Happy Sunday everyone! Just a quick note to say that myself and my brilliant editor Charlotte Mursell (who works at HQ Stories, HarperCollins) are going to be taking part in a pitching session at Retreats For You writing retreat down in Sheepwash, Devon, on the weekend of 9th/10th March 2019. We will be giving advice on… Continue reading Pitch your book to an editor!
To agent or not to agent
One of the things people sometimes email me about is getting a literary agent, and whether or not they should. Nowadays, with so many new publishers doing exciting things and the self-publishing industry booming too, I can completely understand why you might feel as though you don't need an agent. However - and this is… Continue reading To agent or not to agent
Win a free copy of my book!
Hi everyone, I have finally managed to get my act together enough to make a newsletter, and you can be the first to sign up here! By joining my newsletter, you agree to receive occasional emails from me with all my up-to-date book news, giveaways, book recommendations, publishing industry insights, and writing tips. You can… Continue reading Win a free copy of my book!
The Girl Next Door
I am finally able to reveal the cover for my second book, The Girl Next Door! I love this jacket so much - the designer Anna Sikorska has done an amazing job. It's always so nerve-wracking seeing your cover for your book (and this was actually not the first one I was shown) but I'm… Continue reading The Girl Next Door
Writing a Psychological Thriller
I did a workshop a couple of weeks ago at the lovely Chiswick Book Festival (which if you've never been I'd really recommend, it happens every September I think and there's a huge range of brilliant talks - everything from cookery demonstrations to author panels and discussions) - anyway, my workshop was on how to… Continue reading Writing a Psychological Thriller
Upcoming book events!
I am speaking at a couple of literary festivals this summer which I'm very excited about! I am also running a workshop on writing a psychological thriller on September 15th at the Chiswick Book Festival, so if you think you have a novel in you, please do come along! Tickets here (booking advisable). For those… Continue reading Upcoming book events!
A day in the life of an Editorial Assistant
This week, I am pleased to bring you a second 'day in the life of' post, this time featuring the lovely Molly Walker-Sharp, editorial assistant at Avon HarperCollins. Being an editorial assistant really is such a vital job - she holds our team together - and it's the first step on the ladder for lots… Continue reading A day in the life of an Editorial Assistant
A day in the life of: Sabah Khan
Today I am speaking to Sabah Khan, Publicity Manager at HarperCollins. Below she shares some insight into what being a book publicist is really like, and some tips on how to secure a job in publicity. 1. Please describe your job – what does it involve? The role of a publicist is really varied! Essentially… Continue reading A day in the life of: Sabah Khan
Two more books!
One of my dreams came true this week, which was to be able to tell everyone that I have signed up for two new books with the fabulous HQ Stories, a commercial division of HarperCollins. You can read the release in The Bookseller here, and The Girl Next Door will be published on April 4th,… Continue reading Two more books!
Getting a job in publishing
This week has been super busy with publishing events, speaking on a panel for The Printing Charity on Tuesday and giving a keynote speech at the lovely Roehampton University Creative Writing Soiree on Wednesday. Both events got me thinking about careers as there were lots of students wanting to know more about publishing and specifically… Continue reading Getting a job in publishing
Why reviews are so important for authors
My favourite review I’ve ever received from anyone was from a lady named Margaret, who gave The Doll House one star because ‘she hadn’t read it yet.’ While it did make me laugh, reviews like this are surprisingly common and of course they’re frustrating for authors because they can pull down your star rating. In… Continue reading Why reviews are so important for authors
Pricing and promotions
When you give over control of your book to a publishing house, your publisher will then decide on the pricing - how much the ebook retails for on Amazon and other e-tailers, and, through deals with the stores, how much the book will be sold at at retailers such as supermarkets / WHS / Waterstones… Continue reading Pricing and promotions
Responding to edits on your book
As an editor, part of my job is to send authors feedback on their novels and let them know what I think is working well, and what perhaps needs a little more work. As a writer now too, I’ve also experienced this from the other side and I wanted to do a quick post about… Continue reading Responding to edits on your book
Restructuring your novel
Someone on Facebook recently posted to ask me about how to restructure an entire book if it needs a bit of an overhaul. This is something I work with authors on at Avon, and it’s also something I had to do for my own book, so I do have a few tips on the best… Continue reading Restructuring your novel
On being kind to each other
I recently had a bit of an odd experience in an author Facebook group, and it got me thinking about the wider writing community. I suppose I have been lucky – this was the first time I’d ever been subjected to online hate, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a picnic in the park!… Continue reading On being kind to each other
