Dearest reader,
The publishing season is upon us.
Lady Hollyton has charmed her way into HarperCollins Australia and secured a book deal.
There are whispers her debut rom-com includes debaucherous tales of an unmarried lady meeting up with a suitor, unchaperoned, in the back of a Toyota LandCruiser. This novel will undoubtedly give the ton plenty to talk about.
Fear not, dear readers, I will keep you updated on Lady Hollyton's misadventures.
She can write, but she can't hide ...
For future scandals, subscribe to The Wrap-Up.
WRITING UPDATE
BOOK DEAL NEWS
Debut rom-com announcement
If you skipped the intro or had a social media detox this month, you might've missed my big news ...
HarperCollins Australia will publish my debut novel in 2025.
What.The.Fudge?
I had been holding on to that news for a couple of months. I didn't even tell my mother until an hour before I announced it. I'm an excellent secret keeper.*
I can't wait to share more tidbits about how this deal came to be. Keep an eye out for my next newsletter, How I Met My Agent. It's quite the story.
I was hoping to share it in this instalment, but as you'll see by my next update, I'm under the pump at the moment.
*I anxiously believed there had been a mistake or that the publisher would take it back. Spoiler alert: Imposter syndrome doesn't go away even when you sign a publishing contract.
EDITING
Publishing progress
What happens after you accept a publishing offer? Waiting. Lots of waiting.
Official contracts take a while to prepare. Then there's more waiting.
Until there's a meeting and editing kicks off. Yippee!
This month, I met online with my publisher, editor and agent. For ninety glorious minutes, we chatted about my book and all the ways we could make it better. Whaddaya mean it's not perfect and shelf-ready?
They had suggestions, I had suggestions. Many notes were taken. None that I can make any sense of. My pug has better handwriting than me.
I walked away brimming with ideas. I let them simmer for a few days and then took to a spreadsheet with as much want as Colin Bridgerton had for Penelope Featherington in that carriage scene. What can I say? Excel gets me off.
I came up with a plan.
I knew what I had to do and had plenty of time to get it done.
But then ...
There was a scheduling conflict. Uh-oh.
They kindly gave me a choice to complete my structural edits in 4 weeks or 4 months. Which option did I choose? 4 weeks, my friend.
Am I bonkers? Probably.
Hear me out ...
Having a shorter stint now, means I get a longer second go at edits later. I've never worked with an editor or publisher, so I'm keen to get feedback. Who knows if I'm doing this right? I'm literally typing away at my computer, making things up.
My edits are due next month so I'll be in my writing cave until then. Send Tim Tams.
RESOURCE RECOMMENDATION
PODCAST
Writers with Wrinkles
After exhausting all my usual go-to poddies, I searched for more and stumbled across this beauty.
Admittedly, I thought "wrinkles" meant it was aimed at older writers, aka - me. Err, no.
Here's their shtick:
Authors Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid iron out the wrinkles in writing, publishing, and everything in between . . . One podcast at a time.
Ahhh.
The eps are short-ish. Banter is snappy. Guests aplenty.
If you're looking for another writing podcast, give it a go.
MY BOOKSHELF
SUCH A SMALL WORLD by Jordan Clayden-Lewis
Speculative Queer Love Story
When Mackenzie meets Jasper, he can see their future and expiry date. Can he stop fate or will he embrace what little time they have all in the name of love?
PERSONAL GOSS
Mother's Day is the time of year when my husband scrambles for a last-minute reservation. I'm never surprised that all the nice restaurants are booked out. My husband, however, is floored every time. Who's gonna tell him? Not me. Being smug brings me immense joy.
Plan B was enacted where we ventured to our property in the woods and feasted on a fire-cooked meal. I was showered with the finest gifts ten dollars could buy at the Mother's Day stall.
My darling children made cards with messages such as 'I love you so much I'd die for you.' We shall see if my nine-year-old is all talk when a zombie comes after me.
I recently caught up with my besties to celebrate my book deal news. We had Mimosas. The orange juice portion was lighter than usual. We also played a mean game of Cranium. Women vs. Men. I'm sure you know who won.
I wish there were more happenings to share, but like I said earlier, I'm on deadline.
Thanks for reading. See you next month.
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