I have six non-fiction titles in print, all easy access, work related stuff. I'm not bad at taking info and turning it into short sharp paragraphs for busy people. I've been lucky - my first co-authored book (The One to One Toolkit, Julie Cooper/Ann Reynolds) filled a gap in the market and remains on reading lists for training providers and some Universities.
I had this hare brained idea of trying my hand at writing novels when I retire - commercial women's fiction is probably all I'm good for. I've studied the art of storytelling a little for my work (I'm a trainer. I tell a lot of stories). So I've written a fair bit and I tell stories. I have not much clue how well this equips me for writing fiction. I know it's a challenge to get an agent, so in case I end up self publishing, I thought I'd write three novels, so that each can contain a teaser for the others. (I know a bit about self publishing. My first publisher went bust, and after some tortuous journeys looking at the options I decided to do it myself. There is a cupboard full of stock downstairs, and a Post Office a stone's throw away).
The first story in my head was pretty insistent so it got written. It is edited, polished as best I can. When the lockdown came, I saw agents calling for submissions, so I got a wiggle on and sent a query out to a few. I didn't want to be part of the post-corona deluge. I had my first rejection very quickly, which strangely didn't feel bad at all. All par for the course. I hope it makes me part of some special club. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that due to lockdown time, Novel 2 it is now written and I am now editing the first draft. And I'm still four years at least from retiring.
I live in a village about half an hour from Oxford.
Milla Reed is a pseudonym as I think it's sensible to keep the fiction from the non-fiction.
Someone on Twitter asked if I was doing #Pitmad. Turns out its a quarterly thing - if an agent likes…
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Can I have your thoughts? My WIP is commercial women's fiction, covering a mystery/suspenseish issu…
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Hi Anna, I just booked a session with Emma Darwin - when I saved it, it confirmed as for Thursday! Looks like there might be a gremlin in the calendar… Everything else worked fine. Really looking forward to it!
Good question RJ. There is a group - there was a link to it in an early email - but there doesn’t seem to be a way to navigate to it from here. I’m guessing someone missed out linking it to the ‘groups‘ tab here. Let’s hope someone sees your question and fixes it!
I’m coming too! It will be my first, but I guess a lot of us will be in the same boat.
I checked on Linked in and someone else had mentioned so I jumped on the bandwagon!
Well done! There is lots that can be done. I’m bouncing all over Twitter but would like to know a bit more about Harry’s game plan (I'm sure there is one!) before I get too carried away. For example, a couple of folk have asked if the relevant accounting bodies have been contacted - it would help to know. I could take it to LinkedIn, accountants hang out there, their clients probably do to…
Well said! 1,000 views of the YouTube video in the first hour - if we can keep this up, they’re going to have many eggs on their smarmy face!
Just discovered my Emma Darwin session has disappeared. 😙. Back to the drawing board I guess.