Obsession Book Tour – How I Got My Publishing Deal By Amanda Robson
I am delighted to be kicking off the book tour for Amanda Robson’s dark and chilling new book called ‘Obsession’.
Today Amanda tells us how she got her book deal.
I would say I got my publishing deal through a combination of hard work, good luck and keeping steely, steely calm.
Hard work. Anyone who is serious about becoming a novelist knows all about that. You have to work really, really hard to complete a novel, with no guarantee at the end of it that you will even get an agent, never mind a publishing deal. You can only do it if you really love writing for its own sake.
Good luck. Thanks to my agent, Ger Nicholl of the Book Bureau, my debut psychological thriller, ‘Obsession’, landed on my editor, Phoebe Morgan’s (Avon Harper Collins) desk, when she was looking for one. That is what makes a good agent. Recognising your work and knowing how to place it. Thank you Ger. Obviously Phoebe wouldn’t have bought it if she didn’t like it, but never the less Obsession was in the right place at the right time, and I consider that good luck. I also consider it good luck that Phoebe and I see things in the same light. We read the same novels; watch the same films and TV shows. Phoebe has been a complete joy to work with. I don’t think everybody likes their editor quite this much.
[amazon_link id=”000821221X” target=”_blank” ]
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Keeping steely, steely calm. I always dreamt of getting an agent. I had a daydream that you flounced about for years having boozy lunches, making friends with them, gradually making minor adjustments to your work. But much to my disappointment, this was serious business. No such messing about. After I accepted Ger’s offer of representation she immediately started the nail biting process of sending my novel out to publishing houses. And what a nail biting process it was.
I heard about my book deal, last year, when I was skulking about at the Hay Festival feeling envious, as usual, of all the published writers. (I go to the Hay festival every year.) I knew Avon – Harper Collins were having an acquisition meeting to discuss my book, and that it started at 10am. Waiting to hear was stomach churning stuff. I didn’t get any news until well on in the afternoon, so as the time dragged I became less and less hopeful. But by mid afternoon I think, or at least after lunch – time was stalling of course- my mobile rang. Thumbs up!!!! Receiving that call was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Beyond exciting. Pivotal. Like falling in love. Getting married. Having children. That big.
The next talk we went to was by Michael Palin and I have never enjoyed a talk at the Hay Festival so much. The friends I was with kept turning around to watch me because I was laughing so much, tears in my eyes at all his jokes.
You can buy [amazon_link id=”000821221X” target=”_blank” ]Obsession from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.
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