Most fiction writers secretly hope their novels will make it to the bestseller list.

And while author Lisa Borders doesn’t want to write manuscripts that are destined for the rejection pile, she’d rather write the novel in her head than one doctored by a publisher.

Border discussed her second book, “The Fifty-First State” at the Mattapoisett Library on Wednesday evening.

The novel, set in the author’s home state of New Jersey, begins with a heart-pounding accident that leaves half-siblings Hallie and Josh Corson orphaned. Hallie, 37, returns home to take care of her high school-aged brother, and both face a life they never imagined.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Hallie and Josh, Border said writing from several voices was a dicey move.

With “The Fifty-First State” she started out writing from seven different perspectives.

In the editing process, she honed that down to two, but that was as far as she was willing to go. After learning about the publishing industry with her first book, “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” she knew her new novel might be a hard sell.

“A multiple perspective point of view book is going to have a hard time getting a publisher,” Borders said.

Additionally, the author was encouraged to write from the teenager’s perspective so the novel could fit into the young adult category.

“I think that could have been a good book, but that wasn’t the book I wanted to write,” said Borders.

Smaller publishing houses, however, have given Borders more freedom for both of her books.

Finding her own voice in her work is important, and it took a while for the Somerville resident to figure out what she wanted to do.

A biology major at UMass Amherst, she veered from her plan to become a veterinarian and ended up in journalism, including a stint with The Standard Times.

“I loved writing, but I didn’t like reporting,” Borders discovered.

While sitting in planning board and selectmen meetings, she began hatching plots for short stories and novels, and decided to study creative writing in graduate school.

Now, Borders splits her time between teaching at the Boston-based writing center Grub Street, working as a cytotechnologist (reviewing cells from PAP smears), and writing.

“It’s a good balance for me,” she said.

On Wednesday, Borders discussed her writing process, saying she often ends up with 800 typed pages for her first draft.

“I write everything but the kitchen sink. I’m pretty sure this is my process, for better or worse,” Borders said.

The author said it can take her seven years to complete a book, from writing the opening line to edited manuscript – though she isn't writing non-stop during that process.

“It takes a year for me to get to know my characters,” she said. “I have to sit with them a while to make them feel like real people.”

Borders isn’t planning to speed up her process any time soon, and sticking with small, independent publishing houses means she’ll continue to have the freedom to write stories her own way.

Of course, if one of those turned out to be a bestseller, you wouldn’t hear Borders complain.

Read an excerpt of "The Fifty-First State" at lisaborders.com.