MY PUBLISHING JOURNEY

My publishing journey started as most publishing journeys begin – with plenty of rejection. Each day having sent out my manuscript to selected agents and publishers, I received more and more emails turning it down. Very politely and encouragingly so, but nobody felt it was for them.

Not until the summer months when I received an email from Austin Macauley Publishers to say that my book had been sent to the Board of Editors for further consideration. I was beside myself. I didn’t fully understand what this meant, but I was pretty chuffed.

Continuing with my days, I gathered it was just going to be a waiting game. My lack of understanding for industry procedures meant that this waiting time felt longer than usual. Though I hoped that the result would be a good one. Eventually, on one sunny Tuesday lunchtime in September, I received my publishing contact in the post!

I couldn’t believe it and I slept on clouds that night after a sufficient amount of champagne had been consumed.

From then on, the process was lengthy, but I expected it to be this way. There was a lot of waiting but, again, this was predicted. Yet each time I received more information about my book that buzz of excitement returned.

First it was the cover. Next the first edited draft. Another draft. Another. Another. Another.

Seeing my Word document develop into something that resembled a commercial novel felt so special and thrilling. At each stage I was filled with more pride than the last.

My final proof certificate landed in my inbox next, followed shortly by a publication date and finally my book in my hands.

Now that was something else.

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