EPUBBING with NICOLA FURLONG

It’s a great pleasure to do a guest post here today on Nicola’s site as part of the blog tour for my new novel, The Memory of Trees.

I first crossed paths with Nicola more than two years ago and what struck me about her was how far ahead she was of so many other authors in her field. She was innovative and resourceful and already using multimedia platforms to promote her mystery novels in ebook and print mediums. It’s a rewarding labour of love to write books, but a far greater and fulfilling experience to do what Nicola does as well as writing – sharing her experience and knowledge through her workshops. That’s a gift and dedication many writers pass up on.

Today, I’d like to share with you something of my own experience of reaching publication for my novel.

The Memory of Trees novel by Mick Rooney

Sending a manuscript out on submission to publishers for the first time is a little like sending your child to school for the first time. You feel you have done all you can do to prepare ‘the child’ for what lies ahead, but schooling is like publishing – subject to intense scrutiny, assessment and judgement. The brave and talented ‘pupil’ may rise to the top of the class, but it does not come with a guarantee. The feckless, careless and average ‘pupil’ will often struggle in an intense and competitive environment.

Many are called, but few are chosen.

If you are going to attract the attention of a commercial publisher, then the previous statement holds true its message no more brutally and honestly than in today’s publishing climate. When I first began writing in the 1980’s, large publishing houses did have substantial unsolicited submission piles. Back then, publishers were still prepared to invest a great deal of time and energy sifting through those piles to unearth something exceptional or original that would fit their lists. Now, the economics of publishing and increased submission volume has consigned this approach by authors to achieve publication as something of a bygone age. The vast majority of accepted and commissioned work reaching publication through a large publisher occurs via a literary agent, or under certain circumstances, by way of recommendation of a publishing house’s established author. (more…)