Debuts 2016 - Katharine & Elizabeth Corr

Today's guests for the Debuts series are writing sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr,  who published The Witch's Kiss earlier this year. The second book in the series, The Witch's Tears will be published in February by Harper Collins. 

1) What was the reaction to your book cover when it was revealed?

Liz: Extremely positive. We know from the reviews of The Witch’s Kiss that a lot of people were initially drawn to it because of the cover (as is so often the case). Although we didn’t have any input into the cover artwork, we were lucky enough to have the very talented Lisa Brewster (from Blacksheep Design) on board as the designer. She has a lot of experience, and has designed some stunning covers for YA books. Harper Collins provided her with a brief (focusing on the great forest of black holly surrounding our antagonist’s lair) and she came up with a couple of drafts before the final version was decided upon. When Kate and I saw the first draft we were completely bowled-over. We were absolutely ecstatic about the final version.

Kate: As Liz said, the feedback we’ve received for the book cover has been wonderful. We think Lisa has designed a beautiful cover, and we were also thrilled with the Maximum Pop animated cover. Dripping blood is always going to have a certain wow factor!  Lisa has used a similar basic design for the next book in the series, The Witch’s Tears, although this time the cover is a brilliant shade of blue with blood-speckled ice-shards. We’ve already had a lot of comments on social media saying how lovely it is. There’s a link here to an interview with Lisa that we posted on our website, if people want to know more about the design process.

2) What has been the easiest thing about being a debut author?

Liz: Our ignorance! Having never been published before we really didn’t know what was involved, and therefore had very little in the way of expectations to manage. Of course, our agent and publisher have been invaluable in guiding us through the process, but at the outset we didn’t have a clue as to what to expect. We were just so happy to have been taken on by our agents (RCW) and to have landed a publishing deal with Harper Collins. On the flip side, it’s been a real learning curve - finding out how a book evolves from a manuscript into a physical hardcopy in the shops. It’s been incredibly exciting.

Kate: Connecting with other YA writers and readers. There are so many wonderful people who run blogs (like this one!) or organize YA themed Twitter chats. They do an amazing job of bringing like-minded people together. As writers, it’s so much fun chatting about writing in general and about our own books especially, and social media makes it all so much easier.

3) What has been the hardest thing about being a debut author?

Liz: Obviously, we knew our agent and Harper Collins loved The Witch’s Kiss, but we had no idea what sort of reception the book would get from the public. It’s scary putting your work out there to be judged and commented upon, over and over. We have had an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the book, with some glowing reviews and fantastic fan-art. But we’ve had some not so nice reviews, too. We’ve sort of got used to it now. Any writer knows that whilst some people will love your book, others won’t: it’s subjective. But that very first negative review was still hard to deal with!

Kate: Realizing quite how much hard work there is to do, and how much of it isn’t writing! I think, before we had an agent, we had this vague idea that once we got an agent (and a publishing deal) we’d just have to keep producing the words. But there’s so much more to it than that, certainly for a pair of unknown authors. There are an awful lot of books published each year; it’s hard work trying to make sure your voice is heard. 

4) How did it feel to sign your first book? 

Liz: It was very surreal! It was at our book launch back in July. I think I managed to sign the book with the wrong signature, too (we write under a family surname, not our day-to-day names). It was a lovely feeling though, and brought home to me that the whole thing hadn’t just been an amazing dream: we were bona fide published authors!

Kate: Surreal about covers it. I was so nervous that I’d somehow mess it up, by signing the wrong name, or tearing the paper, or writing something stupid. Like Liz says, it was the first time I truly felt yes - this has happened. A moment that’s branded into my memory.

5) What was the best quote about your book that you received? 

Liz: The very first review we ever received was from an incredibly lovely blogger who posts reviews under the name ‘Childishly Passionate’. I remember almost bursting for joy when I read it. She wrote that ‘…this book is an amazing story and probably one of the greatest fantasy books I have encountered in my lifetime.’ 

Kate: Being a massive Harry Potter fan, I was over the moon when a girl on Facebook wrote ‘Just finished reading The Witch’s Kiss. Best book since Harry Potter for me.’ I can’t think of many people I’d rather be compared with than JK Rowling!

The Witch's Tears Summary

Can true love's kiss break your heart...? The spellbinding sequel to THE WITCH'S KISS by authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr. It's not easy being a teenage witch. Just ask Merry. She's drowning in textbooks and rules set by the coven; drowning in heartbreak after the loss of Jack. But Merry's not the only one whose fairy tale is over. Big brother Leo is falling apart and everything Merry does seems to push him further to the brink. And everything that happens to Leo makes her ache for revenge. So when strangers offering friendship show them a different path they'd be mad not to take it...Some rules were made to be broken, right? The darkly magical sequel to THE WITCH'S KISS burns wickedly bright.

To find out more about Katharine and Elizabeth Corr: 

Katherine's Twitter / Elizabeth's Twitter /

Tumblr / Website

Debut 2016 - Chris Russell

Happy Holiday Tuesday! Have you all enjoyed Christmas? I most certainly have. Are you ready for the third debut of 2016? I'm so pleased to welcome Chris Russell onto the blog to tell you all about his debut in 2016.

1) What was the best piece of advice you were given about publishing? 

When I was submitting to literary agencies, I must have read about a million “Top Tips To Attract An Agent” articles, and one of the most popular tips was Know what your next idea is. This feels counter-intuitive for many subbing writers. You’ve obsessed for years over your first book, and the idea that it might not be your breakthrough novel is, in truth, a little too heartbreaking to consider. But one of the great things about agents is that they’re interested in your entire career, and they will always want to know what your second, third, fourth books are going to be.

My agent, Ed Wilson, loved my first novel, Mockstars, but correctly predicted that its target audience was too small to attract a major publisher. He was keen to work with me, but signing on the dotted line hinged on where my career was heading beyond book one. So I pitched him the idea that I’d been turning around in my mind for months (I believe my exact words were “One Direction meets Twilight, without the vampires”), and straight away he saw something he could work with. 

That idea became Songs About a Girl … but it might never have seen the light of day had I not been looking beyond my first manuscript.

2) What kind of reaction have you had from readers?

I feel extremely lucky over the reader reactions I’ve had. One teenage boy told me he’d never bought a book before Songs About a Girl, but he enjoyed it so much that it changed his whole attitude to reading. And receiving fan-art, as well as having people quote my lines back at me (including the lyrics of my fictional boy band, Fire&Lights!) is always such an incredible feeling.  

Songs is, first and foremost, a fun read, but lots of readers have told me that it made them cry, both happy and sad tears. This I really didn’t expect, and it means so much to me. I’ve even had a few people tell me that Songs is their favourite book ever, and they’ve already re-read it multiple times. As a novelist, you really can’t ask for much more than that!

3) What has been the hardest thing about being a debut author?

*FIRST-WORLD PROBLEM KLAXON*

When you initially sign your publishing deal, you have to keep it secret for a little while, until the official announcement. This is hard, but you can at least be sure that the information will be out there at some point. However, I’ve since come to realise that keeping secrets is just an everyday part of author life - and unfortunately, sometimes you have to keep secrets that never actually see the light of day.

I’ve had a couple of super-exciting book-related things nearly happen this year. I couldn’t tell people about them at the time, and I still can’t now, for the purposes of professionalism. This can be hard, especially when I’m around other bookish people and the subjects in question come up. I really have to bite my tongue.  

So, yeah … like I say: #firstworldproblem

4) How has your life changed since publication?

There’s something very, very special about being able to walk into Waterstones and find your book on the shelf. It’s human nature to grow accustomed to things over time, but I try to remind myself as often as possible what a privileged position that puts me in. Pretty much every day, I get up, put on a pot of coffee and write novels. That’s both ridiculous, and wonderful. Long may it continue…

(Ooh, and also - I got to turn on the Christmas lights in my hometown! Which I think means my career must have already peaked.)

5) What was the best quote about your book that you received?

One of my fave bloggers, Sally (AKA The Dark Dictator), started her review of Songs About A Girl with the sentence: “The easiest five stars I have ever given - I’d give it a hundred stars if I could”. When I read that line, my heart grew to the size of a house.

Summary

Charlie Bloom never wanted to be 'with the band'. She's happiest out of the spotlight, behind her camera, unseen and unnoticed. But when she's asked to take backstage photos for hot new boy band Fire and Lights, she can't pass up the chance. 

Catapulted into a world of paparazzi and backstage bickering, Charlie soon becomes caught between gorgeous but damaged frontman, Gabriel West, and his boy-next-door bandmate Olly Samson. Then, as the boys' rivalry threatens to tear the band apart, Charlie stumbles upon a mind-blowing secret, hidden in the lyrics of their songs...

To find out more about Chris Russell:

Twitter / Website

Debuts 2016 - Tamsin Cooke

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you are all enjoying the festivities of the day. In accordance with last year's debuts, I have started the Debuts of 2016 on the 25th to run all the way up to New Year's Day, where I will then introduce you to the Debuts of 2017.

Today's 2016 Debut is...Tamsin Cooke.  Tamsin Cooke debuted this year with Cat Burglar.  Here is she to answer questions all about her debut. 

What was the best piece of advice you were given about publishing?

I think the best piece of advice came from Abi Elphinstone. Just before Cat Burglar came out, she said, ‘Keep your eye on your original goal - to write a book and see it published.  Everything else is then a bonus.’

And now I see exactly why she said it. It’s so easy to sneak sideways glances at other authors who are winning awards, getting amazing reviews, receiving massive exposure or landing film deals. They deserve it and I’m happy for them, but there’s also a part of me that feels rather green.

This is why Abi’s advice is invaluable.  Before I got published, my dream was to see Cat Burglar and Mission Gone Wild on a shelf in a bookshop.  And I’ve achieved this.  So instead of feeling envious, I’m enjoying living my dream! 

Did you have to visit schools and were the visits what you were expecting?

I didn’t have to visit schools, but it’s something I love to do. I used to be a primary school teacher so I feel comfortable around children, and it’s great to try to inspire them.  I turn up dressed like a cat burglar and the kids think I’m cool (until now, no one’s ever thought that). I’m all in black, wearing night vision goggles and grappling hooks.  Not only are the children impressed… I think the teachers might be too! 

How has your life changed since publication? 

Well obviously I can’t walk out my front door without the paparazzi shouting my name, taking pictures. 

Ok, maybe that hasn’t happened…yet!! ; )

But life has changed in little ways. I’m lucky to be getting paid to do the thing I love the most - and what could be better than that? I’ve met lots of wonderful people, including many fabulous authors. I’ve been on writing retreats and workshops. I get to visit schools and work to inspire children’s creativity.  And I know this is rather sad, but I still get a shiver of excitement every time I get to write down my profession when filling out a form. 

What was the highlight of your debut?

There have been so many! It has been an utterly amazing journey, starting with meeting my wonderful agent and then working alongside my fabulous editors.  I literally danced around the kitchen when I first saw the cover of Cat Burglar - it was so shiny! I loved signing my very first book, and there’s nothing better than receiving lovely reviews from people who’ve enjoyed reading it. But if I had to choose the ultimate highlight, I think it would be the moment I held the proof in my hand for the very first time. Cat Burglar was a real book. I could flick through the pages, smell the paper, and see my name on the cover. Then I got to do it all over again with Mission Gone Wild!

What was it like working with a publicist?

It’s fantastic working collaboratively with a team who believe in your book as much as you do. Editors want to make it the best it can be; the marketing department want to get it out there.  Some things can be challenging, especially when you first see the required edits, or when you realise that a scene you love needs changing. But I trust the team and every change I’ve ever made has proven to be for the better. 

Summary

Schoolgirl by day, cat burglar by night... 

Scarlet McCall thinks she has it all figured out. She and her dad are on a mission to return stolen treasures to their rightful owners. But when they take an ancient Aztec bracelet, her world turns upside down. Dad goes missing, and mysterious powers erupt inside Scarlet. She's hunted by sinister people, who will stop at nothing to possess the bracelet. Searching for her dad, Scar must learn who to trust before it's all too late.

To find out more Tamsin Cooke:

Twitter / Website

Introducing the Debut Authors 2016 & 2017

It's that time of year again. And as it was so well received last year, I thought we should do it all over again. Yes, I'm referring to the Debuts series. If you missed it last year, then here is the link.

So back to this year. None of the debuts featured at the beginning of the year for 2016, have been featured again, as I thought it would be really lovely to feature seven other debuts in this series. 

 From the 25th of December through to the 31st of December, I will be featuring seven debuts authors from this year. The authors that will feature are as follows:

Chris Russell - Songs About A Girl 

Sue Wallman - Lying About Last Summer

Eugene Lambert - The Sign of One

Tamsin Cooke - The Scarlett Files: Cat Burglar

Nick Ostler - Defender of the Realm 

Manuela Salvi -  Girl Detached

Katharine and Elizabeth Corr - The Witch's Kiss

And as the New Year dawns upon us, we will celebrate the debut authors who will be published in 2017. The authors featured are as follows:

Katharine Webber - Wing Jones

Alice Broadway - Ink

Amy Wilson - A Girl Called Owl 

Lorraine Gregory - Mold and the Poison Plot

Jennifer Killick - Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink

Simon James Green - Noah Can't Even

Lisa Thompson - The Goldfish Boy

Penny Joelson - I Have No Secrets 

That's the final line up for the debut series. Make sure you come back and join us from Christmas Day onwards as we celebrate the debuts old and new.

Day 8 - Debuts 2016 - Sara Barnard

It's the final day of the Debuts 2015 and 2016 series and I'm sad that it has reached an end. I have loved hearing from all these wonderful authors. Tomorrow I shall do a recap for the whole two weeks with contact details attached for each author, in case you want to follow them on Twitter or check out their website. 

So today, it gives me great pleasure to welcome our final debut, Sara Barnard.

Sara is publishing Beautiful Broken Things with Macmillan Children's Books in February. 

Did you ever feel like quitting writing?

I never thought about “quitting” but there have definitely been times in my life where I lost my way a bit. I was always writing when I was a child, but more or less stopped after I left university. It wasn’t until Beautiful Broken Things that I started properly writing again - just one reason this book is so special to me! 

I feel like writing isn’t really something you *can* quit - being a writer is something you just are, even if you stop doing it for a while, or you don’t have a book deal, or you had a book that didn’t sell, or even if you’ve never completed a whole book.

What was your reaction when you knew it would be published?

Disbelief! When you’ve wanted something so long it takes a while to sink in when it actually happens. Also there’s a lot of secrecy in publishing - a lot of sitting on news for a while before it becomes public - so I had a lot of time to get used to the idea before I could tell other people. So by then I was a lot cooler! If people had seen me the day I got the news they’d have seen quite a different reaction. I sat on the train after the meeting beaming into thin air. I also posted that “Oh Happy Day” song from Sister Act on my Facebook, because why not?!

What advice would you give to unagented and unpublished authors?

Write on. So much of writing and publishing is timing - something I really didn’t understand until recently. If you get rejections, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or even that you’ve written a bad book - there are SO many reasons why a book might not get picked up. But it’s so disheartening that it can be hard to remember that and to stay positive. The best thing to do is write because you want to write, and not because you want to get published. But I know as well as anyone that that is easier said than done. 

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

The day of the book deal was actually the same day that I was going to spend the weekend with some friends for a “feminist Thanksgiving”, so there was lots of wine, good food and friends involved! Although there was also an unfortunate incident that night with a knife, a Quorn roast and my thumb… I still have the scar! I call it my Book Deal Scar. 

How has your life changed since getting a book deal?

It’s changed a lot! I was lucky enough to be able to leave my job and start freelancing, so I have a lot more time to write. My boyfriend and I also got a cat and moved into a new flat in a new town where I now have a writing room. So it’s been a big year with lots of changes. But the biggest difference is I’m able to do something I love and I get to be part of an incredible community full of supportive, passionate people who all love the same things I love! I’m much happier, overall.

***

Thank you Sara for sharing your thoughts with us. Good luck with your book launch. 

And thank you to everyone who has taken part in this series. It has been a blast. Please come back tomorrow for the summary to see if there are any posts you may have missed. 

Day 5 - Debuts 2016 - Olivia Levez

Day 5 already of the Debuts of 2016! Where is the time flying to? I am really enjoying hearing about the hopes and fears of our forthcoming debuts. Today I am pleased to welcome Olivia Levez as one of our featured authors of 2016.

Olivia's book The Island is published in March by One World Publications. 

***

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

I was at school, teaching 11YMI or 9XJU or 8YLE, all the while secretly listening for my phone buzzing from the drawer where I keep controlled assessments. My agent Clare was due to text me about book offers after an exciting day visiting publishers in London. Impossible to concentrate on Of Mice and Men or Macbeth or poetry analysis or learning objectives or success criteria or differentiation or where the heck I’d put the carrier bag containing that class’s exercise books. ‘Miss’ did her best, and kept darting back to her drawer if the class was one of those that could be trusted to get on without someone kicking off or falling off their chair accidentally-on-purpose. 

My TA kept whispering, ‘have you heard yet?’ and other teachers I rarely spoke to kept coming up to me: ‘Have you heard yet?’

‘No,’ I kept saying. ‘Not yet.’ All the time in the back of my mind wondering if the offer/advance would be significant enough to a) pay my mortgage off and b) get George Clarke from Amazing Spaces to come and build me a writing shed at the bottom of my garden.

My phone buzzed.

A text from Clare.

Okay, so I wasn’t going to be getting George in to build me a treehouse/gypsy caravan/hobbit hole any time soon, but here it was: a Real. Live. Offer.

And then another. And another. Three from which to choose!

This is where an agent comes in. Clare held out and negotiated to get me a little more money, and set a deadline for the final offers to come in. Definitely not skills I possess.

My own children listened very nicely when I told them, and showed polite interest. After all, I’d had near misses with being published before, so it was more of a, ‘so, is it actually real this time, Mum?’ response. My friends at a theatre visit that evening bought me surprise prosecco when I told them, and I did feel fairly starry until a friend who arrived late thought I must be celebrating being pregnant!

And then a wonderful weekend in London, having lunch with Clare whilst we decided which publisher to go with, and I stayed with my husband in a hotel opposite Fortnum and Mason, looking all over London and rereading the letters and offers. 

A text from Sarah Odedina, looking forward to working with me.

And so it began.

How has your life changed since getting a book deal?

Mostly, life stays the same: it’s still you, alone at your laptop, tapping away.

Life continues as before. Work. Home. Writing. Work. Home. Writing.

But there are occasional lovely perks: meeting bloggers at my publishers, Oneworld, in their gorgeous Georgian townhouse offices on Bloomsbury Street. (Even the word Bloomsbury always seems wonderfully literary and evocative.) Being given the opportunity to talk about my book to fellow book addicts, and listening to Sarah Odedina pitch my book so thoughtfully and skilfully, and thinking, there’s someone I am really glad is on my side. Lunch with Sarah O, discussing book Two, full of ideas and passion and enthusiasm. ‘This is my favourite part of working in publishing,’ she told me, stabbing at her egg with her fork.

Increased Twitter action, when proofs are sent out, when the cover is revealed. An exciting photo from Frankfurt, seeing an enormous poster of my book placed next to other Oneworld books: Behavioural Economics Saved my Dog and the Booker Prize winner, A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.

And in between, lots of hard work: the many layers that build a book - restructuring, more restructuring, line edits, copy edits, proof reading, more proof reading. And publicity stuff: writing press releases, blog posts for bloggers (thank you, Vivienne), Words and Pictures magazine, message in a bottle to go with early proofs, author videos, more visits to Oneworld offices to meet journos…

I have realised that copy edits give me nausea if I stare at them too long (I think I am actually allergic to them.) So every two hours, my little dog, Basil, is taken on yet another walk, much to his delight (he really likes copy edits).

The other thing that has changed is what to answer to that favourite question of hairdressers: what job do you do? Which to choose: teacher or writer? It still feels incredibly pretentious to say, ‘Oh, I’m an author.’ The reaction is always the same. Students (politely impressed): ‘So will you be really rich then, Miss?’ Others: ‘Are they going to make a film of it?’ and ‘Will you give me a (free) signed copy?’

But mostly, life goes on as before. The buzz of reaching your ‘ultimate goal’ of being published soon settles into another goal of actually selling books. 

And so it continues.

What is your biggest fear about publication? 

I always thought standing in front of thirty students and having an Ofsted inspector walk in with a clipboard and settle herself down in your classroom was pretty fearful, but there are more subtle horrors associated with being an author. Here’s my current list:

Bad reviews. Being tempted to obsessively trawl the internet, comparing myself with other authors. Not selling any books. Getting brain freeze with second book. School visits. (Even though I’ve been a teacher for twenty years, talking to pupils about your own book instead of other people’s is like ripping your heart and guts out and leaving them out in the sun for birds to peck.) Assembled rows of sardonic eyes, coolly appraising, then stifling a yawn and nudging friends. Nobody coming to my launch party. Pressing ‘send’ and then finding a glaring error. Being too pushy. Not being pushy enough. Being invisible. Not being liked.

But the worst fear of all is doing nothing about your dreams. Statis. Stagnation. Creative vortex. Stultification. Death without creation. The worst fear, in the words of T S Eliot, is ‘to measure out your life with coffee spoons.’

How to combat fear 

‘Always do what you’re afraid to do.’ I copied this motto from the wonderful book, We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart. I have a signed poster of it on my classroom wall, and it’s a great maxim for life. 

Richard Branson: ‘If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes and learn how to do it later.’ Another great maxim. 

Read Quiet, by Susan Cain. Feel the power of thoughtfulness, observation, listening skills, empathy, persistence, planning, patience. Lose the label ‘shy’ and reinvent yourself as a Quiet. Nearly all writers are secret Quiets. Even the ones who entertain children effortlessly, whilst dressed up as pirates, space crusaders, sea dwellers. Find your niche. Take Candy Gourlay’s advice and ‘be shiny’. 

Advice: Survival tips for pre-published writers 

Always act like an author. At SCBWI, you are not unpublished, you are prepublished. There is a difference. It’s all in the mindset. How do you act like an author? Have authorly habits. Write 1000 words a day, like Stephen King, or keep a dream diary like Will Self, or start a crit group (you only need one other person to make it successful, but 5 is ideal). If you are a teacher, start a writing club and give assemblies to ‘sell’ it to students, cunningly weaving in your own journey so far. Teachers, you are lucky; you are surrounded by your demographic. 

Keep all those rejection letters. Print them out and put on a nail (and later, a spike - see Stephen King again) because you will need those to refer to when you are rich and famous. To fail is part of every learning journey. Share your failures with kids at schools and with crit friends. Learn from feedback. If you get a personal response in an agent rejection, give yourself an air-punch. 

Remember that the slushpile is not a lottery. Despite its slithering layers that are 14000 high (or something), 70 % (I’m just making up figures here) will be from writers who are not SCBWI members/are not part of a crit group/are trying their luck/can’t write/wrong genre/age group/haven’t read the submission guidelines properly/are mad. 

Most people claim they want to write a novel. But only 5% actually do this. So, by being in that 5%, you have already proved yourself to have authorly skills of persistence, tenacity, resilience, stamina, patience, ambition, drive, willpower, and being completely anti-social for sustained periods. 

Keep going. Get beaten down. Pick yourself up. Keep going. And repeat. There is no time limit. You have all of your life. Be patient. Keep going. It will happen. 

Have you seen the book cover, and how did it make you feel?

Nathan Burton, who designed The Island’s book jacket, used to work with Sarah O at Bloomsbury, and he did the iconic cover of Holes by Louis Sacher - the one with the lizard and the blue sky and the desert. He’s also designed covers for Patricia Highsmith’s novels, which is very exciting, as I adore her Ripley books.

Sarah O showed me the jacket, and it was a really strange feeling, looking at another person’s vision and concept of your book. A sort of out of body experience. It has a fresh, naïve style and I think will really stand out on the shelves. It reminds me of contemporary YA books like Jandy Nelson’s I Give You the Sun or Non Pratt’s Trouble or Annabel Pitcher’s Ketchup Clouds.

Everyone was adamant about it not having a girl’s photograph on the cover, to keep a more abstract feel. I like the simplicity of it, the artist’s mark-making and pared back style. The loneliness experienced by my castaway character, Fran, is represented by the scribbled-in mountains, and the framing of the island itself.

The only thing we changed was the figure of the girl, to make her more edgy, and Sarah managed to add a little dog on the spine, which is adorable. My own Jack Russell, Basil, agreed to model for this drawing, so I sent some photos of him (he’s seriously photogenic.) Oh, and I have a name with lots of Ls and Vs, which weren’t very clear in cursive script, so I asked if they could be separated a little, and changed to a darker colour, to make my name stand out. What a diva!

My real little dog, and constant writing companion, Basil.

***

Thank you Olivia for a most encouraging post. Good luck with your debut year. 

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. 

Debuts 2016 - Day 2 - Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Day 2 of the Debuts of 2016 and today I am pleased to welcome author, Harriet Reuter Hapgood. 

Harriet will be debuting this May with her YA novel, The Square Root of Summer with Macmillan Children's Books.

***

What was your reaction when you knew it would be published?

Dead inside. I was exhausted! My writing style is intense all-nighters and bad self-care. I’d been revising for eight months and I wanted a nap and to nurture my inner Gwyneth. Instead, I got three weeks of hysteria - meetings! Pre-empts! All the sugar! Foreign deals! Three auctions! The Hollywood Reporter! For my own sanity, my emotions shut down, so when my agent called to confirm THE deal I said, “That’s nice, thanks” like a dry spinster governess from a Victorian novel. Gemma was all, “When I told so-and-so about their deal, they couldn’t stop crying…?” Me: *eats burrito* Probably I’m a sociopath.

How does it feel to have your name on a book?

Hilarious! Have you seen my name?! I’ve spent a lifetime going “Reuter Hapgood - no, Roy-ter, yes I’ll spell it, R-E-U, no R-E-YOU no, YOU. Yes, like the newsagency, hahaha, then it’s Hapgood, no, no hyphen, yes, two words, mmm it is quite long but somehow I manage” then getting, like, “Renter Hopsgobble” (seriously) and Rooter-Hatgoode. Now the correct spelling will be EVERYWHERE and in HOT PINK and get into people’s heads via osmosis (I’m not super-clear on how osmosis works). I’m hoping each book will come with a little sound card to help with pronunciation. 

How will you spend publication day?

I am going to be ON TOUR in AMERICA! So I’ll wake to white lilies in the toilet and champagne on my cornflakes, a nubile cabana boy will pick out all the green M&Ms out for me, and I’ll roll around in baskets of kittens while hurling lattes in my assistants’ faces. Reality: there’ll probably be an airport, a flight, a hotel check-in, a panel with two amazing writers, meeting lots of awesome teen readers, and me chucking caffeine and Touche Eclat at my eye bags while dry heaving because the book is officially out there, no take-backs.

What is your biggest fear about publication?

That people will read my book. Cross my heart and hope to die, it is straight-up terrifying. I have been actively discouraging anyone from buying it (hi, Macmillan sales and marketing! Love yer! I’m the worst!) This book is so personal, so heartfelt, it may as well be called “Harriet: A Memoir With Wormholes!” Knowing that people will basically be critiquing my LIFE LAID BARE ON PAPER… Brrrrr. I’d rather have everyone watch me go to the toilet, tbh.

What advice would you give to unagented and unpublished authors?

Finish the book! Stop talking about the book. Finish it. Leave the first draft alone for a bit. Stop talking about it. Revise it. Revise it more. I talk to soooo many writers who have eight billion projects on the go, but none of them are finished! You can be all up in #amwriting’s grill but the most important thing is #amfinished, followed by #revisioniscoolkids. Second, third, fourth drafts; sorting your beginning; tweaking; polishing; adding knob jokes - it only happens after you finish. Choose one project. Don’t talk about it. Finish it. Also drink 8 glasses of water a day and always have a wee before you leave the house.

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Thank you Harriet! You are hilarious. Good luck from all of us with publication.