Exciting times and Guest blogs

Hi All,
 
Sorry I've been away a while - things have got pretty hectic here after all the lovely launch parties and celebrations. I'm trying to be my own PR exec, still doing the day job, and busy with edits for the paperback proof of "The Torn Up Marriage" - which is due out very soon on 7th May!  - as well as the usual home, family events and day to day chores. So life has been exciting, full on and a bit crazy.
 
But I've still been blogging and featuring as a guest on some fantastic Book Bloggers own pages. So thanks to Shaz's Book Boudoir (what a wonderful name!) and the lovely Scintillating Suz (also known as Lavender) for featuring me. Here's a taste of what I've been up to:
 
Shaz's Book Blog Debut Spotlight: http://shazsbookboudoir.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/debut-spotlight-caroline-roberts.html
 
Suzanne and Friends Author Interview: http://www.librarianlavender.com/2015/04/interview-caroline-roberts.html 

And if you are interested in buying a copy of "The Torn Up Marriage" here's the Amazon Link: http://t.co/uqMDVX57UH 
 
Hope you enjoy the features and I'll be back soon. On the next leg of my new journey as an Author!
 
Best wishes,
 
Caroline x

I DID IT!

“The Torn Up Marriage” is published! I am a real author and I had a bloody good 2 days celebrating publication. One with family, one with friends, and both days with lots of social media interaction and congratulations. So it’s been pretty hectic here really. And I’ve now realised I’ve got to become my own promoter and marketing agent… The learning curve goes on!

I have been getting some wonderful reviews and comments on the book. That has been amazing and the best thing – that real readers are enjoying the novel and getting involved with the emotions, the characters, and the themes of love, betrayal and forgiveness. If you want to take a look (or indeed buy the book, sorry for the shameless sales plug!) the reviews are all on www.amazon.co.uk

 

I also wanted to share some of the lovely gifts I had from fantastic friends who have supported me all the way - they even had a cake made of the book cover for me. And, THANK YOU to everyone for following me and my writing journey this far!

Best wishes,

Caroline x

Reaching the Finishing Line…

So, this is really it, only a week to go until publication day for “The Torn Up Marriage” and here's my fantastic cover!

 

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, with a last-minute final proof read to do, which hit the deck just as I was working the day job. Then, a last minute glitch, and a panicky weekend waiting until my editor got back to the office, and could let me know that the proof hadn’t gone live to Amazon etc. And since then, my mind buzzing with promotion ideas. I’ve been busy creating my Author profile and adding my photo to Amazon both in the UK and US – oh yes, I’m going global!

And then,  sat at home quietly at my computer, I searched Amazon for my book, saw it appear with my name on the cover (I love the cover, by the way), my Author page all done, pre-order ready, and out of the blue I had a few tears. This is real. I can now officially announce: I AM A REAL AUTHOR! Wow - I’ve really achieved my dream of becoming published… Ten years writing, at least five years submitting,  and here I am! They were happy tears of course, for what felt like the end of a very long journey and a dream come true.

Of course, it is also just the start of another journey – my life as an Author - and I can’t wait to see how that one goes! But here’s to my debut novel “The Torn up Marriage” – I just hope you all enjoy reading it. And if you do, please take a minute to pop a review on to Amazon, or if you blog, tweet or whatever, let people know. I would really appreciate that. It’s hard for a new author to get known and get out there, so any help will be fantastic.

If you’re a writer early on your journey, very best of luck to you, and keep going. There were times when being published felt just too far from my reach, however hard I tried, but hey, it can really happen! There’s a saying in the writing world which rings very true: “The difference between a published author and an unpublished one is that they didn’t give up!”

Thanks for reading my blog - I’m still going to keep posting here. After all, there’s always more books to write, I’m just at the starting line…

Love,

Caroline x

So you get the Book Deal, what happens next?

Well, it’s been all go for me! So, I accepted the book deal with Harper Impulse back in July, and I’ve recently heard that my debut novel “The Torn Up Marriage” has a publication date of 5^th March 2015! 

But what happens after a writer gets the deal and signs the contract? I suppose every author’s experiences are slightly different - I did spend several days walking around with a silly grin on my face, chanting “I’m a real author” in a Pinocchio kind of voice to myself, then I realised I’d better crack on with the day job, the next novel, the housework and prepare for those impending edits. 

I was a little nervous at the thought of the editing process. My novel, which I’d worked on for a couple of years, was out there in someone else’s hands! It was going to be interesting and, to be honest, a little scary getting a professional opinion on it. Luckily, my fears of huge slashed out sections in red ink did not materialise. I have been working with my lovely Harper Collins editor, Charlotte Brabbin.  Her suggestions were spot on, it felt very much like a meeting of literary minds, and it was great was that I felt in control of my work all along. We worked together to enhance the story, and develop the characters even further, which was a really positive process and I’m sure will make for an even better book. So, the main edits are all done as far as my input is required. I think I get a further copy edit – final grammar, spelling checks etc. and then a final proof.  

 

Hard at work - tools of the trade pen, laptop, coffee, biscuit!

 

The next stage will be the cover. A cover is crucial to help readers decide whether to pick up and buy a book – be it an e-book or in print. I did get the chance to put forward my cover ideas to the publishing team, and have just got back 3 initial cover designs back. They were great, and it was really quite emotional for me to see my name on the cover of a book. There are still some design tweaks to be done, so I can’t share them with you as yet. But watch this space… very soon there will be a cover reveal. It’s all exciting stuff! 

Meanwhile, I have been busy cracking on with writing a third novel, (which is kind of my fourth or fifth really as I have a little stash of “learner novels” put aside). I told you I’ve been writing for a while now! 

Edits for Book 2 are due in shortly, so then I’ll have to put my mind back to those. And I’m also busy thinking about the launch for “The Torn Up Marriage” and supporting that with online and local promotion. So as you can see I’ve been a busy bee. 

I am still thrilled about my dream of being an author coming true and trying to savour every moment, even though it’s been hard work along the way. I cannot wait to hold a real book in my hand with my name on the cover and my words on the pages! It won’t be long now. 

So, if you are busy writing and submitting and wondering if it’s all worth it – keep going! Believe in yourself and your writing. Dreams can come true.  

And if you have any questions at all, please feel free to post them here, I will try and answer every one.

Best wishes,

Caroline x

Happy New Year - Go For Your Dreams!

Just wanted to wish you a very happy and healthy 2015! Hope it's a wonderful year for you all!

2015 is the year I will become a published author with my debut novel "The Torn Up Marriage" - released with Harper Impulse on the 5th March! It's been a long writing journey, and needed a lot of determination and perseverance to get here. But if any of you have long held dreams and ambitions I'd recommend you just go for it. Do your research, take small steps if you need, and learn on the way, but dreams can really come true.

Work hard, keep positive and the very best of luck to you! Have a great 2015!

Lots of love,
Caroline x

Riding the Rejections

Whilst aiming for your dreams, you can often get knocked back. My dream was initially to write a novel (that, I managed okay), and then to become a published author. The submissions went out, the rejections rolled back in. Rejections at any level are tough to handle… and the path to publication is seldom an easy one!  

 

 

A writing friend recently confided to me: “I know that the submission process is subjective, but I really feel disheartened. (You've been there, you know the feeling!) It's as though you just REALLY want someone to give (your novel) approval after all the hours you’ve sat tapping away.”  

I have been submitting my novels to agents and publishers for over 5 years now, I daren’t think how many rejections I’ve had so far. I have actually stopped counting to save my sanity! But the love of writing and the belief in my stories has kept me going. And finally, I have just been offered not one but two publishing deals – I have accepted with Harper Impulse, part of Harper Collins! This is such fantastic news and I’m still riding high. I had already been working on this piece about rejections for my blog, and I feel it’s even more important to share it with you now. The writing I found the easy part, but submitting  - aaarrgh!  

 

 

My experiences along the way helped me to learn, focus and develop. So here’s some hints and tips which I hope might help other aspiring authors who are feeling the knocks out there:

1.)    FOCUS YOUR SUBMISSIONS: Find out who’s looking for clients. I must have wasted so many early submissions on picking some big agency I fancied out of the Writers’ and Artists’ year book, sending a general submission, and getting a standard slush pile reply.  Try and submit to publishers/agents who are openly seeking writers to represent, and check they are interested in your genre. A good tip is to see which publishers and agents are giving 1:1’s at writing conferences. (Check out the Winchester Writers’ Festival, the Festival of Writing at York, the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference if you write romance, and there are now many literary festivals and events around the country). Your local library may have more information. If you can’t get along in person, at least have a look at what’s going on, and who’s there! Up and coming agents  are usually keen on debut writers - keep an eye out on the Bookseller “Rising Stars”, or agents who have left a bigger agency to set up on their own. Also, keep an eye on who’s judging writing competitions (and enter some, appearing on a  competition shortlist is a great thing to mention in a covering letter), and look out for articles on agents and publishers in the writing magazines. (Check out Writing Magazine and Writers’ Forum.) If they are being proactive in seeking out and supporting writers, then they are bound to be more open to reading your submission. And don’t be afraid to go ahead and submit direct to publishers who state they will look at non-agented submissions, for example Carina UK, Harper Impulse for romantic fiction, Choc Lit, Bookouture, obviously check if it’s your genre they publish.  These are mostly digital first; as a debut author it’s a great way to get out there, get a platform, and professional publishing and marketing for your work.

2.)    BE PROFESSIONAL/RESEARCH: Research publisher/agent guidelines for each submission, check exactly what they are, and tailor your submissions. Try and get an individual’s name and have a good reason why you are submitting to them ie do they represent someone you feel you write similarly to, or the genre you write in? Have you heard them speaking, followed them on Twitter or Facebook, listened to their advice, met them at a conference. Think through your pitch, your covering letter, work on your synopsis. Don’t rush it, and equally don’t make your submission too long-winded (for a covering letter or e-mail no more than one page of A4) or gimmicky, just make it enthusiastic, describe your book with passion and a little about yourself, try and think of a single sentence that would inspire a reader to pick up your novel and read it, and consider briefly what’s unique about your work. Test out your letter/synopsis/first chapters on someone you trust, a writer friend or avid reader whose opinion you respect might be ideal. Blowing your own trumpet is sometimes hard, us writers are often shy types, spending hours at home with our heads in our laptops, but we have to sell our stories and market ourselves as a writer.

3.)    FIND A FRIEND (OR A FEW!) Writers are a supportive and friendly bunch. Try and seek out other writers/writing groups in your local area/genre. Again literary events/book signings/conferences are ideal places to make new friends and get some support. Writing can be quite an isolating activity, and much as our friends and families try and support us, it’s quite a unique activity. Another writer can really understand what you are going through. I’m not sure if I could have kept going through all the rejections without the support of my lovely RNA Northumberland group.

4.)    DEVELOP A THICK SKIN: Easier said than done, I know! A rejection will always hurt and give you that horrid sinking feeling. And the self-doubts creep back in. Am I any good at this? Will I ever get published? Am I delusional?  Yes, learn from any critical comments, especially if the same things are being said from various parties, but remember it’s often a  matter of personal taste. It’s like getting someone to fall in love with you – an agent or publisher needs to fall in love with your story. (I have had that response so many times – you write really well, but I just didn’t fall in love/feel passionate enough about it .) Take the positives, learn from any critical comments, pick yourself up, brush yourself down, have a cup of tea, piece of chocolate cake, glass of wine, hug, and carry on.

5.)    KEEP WRITING - DON’T GIVE UP! WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THE TOUGH GET GOING. Perseverance is everything. The only sure thing you’ll know if you stop trying is that you won’t get published. If it’s worth it to you, you will find the energy/time/effort/bloody-mindedness to keep going. Remember why you started writing in the first place. Also give yourself a bit of TLC if you need it - I sometimes used to leave off the submissions for a few weeks, when I was feeling particularly sore after rejections and just get back to the writing. Then, I was soon re-inspired and ready to go again. And, KEEP WRITING! Book One might not be the one that gets you published ( I was on my fourth by the time I got a book deal), so keep going, even when you are submitting one book, get busy writing the next. You’ll be learning your craft, developing as a writer. And agents and publisher like to know you aren’t a One Trick Pony, that you have more novels in you, more stories to tell.

 

Let me know if you have any tips for handling rejections, or experiences too.

I'd love to hear from you.

 

AND, GOOD LUCK!

 

Dreams Can Come True!

Wow, it’s really happened! Ten years writing, more than five years submitting, three completed novels and one in the pipeline, and I’ve only gone and got a 2 book publishing deal with Harper Collins! 

I am working with the wonderful team at Harper Impulse, a fantastic romantic fiction imprint, getting my debut novel  “The Torn Up Marriage” ready for publication. I have my very own editor. I will have someone design a cover for me. I am still pinching myself as I am writing this. I am just so chuffed that at last real readers will be able to get hold of my books, and I hope you will enjoy my stories. 

Sheer determination and perseverance has got me here – as well as hopefully writing some half-decent books! It’s been a long road, and a steep learning curve. But I’ve always loved the writing, spending lots of time with these make-believe people in my head, creating dramatic stories, and using stunning settings inspired by my home county of Northumberland. 

Well, I have been enjoying multiple celebrations with friends, family, my writing support network - I’ll never say no to the bubbly stuff. This really is a dream come true for me – an ambition I’ve had since I was about 12!  

I’ll keep you posted on what happens next. And my publication date!! Woop, woop!

 Cheers!