Melissa Ferguson is the author of the new novel The Perfect Rom-Com. Her other books include Meet Me in the Margins. She lives in Tennessee.
Q: What inspired you to write The Perfect Rom-Com, and how did you create your character Bryony?
A: When I stepped foot inside the pitch room of my first writer’s conference nine years ago, I was shocked and humored by the hilariously intense and panicky experience inside the pitch room.
You as an aspiring writer have hung your hopes and dreams (and all your saved up money) to fly or drive all the way across the country for this 15-minute chance to have a one-on-one conversation with the agent or editor who can make all your publishing dreams come true.
There’s a timekeeper stalking down the room announcing that you have five minutes left, three minutes. One minute. A buzzer goes off and the doors open and you are whisked away to let the next set of dreamers in—and you go with one of two things. A rejection, or an email with the request to see your proposal.
The whole thing was so intense and humorous I knew I wanted to write a funny scene about the experience ever since I went. That writer’s conference did, in fact, lead the way to getting my first agent and ultimately a first book deal. And here I am today, writing about Bryony and her aspirations for publication.
Q: What do you think the novel says about the publishing industry?
A: The truth, more or less, for the very few who are lucky enough to break it big. Publishing books is hard work, and successfully publishing books even harder, and those big publishers can and often do absolutely choose who becomes the next big thing by their publicity connections, marketing dollars, and of course, talented veteran writers.
But there are definitely those outliers, like the young Bryony, whose talent resonates with a large audience and picks up massive steam and before you know it, publishers scoop them up and throw even more resources and time towards their books.
When there are millions of books that are published each year, it’s just a fact of life that people can’t read all of them, and so, the big publishers, and their big literary agents with whom they frequently network with, become the gatekeepers to success. Hence why Bryony ended up at that conference seeking the attention of her dream literary agents.
I personally love the publishing world, with all its highs and lows. There’s an excitement in writing more and more books and (hopefully!) becoming better as a writer as I go, and the joy of building a loyal readership. I love seeing the same names online cheering me on with each new publication; it’s truly like we are on the journey together.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Bryony and Jack?
A: I would describe the dynamic as the same one Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock have in Two Weeks Notice. A playful, working relationship that extends far beyond boundaries. Best friends without labels. Opposites who bump into one another in a dangerous night and clasp hands, only to find that eventually the danger is gone and yet they still cling on. I loved their dynamic.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I hope readers come away having laughed and having had a happy time. Life is hard and often harsh and I write to lift spirits and remind people to always have hope because, as hard as life is, there is so much beauty and joy in it too.
As a Christian myself I write clean rom-coms from my worldview that we are all purposefully made and incredibly delicate and yet important souls, who make many mistakes and stumble along the way, but journey on.
Love wins. We learn to forgive. We remember that we are all broken and make mistakes. Hope endures. Happily ever afters do exist.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am working on a sweet murder mystery rom-com! It’s called Without a Clue, and is about the assistant to a renowned mystery writer and his entourage of six famous writers. As they go on a book cruise my character discovers that her boss has been murdered. She is left to the task as they cross the Atlantic of finding out the murderer (and falling in love along the way!).
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Please find me at @ourfriendlyfarmhouse on Instagram or Tiktok! I love my readers and often share recipes, writing news, a variety of my farm animals, and life at our little farmhouse in the mountains.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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