27 Rewrites to Launch Day: A Debut Novel Story with Heather LeRoss {ep. 240}
October 28, 2026
Heather LeRoss rewrote her debut novel 27 times, landed an agent, went on submission, and heard "we didn't connect with the voice." So she opened her own press and published it herself. Writers sitting on a manuscript will hear how revision, honest feedback, and one hug from Hoda Kotb got What's Left is Hope published.
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Heather LeRoss has been in Alexa's world since the mom blog days, and Alexa published her first book, the humor collection Just Tell Me I'm Pretty, in 2017. Her debut novel, What's Left is Hope, took a much longer road: 27 rewrites, a beta reader who called an early draft crap, an agent, eight or nine months on submission, and a string of editors who loved the premise but "didn't connect with the voice." Then Hoda Kotb asked to read it, and Heather didn't have a copy to give her. That's when she and her husband opened Offramp Books and published it themselves. Listeners will hear how to ask for feedback you can actually use, what an agent can and can't change, why women's fiction still has a strong readership, and Alexa's honest advice for anyone starting a small press.
Heather LeRoss has been in Alexa's world since the mom blog days, and Alexa published her first book, the humor collection Just Tell Me I'm Pretty, in 2017. Her debut novel, What's Left is Hope, took a much longer road: 27 rewrites, a beta reader who called an early draft crap, an agent, eight or nine months on submission, and a string of editors who loved the premise but "didn't connect with the voice." Then Hoda Kotb asked to read it, and Heather didn't have a copy to give her. That's when she and her husband opened Offramp Books and published it themselves. Listeners will hear how to ask for feedback you can actually use, what an agent can and can't change, why women's fiction still has a strong readership, and Alexa's honest advice for anyone starting a small press.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
- Tell your first reader how to deliver feedback. After a brutal critique, Heather asked her editor to use the sandwich method. Same honesty, but in a form she could act on, and it led to the emotional depth the book was missing.
- Count your rewrites and keep going. Heather rewrote What's Left is Hope 27 times. The draft Alexa read years ago and the book that launched are very different books.
- "We didn't connect with the voice" may be an opening-chapter problem. Heather decided her voice wasn't the issue. The humor just showed up too late, so she deleted chapter one and rewrote it with the funny up front.
- An agent is a milestone, not the finish line. Heather signed, revised in three days, and still spent eight or nine months on submission before pulling the book back.
- Push back when a note changes your theme. Her agent suggested merging two friend characters. Heather kept both because the new friendship shows Hope growing, and her agent agreed.
- Women's fiction still has readers. ALLi's income research found almost 70% of self-published authors are women, and they out-earn men in indie publishing.
- If you open a press, go all in. Alexa's advice: you can't be a part-time publisher, and IngramSpark plus Amazon will carry you until you can afford print runs.
Heather LeRoss is a writer, humorist, and improv performer who spent about 25 years in marketing copywriting before turning to books. Her first book, Just Tell Me I'm Pretty: Musings on a Messy Life, grew out of her blog about parenting a son with ADHD. Her debut novel, What's Left is Hope, is women's fiction about divorce, grief, friendship, and starting over, published October 27, 2026, by Offramp Books, the press she runs with her husband. She made her stand-up comedy debut in September and teaches improv. Find her at heatherleross.com.
Resources and Links (affiliate links included)
Resources and Links (affiliate links included)
- What's Left is Hope by Heather LeRoss, her debut women's fiction novel, launched October 27, 2026: Amazon
- Just Tell Me I'm Pretty: Musings on a Messy Life by Heather LeRoss, her award-winning humor collection, published 2017 by Alexa's press: Amazon
- Heather LeRoss's website, books, buy links, newsletter, and upcoming giveaways: heatherleross.com
- Heather on Instagram, @heather_lerossauthor: instagram.com/heather_lerossauthor
- ALLi Indie Author Income research, the women-in-self-publishing numbers cited in the blog: allianceindependentauthors.org/incomefactors
- 2027 10th Annual WIP Summit Kickoff Party, free, Thursday, October 29, 2026, 1 to 2 pm Eastern: Register here
- 2027 Women in Publishing Summit, virtual, March 4 to 6 and 8, 2027, $147: Get your ticket
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