Anna
asked
Sally Green:
Hi! I loved your book Half Bad and I can't wait to read the other books from the series. But I have a question. I would love to be writer myself, and I would like to know how the process of getting a publisher is like? And how long did it take for you to get your book ideas into a real book?
Sally Green
Thanks, I'm really pleased you loved Half Bad. But oh dear, this is a difficult, how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question. I'll gladly share a bit of my publishing pathway with you but many writers have many different experiences.
The easy bit is being a writer - if you want to write, then write. Most paid writers get paid peanuts for writing (average UK author salary is about £12k pa or possibly less, I think) so don't do it for the money, do it for the love!
There are many routes to getting published and I chose to go the traditional route of getting an agent and then a publisher, both of which are incredibly hard to do but possible. All you've got to do is write a book that the agent and publishers love, believe in and think will sell (yes, it's as easy as that!) Whilst I believe there is luck in all this, I do believe you make a lot of the luck yourself...
1. The first step is to write the book - and really that is what I concentrated all my efforts on. I, like many writers, had my first book rejected by the agents I sent it to and so I started on another book (the second one was Half Bad - which had many similarities to my first book but also many huge differences). I knew Half Bad was lots better than my first attempt but I was also prepared to start again on another book if Half Bad was rejected.
2. Make it the best book you possibly can. I only started writing in 2010 but I worked at it intensively, reading and writing as much as I could, experimenting with my writing, doing Creative writing courses and giving and getting feedback from other serious wannabe writers (students on the CW courses with me). I was loving it and I still look back at that period as wonderful for learning and being creative. I cannot emphasise enough how hard I worked at this and how serious I was.
3. Make it your book. Whilst my journey to publication from beginner writer may seem short I might argue that it's taken me a lifetime and certainly I don't think I could have put as much of my heart and soul into my writing 25 years ago. But whatever age or life experience you have I do think you have to be sincere and write without inhibition.
I started work on Half Bad in spring 2012 after my first book was rejected and submitted it to an agent in Jan 2013, got the book deal in March 2013 and Half Bad was published in the UK and US in March 2014.
I'm still loving writing.
Good luck with yours.
The easy bit is being a writer - if you want to write, then write. Most paid writers get paid peanuts for writing (average UK author salary is about £12k pa or possibly less, I think) so don't do it for the money, do it for the love!
There are many routes to getting published and I chose to go the traditional route of getting an agent and then a publisher, both of which are incredibly hard to do but possible. All you've got to do is write a book that the agent and publishers love, believe in and think will sell (yes, it's as easy as that!) Whilst I believe there is luck in all this, I do believe you make a lot of the luck yourself...
1. The first step is to write the book - and really that is what I concentrated all my efforts on. I, like many writers, had my first book rejected by the agents I sent it to and so I started on another book (the second one was Half Bad - which had many similarities to my first book but also many huge differences). I knew Half Bad was lots better than my first attempt but I was also prepared to start again on another book if Half Bad was rejected.
2. Make it the best book you possibly can. I only started writing in 2010 but I worked at it intensively, reading and writing as much as I could, experimenting with my writing, doing Creative writing courses and giving and getting feedback from other serious wannabe writers (students on the CW courses with me). I was loving it and I still look back at that period as wonderful for learning and being creative. I cannot emphasise enough how hard I worked at this and how serious I was.
3. Make it your book. Whilst my journey to publication from beginner writer may seem short I might argue that it's taken me a lifetime and certainly I don't think I could have put as much of my heart and soul into my writing 25 years ago. But whatever age or life experience you have I do think you have to be sincere and write without inhibition.
I started work on Half Bad in spring 2012 after my first book was rejected and submitted it to an agent in Jan 2013, got the book deal in March 2013 and Half Bad was published in the UK and US in March 2014.
I'm still loving writing.
Good luck with yours.
More Answered Questions
Hailei Cotton
asked
Sally Green:
Hello, I my name is Hailei. My father read your book HALF BAD and suggested it for me. After the first page, I became addicted. It was amazing. You inspired me to write a book of my own. Even though I am only 12 years old I would LOVE to get it published. Do you think it's possible for me to do that? If it is what do I do?
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