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
Writing a first draft
I had someone ask a question recently about how to write a first draft and thought I'd do a blog post on this. The short answer is: you just have to write it! That's not the most helpful piece of advice in the world, but it is the truth. Writing out that first draft can… Continue reading Writing a first draft
Writing a Synopsis
When I first started trying to write, I spent ages agonizing over how to craft a good synopsis to send to literary agents. It was before I worked in fiction publishing, so I didn't have as much knowledge about how it all worked as I do now. But after a question from the lovely Rae… Continue reading Writing a Synopsis
Happy new year!
I wanted to just say a huge thank you to everybody who has been following along with my little blog so far - it's been a lot of fun writing about the publishing world and I hope to do more in 2018! This year has been a very exciting one book-wise, and The Doll House… Continue reading Happy new year!
Digital-first vs paperback publishing
As some of you might know, I am a big fan of digital publishing - my Kindle is my prized possession, it goes everywhere with me and the day my old one broke was a very dark day indeed (luckily, I got a new one WITH A BACKLIGHT)! As a commissioning editor, I have to… Continue reading Digital-first vs paperback publishing
Plotting vs winging it
Whenever I speak to other writers, one of the things I'm always endlessly curious about is whether they plot out every stage of their novel, or simply start writing and see where the book takes them. I'm definitely in the latter camp, although I did try to plot as much as I could for my… Continue reading Plotting vs winging it
Your publisher’s decisions
Signing with a publishing house is undoubtedly a very exciting experience, but it can also come with a side of confusion, especially for debut authors. It can be hard to let your work go, because you’ve worked on it so hard and up until now, you’ve been in control (perhaps with your agent too). I… Continue reading Your publisher’s decisions
The 2018 First Novel Prize
I'm really honoured to have been asked to judge the 2018 First Novel Prize next year alongside literary agent and author Sam Copeland. Sam and I will be reading manuscripts next summer and entries open in February 2018, so if you are an unpublished or self published writer (i.e. you own the rights to your… Continue reading The 2018 First Novel Prize
