A Publishing Update!

A PUBLISHING  UPDATE!

Some ten years ago I started writing a book.... and NO, this is not a plug!

It was roughly based on a stage show I co-wrote (partly!) with Terry Pratchett and as its main characters it had Merlin, Arthur and some of the wizard's apprentices, as well as her sister. 

Naturally, as seems to always be the case, the book was far too long at more than 400 pages and needed serious attention! JK Rawling was told her first book was too long at 500 pkus pages and cried when she had to eliminate great irrelevant (she admitted) chunk!

To my amazement I managed to be taken on by an agent, whose name I won't mention, though I doubt if she would mind. She taught me so many things about writing, both as a craft and what would be necessary to captivate her and subsequently a publisher. For a start I had reduce the size of the book by 50% which is never easy and meant eliminating quite a few characters and several scenes I thought absolutely essential to the plot and brilliantly written. It was also her that told me that she (and most agents) receive 40 submissions from hopeful authors every week. She reckons to take on 1 or 2 new clients every year, as do most agents. The odds on getting published at that rate are roughly 1,500 to 1. Suddenly the National ottery looks promising
!

Not good, when as an author you've got the best story ever and a wonderful way of telling it! The slush pile is enormous!

Unfortunately that agent and I split, but we remain good friends.

After some years rewriting, editing and honing Leap of Faith I contacted Caleb Mason, a long-standing member of the publishing industry, who had recently started a new venture in America called Publerati. The intention was to act as an ePublisher for books and also act as agent for the author with a view to traditional publishing after creating a groundswell of positive opinion. After careful consideration he agreed to represent me in all facets of his company.

Caleb took me on as his client at the beginning of last year and we started working together.

After much thought and negotiation Crooked Cat Publishing agreed to publish Leap of Faith world-wide as both an eBook and a paperback.  This means that at last because of Crooked Cat and Caleb Mason I've achieved a goal of many years standing.

Being an author is hard graft and overnight success takes years, but it's fun and the end-result can be so fulfilling, thanks to people like Caleb and Crooked Cat!

Blog on, Dudes!