I’m so pleased to tell
you I’ve signed a three-book deal with Hodder & Stoughton.
There have been tears
of joy, celebrations, and just a few nerves at the prospect of deadlines.
It’s
a dream come true, but it didn’t happen overnight.
Oh no.
There’s been so much
waiting, nail-biting and doubt along the way, but I hope my story gives comfort
to others that there is always hope.
So here’s how it came about:
A brief background
My first novel, Her Forget-Me-Not Ex, was published in
2015 by a small press. It sold well, much better than I expected in fact, but
it had always been my goal to have an agent, so when I finished my second book
I sent it out. I signed with Megan Carroll of Watson, Little Literary Agency in
March 2016. Megan loved my second book, a summery friends-to-lovers story set
in Provence. She approached publishers with it, and although we had a few near
misses and really positive feedback, it didn’t sell. I won’t lie, this was
disheartening (for both of us – it’s easy to overlook how passionately
agents represent their clients and how much work they do on their behalf).
During months of not
hearing anything, I had to keep the faith, be patient (I’m not very good at
that) and keep writing.
And then…
On the bright side, the submissions process is a slow one, and by the time Megan had
exhausted her list of publishers, I had almost finished writing my third book
(a Christmas story, set partly in England and in Provence). I’m glad I did
because book 3 attracted more interest, including offers from two publishers.
Celebrate!
I was utterly thrilled
and, after Megan’s call, I confess there were a few tears. This was what I’d
been working towards for the last fifteen years, after all.
I signed with Hodder
& Stoughton, who will publish The
Christmas Holiday in October this year, re-release my first novel (under a
new title) next year, and publish a third book which I’m currently writing in
time for Christmas 2020.
Yet to come
I’ve already begun
working with my editor and her team, and I’m thrilled with how it’s going.
Although I’ve been published before, Hodder & Stoughton is a large
traditional publisher, and a lot of the process is new to me. I never realised
so much work went into bringing a book to publication beyond the author writing
‘The End’. It’s exciting to be getting input from so many experienced
professionals, and I know my book will be all the better for it.
The Novelistas have
asked me to blog about the process of bringing a book to publication, so over
the next few months I’ll be sharing my experiences with you.
One of the things I
love about writing is that I’m constantly learning, and I hope that never
stops.
