An Interview with Miranda Dickinson

Short Cut to Success?

An Interview with Miranda Dickinson

Authonomy gets talked about a lot by the online writing community. Some love it, others loathe it, and still more are slightly confused by it. I'll admit right away that I have not used the site so I am not in a position to judge, but I admit to being curious about what, exactly, Authonomy can offer to aspiring authors.

So, what exactly is Authonomy? The brainchild of HarperCollins, Authonomy is a site where unpublished and self published authors can post between 10,000 words of and their full length manuscript for people to read online. Each member creates their own personal page on the site that holds their manuscript as well as some information about themselves. People who read the manuscript can leave comments and publicly recommend it to other members of the community. These are used to rank the books on site, the top five of which are then read and critiqued by Harpercollins editors. The hope is that the editors will like the project so much the author will be offered a book deal. Another aspect of Authonomy is the idea that editors from other publishing houses and literary agents also have access to the works on the site, meaning that new authors can potentially be picked up by other industry professionals.

When Authonomy was first launched, there was many a cry of "the end of all literary agents is nigh!" or, "use authonomy to beat the slush pile!". On the other side of the internet, people started shouting back, "it's a popularity contest, the writing doesn't come into it!" or even "it's nothing better than do-it-yourself slush!". The more I looked into doing a post on Authonomy, the more bemused I became. Although I don't for a moment believe that it has done away with literary agents or traditional methods of submission (at the time of writing, Harpercollins romance imprint Avon still accept unsolicited queries by email from unagented writers, while their scifi imprint, Angry Robot, only takes proposals from either agented writers or people "personally known to us". Neither mention Authonomy in their submission guidelines), the fact remains that there are at least three writers who have achieved publication through Authonomy.

I tracked down Miranda Dickinson through twitter. Miranda, a bestselling author, was discovered on Authonomy in 2008 by Harpercollins imprint, Avon. After a brief tweet-based conversation explaining what information I was after, Miranda has kindly agreed to tell us about her experiences of authonomy, tell us a bit about what she is up to now, as well as share her advice about how to get the most out of this site.

Have you always enjoyed writing? What made you turn to writing novels?

I started writing stories when I was little and it's always been there in my life, but I didn't realise that I was a writer until about eight years ago when I started to write a story which grew and grew. It was only when I realised I'd written 60,000 words that it occurred to me that I was writing a novel! I really enjoyed being able to expand on a story idea (having mainly written short stories previously) and I found that writing novel-length stories gave me more scope to investigate my characters' lives.

Why did you post on Authonomy?

It was a bit of whim, to be honest! I was just beginning to take my writing seriously and was trying to get together a portfolio of writing in case anyone wanted to offer me a job as a writer (I'm a copywriter by trade and was looking for another job at the time). I'd written pieces for citizen journalism sites, set up my own blog and website and joined a writers' forum MyWritersCircle.com - and it was on this forum that I first heard about Authonomy being launched. I went to have a look at the site and liked what I saw, although it took me a couple of weeks to gather enough courage to post something I'd written there.

I never thought that my novel would do much on the site - I just wanted to know if other writers thought I could write! It was the first time that I had shared my novel with any other writers, and I wanted to get some feedback that might help me to improve it. At the same time, I had been working on a comedy-thriller novel which I had written during NaNoWriMo in 2007 (the National Novel Writing Month, where you write 50,000 words during the 30 days of November). I was concerned initially that it might be possible for people to steal your work from Authonomy, so I decided to upload something that I'd written just for fun (and so wouldn't be as devastating to me if someone stole it). So that's how Coffee At Kowalski's (which eventually became Fairytale of New York) came to be posted on the site.

Can you talk us through what happened, from posting on Authonomy to being published?

I joined the site in September 2008 and posted my novel a couple of weeks later. Within a few days I received really positive comments and helpful suggestions from other writers on the site. I also got involved in discussions in the Forum, where I met several writers who have become firm friends. Some of them started to recommend my book to others and it began to move up the charts. When it made the top 100, I was over the moon (never thinking that even that was possible). I think the highest my book ever was in the Authonomy rankings was around the mid to high 70s - nowhere near the top five hallowed titles that were selected from the Editor's Desk every month. About six weeks or so after posting my novel, I received an email from an editor at Avon (HarperCollins), saying that she'd read the first couple of chapters of my novel and was interested in reading the full manuscript. I thought it was a scam! It was only when I Googled her name that I realised she was who she said she was.

The only problem was that my novel was incomplete - so I spent three days and nights writing 20,000 words to complete it. By this point, I had been made redundant from my job and was on garden leave, so the timing was very fortuitous! I sent it off and never really thought I would hear anything else. Two weeks later, I received an email from the Publishing Director at Avon, asking me to call her. I did so and was amazed when she offered me a three-book deal!

I signed with Avon in January 2009 and my first novel, now titled Fairytale of New York was published in November 2009. It was an incredibly steep learning curve to move from writing for fun (and when I felt like it) to editing and polishing a novel for publication. Initially, I was very unhappy that my title was changed, but looking back I can see that it works with the way the book was marketed. It was by no means an easy process, but I feel that it taught me so much - and my writing is better for it.

You are the main example held up when people talk about Authonomy as a way to "beat the slush". In light of your own experiences, do you think that the view of Authonomy as some sort of short cut to publication is an accurate one?

I'm not sure that the view of Authonomy as a 'short-cut to publication' is accurate - it's certainly not what the team behind Authonomy would say it is. What Authonomy is, however, is a brilliant place to showcase the wealth of amazing writing out there. It gives unpublished authors the chance to show their writing - and compared to the slush pile, the site also gives editors and agents (not just from HarperCollins) the chance to search new writing more specifically, working on the tags that each Authonomy author chooses for their own work.

There's no doubt that without Authonomy, it would be very unlikely that I would be a published author today. I'd always intended to submit my work to agents at some point - but I always talked myself out of it. Because of this - and because of the fact that the book which was discovered was one I never thought anyone else would be bothered about - I do feel somewhat of an 'accidental novelist': I still feel shell-shocked that I'm now writing for a living and I feel like the luckiest person alive.

Would you recommend Authonomy to unpublished writers? What would you say are the strengths and disadvantages of the site?

I would absolutely, unreservedly recommend Authonomy to unpublished writers, simply because it worked for me. I think the strengths of the site lie in its community - so getting involved is key. When you see how many novels are posted on the site, it makes you realise how important self-promotion is (something a lot of writers, including myself, struggle with initially). You learn that unless you jump up and down and make a noise about your novel, nobody will know you're there. In that respect, the publishing world is very similar: if I hadn't spent time networking with other book bloggers, writers and readers on sites like Twitter and Facebook, I'm convinced that my book wouldn't have sold as well as it did. Authonomy taught me about the importance of that. It's also a brilliant place to receive honest, constructive criticism from other writers - which has proved vital experience for going though the sometimes soul-destroying editing process in the run-up to publication!

There is a culture of 'you back my book, I'll back yours' on Authonomy, which tends to come and go - but I made it a policy that I would never back a book I hadn't read and enjoyed on the site and that I would also never demand that someone read my book if I'd commented on theirs. I think here is where the site can sometimes fall down and I've heard nightmare stories of writers spending hours on end relentlessly backing other people's work in order to see their book rise up the rankings. I don't think this is necessary - and writers shouldn't feel obliged to do this. Yes, there is a certain amount of competition on the site, but that should be a fun element, not something that takes over your entire life. What happened to me is testament to the fact that it's not just books at the top of the rankings which get noticed. There can also sometimes be the odd 'doomsayer' on the site, who will get people stressing - but the vast majority of Authonomites are fab, positive, talented writers and they tend to be the ones who stick around.

I think as long as you are realistic about what you want the site to do for you then Authonomy is a brilliant place for unpublished writers. I just looked at it as another place to showcase my writing and didn't really worry about where I was in the rankings. If you do the same, you'll get a lot out of the site, too.

Is there anything about the publishing world you know now that you wish someone had told you at the start?

One of the biggest things I've learned is that the old adage that you have to find an agent first just simply isn't true. Of course, it can have its benefits, but in most 'How To Get Published' books (oddly enough, written by agents...) this comes across as gospel truth. I still don't have an agent and it's working fine for me, although obviously in the future this might change. It's also not true that you have to take the first agent or publisher who expresses an interest your work. Since being published, I've been told by lots of people in the industry that you should interview them, not the other way around. Agents all seem to do different things: some writers use them as editors to work on their novel before presenting it to publishers; some agents are more involved with selling the international rights and film rights of your book; whilst other agents act as publicity and marketing people, or simply deal with the legal side of deals. It's all about what you want from an agent and that should be why you take them on.

The other thing I wish I'd know before is how much time you get to work on your novel once it's been accepted for publication. I edited my first novel so much beforehand, but the first thing I was asked to do was to write almost 40,000 extra words! There are at least three editing stages where you can hone your story, and the suggestions you receive from the editorial team and your editor are almost always completely down to you in terms of what you accept and discard. There's a lot more freedom in the process than I ever realised before.

What is your proudest moment to date?

There have been so many! Walking into my favourite bookshop in Birmingham and seeing my book on the shelves was probably the best one, because for years I'd driven my boyfriend mad by saying 'one day my book will be in here' every time we walked in! Being nominated for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award was a tremendous honour and although I never thought I'd win, it was such a great feeling to know that my peers had recognised my work like that. Also, becoming a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller was pretty cool - completely crazy, of course, but thrilling. But what gives me the most pride is when I receive emails from people who have read my book and loved it. That's all I ever want to do: write stories that entertain people.

What is your ultimate goal in the writing world?

To keep writing books that surprise people. I'm very fortunate to now be able to write six books in total for Avon, so I want each one to be better than the one before. I'd like to write some different genre novels, too, at some stage in the future - I've two comedy novels waiting in the wings (more in the ilk of Jasper Fforde and Sir Terry Pratchett) that I would dearly love to see published one day. Most of all, I don't ever want to think I've got writing sussed. I want to continue to challenge myself and grow as a writer - and hopefully have some readers come along for the ride!

You're a very creative person! Does your experience writing music influence your novels, and vice versa?

Yes, I think it does. My third novel is actually based around a wedding band (not unlike the one I sing with now) and will bring together all my gig stories and experiences of singing with various bands over the years. I think that if you are creative, then you can utilise several different avenues for your creativity. I've always been involved in music in one way or another and have been writing songs seriously since I was 19. I just love the buzz you get from creating something out of nothing - whether that's a song, a story or a film. I think songwriting is great for influencing story writing because you have to get across your theme/emotions/story in relatively few words. You also have to delve deeper into your feelings to be able to express them through music. I like songwriting, singing and performing music because by and large I get to do them with other people, whereas my novel writing is an almost wholly solo pursuit. That suits both sides of my character: the gregarious side and the more introspective.

Tell us about your new book!

Welcome to My World is the story of Harri Langton, a local travel agent who knows countless facts about the world but has never actually been abroad. She's relatively happy with her boyfriend, Rob, who loves camping in the UK and keeps hinting that he might propose to her (although they've been together for seven years and still no sign of a ring...) She meets Alex, who has returned from travelling the world for ten years to open a coffee shop in Harri's home town of Stone Yardley, and instantly they become firm friends. Alex shares his stories of the world with Harri and Harri, in return, advises him on his nightmare love life. Then Alex's mum, Viv, persuades Harri to nominate him for a 'Free to a Good Home' feature in a women's glossy magazine - and all hell breaks loose!

For most of the book, Harri is locked in the middle cubicle of the ladies' loos at Stone Yardley Village Hall, reflecting on the events leading to what has become officially The Worst Night of Her Life, after an almighty kick-off at a party there... I liked the idea of my main character being stuck in the loo for most of the book! In the last chapter, we'll walk out of the loos with Harri, to see what life holds in store for her now...

What are you working on right now?

I've been writing some 'Book Extras' for Welcome to My World, which will be appearing on my website soon. I liked the idea of doing extra bits for my book, like the extras you get with a DVD film - so there will be deleted scenes, short stories following some of the incidental characters, a 'behind-the-scenes' feature where you'll get to see the places (and maybe even some of the people!) who have inspired those in the book, soundtrack playlists and much more. That's been fun, because it's allowed me to have some fun with my characters.

I've also started work on my third novel (due out in November 2011), called Started With a Kiss. It's going to be a Love Actually-style story set in Birmingham, with Christmas scenes, weddings and lots and lots of music. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far and it's nice to meet a whole new cast of characters.

How important do you think self promotion (specifically through social networking) is for unpublished writers seeking publication? Are writers lagging behind musicians on this front? Are we doing enough?

It's vitally important - as I said earlier, unless you make a noise about your book, nobody else will know it's there. Musicians found this early on with sites like MySpace and now Twitter and Facebook have become the main places to promote your work. I think writers are becoming more and more savvy with this now - following the example of people like Neil Gaiman, who has really used Twitter to the best of its capabilities. It's a brilliant way of putting you directly in touch with your readers - but you also have to acknowledge the responsibility that this brings. I always respond to messages from people on Twitter, Facebook and emails through my website. You need to help other writers out, too, and I have to say that I have been really impressed by the writing community on Twitter for doing this. There's a real camaraderie on there and it's a great way to give something back when other writers help you.

And finally, if you had to sum up a key piece of advice for aspiring writers in one sentence, what would it be?

Keep writing, keep creating and never, ever stop believing!

Many thanks to Miranda for sharing her advice and experiences about Authonomy. Miranda's website is over here, she has a facebook page, she blogs over here, has a short story blog hereand she also tweets as @wurdsmyth. If you'd like to check out her music, then have a nose over at this site. You can grab yourself a copy of Fairy Tale of New York over here, and Welcome To My World can be pre-ordered here.

I find myself inclined to agree with Miranda's assessment of Authonomy; if you are looking for a place to get feedback on your work and meet like minded writers, then the site may well be the place for you. Who knows, you might even secure representation or publication down this route just like Miranda did, which would be a lovely bonus. Yes, Authonomy is a potential route to publication but at the end of the day, only three writers have been picked up out of around 24,000 members. This is not a back door entrance to publication, but with the right attitude and expectations it could be a valuable tool for aspiring authors.

An Interview with Tamsyn Murray

Last Action Rabbits & Dead Bored Teens

An Interview with Tamsyn Murray

Before I go any further, I want to admit that I very nearly didn't interview Tamsyn. I mean, she's been on my "to ask for an interview" list ever since I read the first chapter of her Young Adult novel, My So Called Afterlife. I often saw her on twitter, she always came across as lovely and – important for a writer – she has truly fabulous hair. Unfortunately, there is a new roving reporter on the block, by the name of Littlest Smailes. I read this interview here in a strange mix of horror and professional respect. I knew I could never compete with such searching questions, and Tamsyn informed me that, having signed a confidentiality agreement, she was unable to discuss her relationship with the Easter Bunny.

Still, I'm not a quitter. As searching as the interview by Littlest Smailes proved to be (and seriously, one of the writing magazines should give her a job), there were a few extra things I wanted to ask Tamsyn about her experiences writing for children and for teenagers. Luckily, Tamsyn seemed to like my questions too, and was happy to do an interview.

Hello Tamysn, welcome to the Literary Project. Can you tell us what started you writing?

On impulse, I bought a copy of Wannabe A Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones. In it, she suggested writing short stories for womens' magazines. Inspired, I sat down and wrote one straight away. It came back a month later, along with a standard rejection note. So I tried again and after a few attempts, I made a breakthrough and sold a short story to My Weekly magazine. There was no stopping me after that.

Can you talk us through your path to publication?

I've been really lucky because my path wasn't difficult one. Once I'd written My So-Called Afterlife, I sent it to an agent who had just started out with a very well established literary agency. She loved the manuscript and sent it to some publishers. Piccadilly Press was one of the first to see it and offered me a publishing deal a few months later.

Do you have an agent? If so, what are the key benefits?

I do. The obvious benefit of having an agent is that they get your work in front of editors faster than fighting your way out of the slushpile. Mine also tactfully suggests ways in which I can improve my manuscript. She's full of good advice about the publishing world, too. Occasionally, she takes me to lunch at The Ivy :)

My So Called Afterlife has the best opening line I have ever read. Aspiring writers are always advised to hook potential agents and editors with the first line of their manuscript, so please tell us, where did the inspiration for that line come from? Did you slave over it for weeks, or did Lucy's voice just appear fully formed?

Thank you! The opening line came first and the rest of the book followed. I'd been thinking about writing a short ghost story and was wondering what would happen if the building the ghost haunted was knocked down, and something unsavoury built on top - like a toilet. The next thing I knew, the ghost had morphed into a snarky teen called Lucy, demanding that I tell her story. I didn't dare refuse.

You write for both young readers with the Stunt Bunny books, and for teenagers with My So Called Afterlife. What are the key differences in writing for two such contrasting audiences? If you were forced to pick only one to write in on pain of bad hair days for the rest of your life, which would you go for?

Noooo, you can't ask me that! It's like asking me to choose my favourite pet.

I love writing for younger readers, and actually have a funny picture book coming out in 2011. The best part is allowing the silliness in my nature to run riot - I like playing with words and making my characters do crazy things. It wouldn't be half as enjoyable to write if my characters were normal or boring.

Writing for teens is still fun but the humour is more sophisticated and I get to explore different situations. In Lucy's case, she's lost everything but still manages to find happiness. The next book has a living main character who isn't quite as sarcastic but still likes to laugh. I'm not actually sure I could write a serious book. Maybe someday I'll try...

Young Adult fiction is currently very much the "big thing" in publishing. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to write in this sector? What differentiates it from writing for children, and writing for adults?

I look at what's on the shelves already and think that YA is one of the toughest markets to break into. There are so many fabulous books and original concepts out there already that I wonder if there's room for much more. I do think it's fabulous that teens are reading more and that YA is a growth area but if I was starting out on my writing career now, I'd probably aim for the younger end of the market, possibly 9 - 12 years.

The Holy Grail of childrens' and YA writing is, of course, the crossover novel and I think that shows that writing for younger readers doesn't mean you can offer up anything other than top quality work. Children have a much lower boredom threshold and won't persist with a book where an adult might. If they pick up your book, you'd better be sure you grab their attention and hold it hostage until the very last page. Otherwise, they'll move on. That's why some books do achieve crossover status; because the writing is top-notch. Or contains a sparkly vampire :)

Often, people think that writing for children is somehow easier than writing for adults. Why do you think this is? What dare the specific challenges with writing for children?

I hear that a lot. The perception is definitely that children's books are easier to write, possibly because they tend to be shorter, although that's often not the case. Then there's the idea that kids are somehow less discerning, which as I stated above, isn't the case at all.

The challenge is to do something different to catch their attention and then to get them to read it. I used to go to my local library a lot when I was in my teens and it allowed me to try many different genres, because it didn't matter if I didn't like it, I could simply take it back and borrow something else. If a child or teenager invests money in a book then they want to be sure they're going to enjoy it and are more likely to go for a tried and trusted author instead of branching out.

Where writing is concerned, which bit do you find the hardest (and how do you overcome it), and which is your favourite section of the process?

I find the first draft the hardest bit. The idea of writing xx number of words to a deadline terrifies me and I have to force myself to sit down and do it. But I do force myself because the next part is my favourite part; editing to make it better. I think I was a dab hand with the beeswax in a former life (not in this one as I'm allergic to housework) because I do love to polish!

Has anything surprised you about the publishing world?

I don't think I realised how close-knit it was. Everyone seems to know everyone else and word travels very fast around the community. I like the way most people in publishing are supportive, even if you're associated with a supposed rival company. We're united by a love of words and I haven't met anyone I didn't like.

What are you working on right now?

I'm writing the next book in the Afterlife series, which I can't say too much about, other than to say I'm really excited about it. The illustrations for Stunt Bunny: Tour Troubles (out Feb 2011) should be in soon and I can't wait to see them but, in the meantime, I'm also working on a new Stunt Bunny book, which should be out in September 2011.

Tell us about My So Called Haunting.

My So-Called Haunting introduces a new main character in Skye Thackery, a fourteen year old psychic. She's just moved to London to live with her aunt, Celestine, and it's not long before she's getting dangerously involved with the local residents, ghostly and otherwise. Readers of My So-Called Afterlife will recognise some familiar faces and I'm hoping they love Skye as much as Lucy. They're very different girls but I like to think they'd get along if they met. Who knows, maybe I'll introduce them someday!

What is your ultimate writing goal?

That's an easy one; to write full-time. At the moment, I have a day job, which I'd like to give up. If my boss is reading this, don't worry; it's not happening any time soon!

And finally, can you give any aspiring children's or young adult authors out there a key piece of advice in one sentence?

Read the competition - how do you know if your idea is different enough to succeed if you don't know what else is out there?

Tamysn's fabulous YA novel, My So Called Afterlife, can be found over here (and you can Look Inside, so check out the opening line), and the first Stunt Bunny book is on sale here. She can be found at her website over here, and tweets as @Tamsyntweetie.

I for one am excitedly awaiting the release of My So Called Haunting, which can be pre-ordered (or bought, if you're reading this a few weeks past publication) from here. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm on the verge of a fan girl moment.

An interview with Julie Buxbaum

Fortune Favours the Brave

An Interview with Julie Buxbaum

photo: Indy Flore

If there is one type of person that is always going to command my respect, it is those who are not afraid to follow their dreams.

The world is full of people who say that they want to be a novelist, just before they give you a long list of reasons why they've never so much as come up with an idea for a book, let alone write one. So when you hear about someone who was willing to give up their career to pursue their dreams of publication, well, that's just the type of person I love interviewing for the project.

Meet Julie Buxbaum. She gave up a promising career in Law to pursue her dream of being a writer. Her first novel, The Opposite of Love, was not only a best seller, but is in the process of being made into a Hollywood movie starring Anne Hathaway. With her new novel, After You, is published this week, and the reviews on Amazon are already overwhelmingly positive. I have to admit that the book grabbed me from the first chapter, and I struggled to put it back down for some much needed sleep. Luckily for me, the talented Julie was happy to answer some questions for us here at The Literary Project.

Hi Julie! Have you always wanted to be a writer? What caused you to stop dreaming about it and actually put pen to paper?

I had always secretly wanted to be a writer, but for years and years I never put pen to paper. When I finally got the courage to quit a job I particularly despised as part of a New Year's Resolution—at the time, I was a miserable lawyer---I figured that I finally had my opportunity to stop being so scared of writing, and actually try it. From the second I started writing THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, I knew that I desperately wanted to be a novelist.

Can you talk us through your path to publication?

THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE was not only my first book, but pretty much the first time I tried my hand at fiction. I had written essays while in university, of course, and exams in law school, and later legal briefs when I was an attorney, but I had very little experience with creative writing when I started. About eight months after I quit my job, I had a draft of THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, and decided it was time to query agents. Shortly thereafter, I signed with an amazing agent, who then sold the book to a publishing house. All I can say is that I got tremendously lucky that it happened so fast. I know plenty of people who have written incredible books that just have never found their way into the right hands.

What are the benefits of having an agent? Would you recommend securing representation to other aspiring writers?

If you are serious about pursuing a professional career as a novelist, I believe that having an agent is essential. (If you are interested in the self-publishing route, which I don't know much about, then different rules apply.) I not only wouldn't have gotten as good a publishing deal as I did if I hadn't had my agent, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten published at all. Having an agent helps legitimize your work for editors, since you've already passed a first port of call. I can't overstate how important my agent has been for my career. I couldn't love her more or be more grateful for her advice.

Is there anything that you know now about the publication industry that you wish you had known in the beginning? Has anything in particular surprised you?

I'm sort of glad I didn't know this in the beginning, because I may have been even more intimidated, but I had no idea how competitive the industry was, not only to just get your foot in the door, but after publication. A gazillion books get published each year, and it's your job as the writer to find a way to distinguish your novel from the crowd.

Would you ever quit writing and go back to a previous career?

I can't imagine ever stopping writing now that I've caught the bug. It will be a part of my life in some capacity no matter what I do going forward. For me, it's now not only a profession and a hobby and a passion, but it's also therapeutic. I need it to stay sane.

Do you write full time? If so, what are key benefits and the major disadvantages?

I recently had my first baby, so I now write four days a week. (When I wrote THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE and AFTER YOU, I wrote at least five days a week.) I can't think of any disadvantages to writing full time, since I truly love what I do. Now that I have that extra day off, though, I find it's a bit harder to get back into the swing of my work come Monday morning.

Both of your novels have a contemporary setting; what was the appeal of writing about the here and now? Have you ever considered another genre / time period / style?

Funny that you should ask that. The bulk of my third novel will be set in the 1950's. Both the main characters of my first two books are very modern creations, and it was important to the plot that they take place in a contemporary setting. The main character of my third book, on the other hand, is very much a product of the 1950's. It's been a lot of fun researching that time period (the books, the movies, the fashion, the language), watching old "Father Knows Best" episodes and the like, and then getting to call it work.

After You deals with a heavy subject matter – the fallout after a murder, and the effect on the victim's family, etc. How did you go about approaching such a sensitive issue?

I always joke that when you write one book you know what you are interested in. When you write two, you find out what you should really be talking to a therapist about. I tend to be very fascinated by the aftermath of loss. In THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE, Emily, my main character, is someone who has put off the act of grieving for over a decade. In AFTER YOU, I wanted to look at the various ways adults deal with a sudden and unexpected loss. The set up of the book—Ellie stepping into the life of her best friend—also helped me look at another question I'm interested in: how well do we really know the people we love.

What are you working on right now?

I'm working on my third novel, tentatively titled THE MODERN GIRL'S HANDBOOK. I'm a bit superstitious, so other than mentioning that it's mostly set in the Fifties, I get nervous talking about it. It's still a little too half-baked.

What is your ultimate goal in the writing sector?

I just hope I get to keep doing what I'm doing, and keep building my readership. There really is nothing more exciting than seeing my work in bookstores. I also hope that I learn from each book I write, and that each one is stronger than the one before.

And finally, can you sum up a key piece of advice for aspiring writers in one sentence?

Read widely and critically; in my opinion, being an avid and sharp reader is an essential first step to being a writer. Oh and write. Obvious yes, but I skipped that part of the equation for a very long time.

Julie's new novel, After You, is available here, and The Opposite of Love can be found here. If you would like to learn more about the lovely Julie herself, then her website is over here.

Are you the New Voice of Romance?

Are You the New Voice of Romance?

Mills & Boon recently announced a new competition for unpublished writers, and I have to admit that I'm quite excited about this one. I've touched on the subject of competitions briefly on this blog, as there is no denying that several writers have launched their careers off the back of a competition win; Valerie Wood, who I interviewed for the Literary Project here, is a case in point.

Competitions offer an alternative route to publication for aspiring authors. This is not to say that it is a short cut or a better route than the traditional slush pile – after all, you are still being judged on the quality of your work, and you are still up against other writers – but it is a different one. Some people (cough, like me, cough) thrive on competition and love the idea of your work being judged not just by the editors, but by the very people who will be reading and buying your books. After all, it is the audience who will decide whether you are a one hit wonder or are going to have a long term career as a writer. The other bonus is that you know, without a doubt, that the editors have read your work, so there is no reason to drive yourself crazy trying to figure out if your baby was rejected without ever being looked at.

As successful M&B author Kate Walker says, "this New Voices competition is another way for unpublished authors to get their work in front of the editorial team. True there can only be one winner but every entry will be read by the judging team, so anyone with talent will be spotted too."

The overall winner gets their work published, an editor for a year and an ipad. In terms of prizes, this is a pretty special one; I'm drooling thinking about it. For me, the best part of this prize is not actually the publication bit, although if I won that I'd run around the house screaming with hysterical happiness, but the fact that the winner gets an editor – and thus all the help and advice that comes with that – for a whole year. You can't buy, beg or steal that kind of professional input for your work. I mean, sure, you can use writing groups, go on courses or even pay a consultancy in order to improve your work, all of which are fantastic options, but imagine being able to have your very own editor, from the very publishing line you want to write for, helping make your work the best it can possibly be. I'm giddy, I tell you. Giddy.

So, if M&B hadn't done enough to sell me on this competition, they then go and add this little sweetener: The top ten finalists are being offered the chance to have their very own writing mentor, all of whom are successful M&B writers or editors.

"Through the mentoring scheme there's a chance for people to have real input into their work by editors and some of the most successful authors around. That's pure gold, the sort of input I would have killed for when I was just starting out. It's a great opportunity - so good luck to everyone who enters," says Kate. She has a point.

Let's face it, writing is a lonely business, even with the benefits of social networking we are lucky enough to have these days. Many writers find critique groups and beta readers to be an invaluable tool, but the simple truth is that there is a lot more to the publishing game than simply writing a good book and it is unlikely that someone outside of the industry is going to be in the best position to help you launch your career. I would give my right arm for a writing mentor. Which is probably why I am entering the competition.

The competition will have four stages to it, and will open 6^th September.

Stage 1: Open Entry

Entrants submit the opening chapter of their novel. All submitted entries will be read by the Mills and Boon judges

Stage 2: The Longlist

A list of 10 authors will be announced, and their first chapters posted on the website.
All longlisted entrants will be assigned a Mills & Boon author or editor as a 'mentor' to help them with their second chapter


Stage 3: The Shortlist
The public get to vote for their favourites! Along with the judges, this will whittle down the ten to the final four who go through to the final stage.

Stage 4: Winner!

The final four will be asked to write the "pivotal moment" of their romance. The judges, aided by a public vote, will then decide on the winner.

I interviewed Kate Walker a few weeks back, so I recommend going to read over the interview if you are planning to enter the Mills & Boon competition – there is some great advice in there. She also wrote the 12 point guide to Writing Romance, which is a handy little book to have if you are a budding romance writer. Several Mills & Boon writers are doing masterclasses at libraries across the country, which will be worth attending if there is one near you.

Author / Editor	Library	Date	Contact
Michelle Styles	Knaresborough	1st September	0845 300 5112
Heidi Rice	Brent	6th August	020 8937 3400
Kate Walker	Doncaster	26th August	01302 736000
Liz Fielding	Carmarthan	9th August	01267 224824
Caroline Anderson & Kate Hardy	Diss & Attleborough	18th August	01953 452 319(Attleborough) 01379 642 609(Diss)
Chantelle Shaw	Dover	7th September	01304 374 726
Meg Lewis & Megan Bassett - Editors	Havering	26th August	01708 342071
Lucy Gilmour Flo Nicoll Anna Boatman	East Sheen	7th September	020 8876 8800
Fiona Harper	Bromley	TBC	0208 461 7185
India Grey	Nantwich	9th September	01270 624867

Good luck to everyone giving this competition a shot; if you win, I want to interview you. And maybe steal your new ipad.