For a while I had been going through the
motions of sending submissions to agents, but to no avail. Of the roughly 30
agents I had submitted to, only one asked to see the whole manuscript. But that
one didn’t come to anything either, although I am told it was what they call a
‘near miss’.
I
then went through a period of mourning and self-loathing before coming across
Brit Writers and entering the unpublished writers’ competition.
Although I didn’t win it was suggested that I might try the referral service
they provide, and through that I was put in touch with Imran.
Following
several phone
calls to discuss
my submission package and where I could be going wrong
there, I met up with Imran to discuss my book and how I could best place it in
the world. He liked the strong message it carries, promoting awareness about
child trafficking and prostitution through a fictional story.
We went through the book identifying any
issues that might concern prospective agents and publishers. Aside from the fact
that the controversial subject matter might be an issue for some, we wanted to
ensure there was nothing else that would give them an excuse to turn it down.
Imran had previously given my manuscript to a couple of readers asking them to
be as critical as possible, but aside from a few small issues, which were
easily rectified, they were very positive about it. With the reassurance that
my book was the best it could be, Imran suggested we send over a submission
package, that included a cover letter, biog, synopsis and the first three
chapters, to four agents and one publisher to get feedback.
What was the general feeling among the agents
and was your book picked up by anyone?
I would love to be able to say yes, they
jumped on it right away and the rest is history, but it wasn’t to be so easy.
Three agents came straight back to us, one within twenty-four hours, and both
Diane Banks and Eve White asked to see the full manuscript, which raised my
hopes perhaps too high so early on. Unfortunately, it was not for them at that
time. Imran told me not to be too disheartened, that this was just the
beginning and there were many other options available to me. I guess it’s
always the dream of every new author that they will be dragged victorious down
the traditional publishing route to unequivocal fame and fortune, but in
reality, these days, it’s a rarity.
So what happened next?
Well, I picked myself up and Imran suggested
we try a few more agents, with a couple more publishers thrown in. What
happened next still haunts me as to whether I made the right choice, because a
publisher did like my book and offered to take me on. But, and here’s the
crunch: they wanted 80-85% of the royalties. Now what would you do? Would you
take the ‘kudos’ that being with a proper, real publisher brings and give up
all that hard work in order that someone else might reap the rewards, or would
you step out alone into the harsh, endless winter of self-publishing and go it
alone? That was basically the choice; I could have continued sending my
manuscript out in the hope that I might get a better deal, but if that’s what a
publisher wanted from me, and I’d had an agent on board too, what would have
been left for me? I would have lost control, been beholden to a publisher’s
demands, and probably lost my identity to boot. So after much deliberation and
head banging, Imran said that if I took the leap into the unknown world of
self-publishing, that Brit Writers would help and back me all the way.
Why do you suppose Imran persevered with you
and your book?
I think that’s a
question you need to ask him! I don’t know, except that Brit Writers is about
supporting new writers, especially ones that have a purpose. My book, Ring
Around Rosie, was written to create awareness about child
trafficking and prostitution. It’s something I knew nothing about before I
began researching it, and now that I know about this horrifying world I want
others to know too. And teenagers, I think, are a good place to start; they are
keen to learn, and have no preconceptions about things they know nothing about.
I think that educating them though fiction will help them better understand the
reality. And this, I guess, is what attracted Imran – that, and a great story,
obviously!
So, you’re out there,
alone, in the unchartered world of self-publishing.
How’s that going for you?
Well, not too bad. I published an ebook on Amazon and after four weeks it peaked at number 3 on Amazon.co.uk’s bestseller list for children’s Action & Adventure. In fact, it got stuck behind The Jungle Book at number 2, and Treasure Island at number 1, which I guess I can’t be too bitter about! And it also got to number 3 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list for Teen Mysteries & Thrillers.
It’s by no means easy, though. I spend way
too much of my time on social media sites, shamelessly plugging myself. And
that’s not something I find easy at all, it pulls me way out of my comfort
zone, and I wish sometimes that I could just be the writer I want to be, not
the publicist I hate. But this is the path I’ve chosen, for now, so I have to
make the best of it. But you know, it’s only my first book, I can’t expect to
stroll confidently into the party and be accepted straight away. I realise I
have to work for it, and so I will, as hard and for as long as it takes.
And there are great people out there that
want to help and are incredibly supportive. There’s everyone at Brit Writers,
obviously. And there are others I’ve met along the way like Yvonne Grace, and
Maia Walczak, and Sheryl Browne, and Paddy Tyrrell, and Laura Besley, and
Danica Worthy, and Michelle Goode, and, and, and…. There are too many to name
them all, but the point is, I’m not alone, there are many others out there who
are in the same situation, or at the very least understand what I’m going
through, and just having that support is what keeps me going.
Based
on your experience with self-publishing so far, would you recommend it to
others?
At this stage I would say yes, but, firstly,
be prepared to shift your perception of what self-publishing means to you. Yes
you publish without the backing from a traditional publisher, by yourself, but
don’t do it alone. Get advice, build a support network, give your time to
others so that they might reciprocate. Friends are important in this game, and
I don’t mean your mates back home, I mean like-minded supporters who know what
you’re going through, people you admire. Self-publishing suggests you are alone
but actually you need all the friends you can scrape together to keep your mind
on the job, as well as keep you sane.
Ring Around Rosie is available to download from
Amazon
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