! Much love ❤️
Bonus question: Is there anything else you wanted a chance to talk about?
I’d love to put in a plug for Writopia Lab, the creative writing nonprofit I work for. We run workshops for kids ages 7-18 at various locations across the country and online over Zoom. If there’s a young writer in your life who’s looking to sharpen their craft, build community, and learn about submission and publication opportunities, send them our way! It’s one of the greatest joys of my life to work with and be inspired by the incredible young writers in our workshops.
For more information, visit Rita’s website.
Lisa Tirreno 