Debut 2016 - Day 3 - Sarah Baker

Welcome to Day 3 of the Debuts 2016 series and I am so pleased to welcome a good friend onto the blog. Sarah Baker. Sarah's debut Middle Grade novel, Through The Mirror Door, will be published by Catnip in May this year. As of yet, there is no cover reveal.

What did you do when you found you were going to be published?

I gave a little squeak and ran round the living room. Carefully though, because I was eight and half months pregnant at the time.

How have you kept yourself occupied in the run up to publication day?

I've been kept very busy looking after my baby boy and writing the first draft of my second book, a prequel to Through The Mirror Door, while he's napping. 

Who did you first tell about your book deal?

My sister, Rachael. She was the one who encouraged me to start writing all my stories down and she's been cheering me on ever since (even after reading countless drafts of said stories). 

 How will you spend publication day?

Ooh unless there's a party I don't know about yet, I shall probably be writing and/or entertaining a small boy. I expect I'll be chatting on Twitter though. Ooh, Twitter party anyone? I'll bring cake.

 What advice would you give to unagented and unpublished authors?

Keep going and expect to be in it for the long haul. Through the Mirror Door isn't the first book I ever wrote (that one will stay in the secret draw of best forgotten things). Ask for help too. One of the best things I ever did was go on the Book Bound Retreat. I learned so much, got my manuscript in good enough shape to send out to agents (and got one) and I made the very best writer friends who support, encourage and cheer each other on through the good and not so good times.

***

Thank you Sarah. I totally agree with Sarah about the BookBound retreat. If you get the opportunity to go on it this year, then definitely go.