One of the things people ask me quite often is about time - how there's time to write, especially when you have a full time job/several other jobs/children or a family to look after. I don't have kids so I can't currently comment on that, but I will say that I have the utmost respect… Continue reading Managing your writing time
Tag: writing
Dealing with rejection
One of the things that crops up again and again when speaking to writers is the idea of rejection. Hand on heart, I don't think I know a single author who has not been rejected in some shape or form, so believe me when I say it is not uncommon and you are NOT alone!… Continue reading Dealing with rejection
Why the submission process takes so long
One of the things that gave me a huge amount of anxiety when I was first trying to get published was being on submission, which I've written about briefly before. However, the thing that crops up time and time again through talking to other writers is the waiting times - how long it can sometimes… Continue reading Why the submission process takes so long
Publicity – what to expect as a new author
I had some great suggestions for blog posts this week from the lovely Book Connectors Facebook group - thank you everybody for commenting! It was really interesting to see some of the questions people were wondering about, and I want to do my best to try to answer some of them in the next few… Continue reading Publicity – what to expect as a new author
What an editor looks for and why
This should really be called what a commercial editor looks for, as that's what I'm talking about here! As part of my day job as a fiction editor, I need to commission a certain amount of titles per year to make sure that our division of the company makes money. This is, in fact, a… Continue reading What an editor looks for and why
Pigeonhole – the book club in your pocket!
I'm so excited to be partnering up with Pigeonhole, a digital serialisation company that will be giving away sections of my book, The Doll House, for FREE! It's very simple to join up and they will then deliver the full book (in sections) to your phone, along with extra content from me and the opportunity… Continue reading Pigeonhole – the book club in your pocket!
How the editorial process works
So you’ve reached the amazing stage where someone wants to publish your book. You’re excited, you’re nervous, you’ve finally been able to tell your friends and family without panicking that you’ll somehow jinx it and your publisher will call you to tell you that actually, sorry, this whole thing has been a strangely elaborate joke.… Continue reading How the editorial process works
That two week feeling…
Yesterday, someone asked me if I was feeling happy about how my first book, The Doll House, is doing. 'I don't know,' I replied, and I wasn't trying to be evasive or modest or cagey or any of those things, I just really found it hard to explain how I am feeling two weeks after the… Continue reading That two week feeling…
Facebook Live on the HarperCollins page
Tomorrow afternoon at 4.45pm, I will be live with my lovely editor Charlotte answering readers' questions about The Doll House and writing in general. I have done some of these before as the interviewing editor, so it will feel very strange to be on the other side of it! It will be hosted on the… Continue reading Facebook Live on the HarperCollins page
How it feels to have a book published
It's 4.38 am, in the early hours of Thursday, 14th September. I'm wide awake, staring into the darkness of my room (well, mainly darkness. I live next to a train line so there is the occasional flashing light!). I have to be up for work in less than three hours, but even though I know… Continue reading How it feels to have a book published
The Worried Writer Podcast
Last week, I spoke to the absolutely lovely Sarah Painter, who runs a brilliant podcast called The Worried Writer. I've listened to her podcast for the last couple of years - I used to listen on my walk to work before I got lazy and started taking the bus) and it's honestly such a great… Continue reading The Worried Writer Podcast
Behind the Scenes at the Doll House
I wanted to give a little insight into the inspiration behind my first novel, The Doll House. The book is in no way autobiographical, but the central image is based upon a house my own father made for me when I was a child. We lived in Essex back then, in a tiny village (which… Continue reading Behind the Scenes at the Doll House
My time as a sorority sister – Marie Claire
It was an absolute dream come true to write a piece for the brilliant Marie Claire, which appeared earlier this month and is here below in full. Being in a sorority was such a strange but fascinating period of my life and it was really fun to revisit it by writing this piece. Plus they… Continue reading My time as a sorority sister – Marie Claire
The submission process…
I wanted to write a post about the submission process, which can be one of the scariest times in a writer's life. I remember when I first went on submission I spent ages reading blogs about it to see what other people's experiences had been and compare them to my own, but the truth is,… Continue reading The submission process…
The Doll House on NetGalley
Calling all book reviewers and bloggers! Very happy to say that my book, The Doll House, is now available to request on NetGalley (and has been as of Friday!) I would have posted this earlier but I've just got back from the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival - more on that later. If you're interested in… Continue reading The Doll House on NetGalley
