EVERYONE HAS A BOOK IN THEM

When I tell people, I’ve written a book and it’s been published, the first response is, “Wow, perhaps you will become as famous as J K Rowling!” The second is the well-known saying, “Everyone has a book in them…” and sometimes finished with the quip by Christopher Hitchens, “…but, in most cases, that’s where it should stay.” Well, I didn’t let it stay in me and, with a have a go attitude, put finger to keyboard and started writing.

I completed my first children’s book, The Bike, soon followed by Woofaway – A Very Busy Dog, Pretty Nasty and The Missing Socks. I thought self-publishing was now the way forward, so I enlisted the skills of an illustrator and, with the power of Google, found a printing company.

I then had to turn my attention to marketing. I set up a website, posting on social media and uploading The Bike, Woofaway and Pretty Nasty onto Amazon Kindle. Surprisingly, I found another source of marketing was at the old-fashioned craft fayre. I literally set out my stall and enjoyed meeting the browsing folk. It seems the general public are very interested in meeting a budding author and most keen to be part of a prospective success story. Although, there was always more browsing than buying.

I realised very quickly, my website and the occasional craft fayre wasn’t going to get me on the world stage. Therefore, having finished my next children’s book, The Foundling Fairy, I emailed Pegasus Publishers. To my amazement, they replied with a publication offer. It was an enormous thrill. I felt I had finally been taken seriously as a writer and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of bringing my book to fruition. The Foundling Fairy was published by Pegasus in February 2017. This was soon followed by my next book, Does Butter Fly? This book is a collection of fun children’s poems and was published in July 2017. My poems have been described as, “quirky and unique, with a smile on every page”. I love this description.

In early 2021, my contract with Pegasus expired. Despondently, I felt my writing career had come to an end and I had no more books in me. That was until, during a visit to Switzerland at the home of my niece, she dug out an old manuscript I’d given her to read several years previously. Luckily, unlike me, she doesn’t clear out much. The manuscript was Fred Bear – A Very Threadbare Bear. I brought the copy home and, after many redrafts and deciding to set the story at Christmastime, Fred was ready to be reborn. I sent the manuscript to Austin Macauley who came back with a publication offer. On 21st July, 2023, Fred, the tatty old teddy bear, was out of his cardboard box and released to the world. I’m really enjoying the buzz of a new book again.

So, everyone out there who thinks they have a book in them, have a go.
Don’t keep it in, let it out!

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