Monday, May 23, 2011

Good news

No, not mine. Not yet, anyway.

There seems to have been a flurry of good news in recent weeks on Twitter and in other writerly places I frequent on the internet. Writers landing an agent, writers getting book deals. It makes me happy, because it gives me hope. There are many good writers out there fighting for so few opportunities, but to see people I know online or in real life actually achieving that success now is highly motivating.

In the meantime I've just about finished this round of submissions for novel one. I'll probably send off one more this week, then I shall take another breather and try to decide whether it is almost time to bypass agents with this novel and starting approaching a few of the indie publishers who take direct submissions. I've always known that it is likely to be a small press book, but ideally I would love to have an agent to present it properly for me. An agent who can also tell me what, if anything, needs to changed or improved before it goes out to publishers and who could deal with the complications of publishing for me, leaving my precious hours free to write.

I learned a lot writing novel one. There's an article by the ever brilliant Emma Darwin on the website of the Romantic Novelists' Association, which I think explains the problems with which I struggled far more articulately than I ever could.

Maybe I tried to be a little too ambitious for the first book I ever completed. It was, after all, originally conceived as a potential project for an MA which I will not now be able to study. But I've always thrived on a challenge and I don't give up easily.

5 comments:

D.J.Kirkby said...

Good luck Cathy. As you know I went with an Indie publisher for my first novel. It was a good experience for me, I felt very supported by my publisher (Punked Books) and still do. I now have an agent and feel nurtured and secure. It was worth the wait and I have never regretted deciding to have my first novel published by an Indie.

Cathy said...

D.J. - I would still prefer to have an agent right from the start, but of course even getting an agent doesn't guarantee a book deal. I can see that your route in is another very valid option, as long as it was a reputable indie. Will have to just wait and see.

Anonymous said...

It's a massive boost when we hear of someone being traditionally published through an agent; these times are really hard and we have to extremely competitive, not to mention patient. Let's hope the next good news tweet is yours.

CJ xx

Jenny Beattie said...

Good luck with your novel Cathy. I know we read quite similar books so I'll watch your journey with interest.

Casdok said...

It will happen :)