A book in the hand...

Need more help?

Get feedback on your writing.
Get assistance with finding literary agents.
Get help writing for children.
Sign up for one of our online creative writing courses
Get free advice on How to Write a Book.
Find out How To Get Published.
Explore the best book on Getting Published.
Don't miss our Festival of Writing.
If you're still stuck, then contact us.

The Writers' Workshop is run by writers for writers. We're here to help.

Published by: SecretSpi on 3rd Apr 2011 | View all blogs by SecretSpi

...is worth two MSs in the bush?

Maybe, maybe not, but I've bitten the bullet and I'm going be published!

I probably won't be up in the best-seller lists and I'm going to have to roll my sleeves up and do my own marketing but that's my job anyway.

Looking forward to the adventure ahead and I'll keep you updated.

Click here for the latest.

Comments

31 Comments

by Gerry 1 year ago

Hello, this is interesting. Is it a self publishing site or a publisher of limited means? (Mine falls more or less into the latter category - i.e. a small independent in NW USA). The mention of your own marketing reminds me of my own situation - which involves, of course, the calculation of how much time/effort to spend on promotion and how much on the main job - writing.

Whatever the situation, I imagine your book will be well worth reading. You have form!
by Charlie 1 year ago

Must go eat but had to say congratulations, well done and I hope you'll get lots of excellent reviews when it's published. Oh and well done on beating off the competition, too.
by SecretSpi 1 year ago

It's technically a "small press" which is a very small, independent publisher of limited means. It's not self-publishing. I'll have to do a lot of the marketing myself but the people there are great, very supportive and more into good writing ;-) than money.
by Stephy 1 year ago

Many congrats SecretSpi, and good luck with the next stage of your writers journey :-)
by Noel 1 year ago

Congratulations on an impressive achievement. I hope it all goes well - couldn't have happened to a nicer Spi
by Vanessa 1 year ago

Sounds brilliant - good luck with it and keep us posted on the cloud - What's it about? You can start your marketing here...
by Vanessa 1 year ago

Just clicked on the link -sounds great - my son would love it - let me know when its published...he needs something new - I have heard all about Harry Potter (a million times), Beast Quest, and How to train a dragon and he's now on Lord of the Rings...help...
by BlueDiamondMist 1 year ago

Congratulations! It's an achievement in itself to win a competition but to get published along the way is fantastic! Very well done.

I wish you all the best for your future hard work :o) xx
by Athelstone 1 year ago

That's wonderful news. Really, well done!

Have you any idea yet what will be involved in the marketing?
by stephenterry 1 year ago

Fab news. Go for it SS. Use this as a stepping stone to greater success. My best wishes for your future...
by mike 1 year ago

Congratulations. All the best
by Natalie James (Tors) 1 year ago

Congratulations SS! How wonderful xxx
by John Taylor 1 year ago

Brilliant, Spi! Just brilliant. I love the sound of the book – and so will both the students in my family, who love good children's adventures – and so you have three customers waiting... I would think you could get quite creative on the marketing side.
I'm aiming at small and medium-small presses myself. Building a small niche and making it grow seems to be the way forward at the moment.
All the best,
John
by Em 1 year ago

Good luck with it all, SecretSpi. I've read your manuscript and know it's a great book. You can count on us to help with marketing when you're ready....
by SecretSpi 1 year ago

Thank you all - I'm not sure what will be involved yet. I'll have to think about pre-launch (building up buzz) then launch and then what I'm going to do to promote the book (school visits etc.) So, yes, I'll be picking plenty of brains here, bouncing off ideas, asking for contacts...
by Noodledoodle 1 year ago

Congratulations SecretSpi and now the fun really begins!! Good luck!
by Nik 1 year ago

Congratulations! That's great news.
by Bren 1 year ago

Congratulations SSpi. Wonderful news. Good luck with the launch and the marketing. Onward into the world of a writer. So pleased for you.
Bren x
by Tony 1 year ago

This is wonderful to hear, Secrets; very well done, and well deserved. The small publisher sounds good and the experience of marketing your first book can only be good and stand you in great stead in the future.
by mike 1 year ago

I enjoyed the extracts you pasted on 'Word Cloud' I will buy a copy.
P.S. There does seem to be a market for stories set in the past. I don't know if you can see the programme in Germany,but one of the most popular detective stories on English TV is Foyles' Law' which is set during the second world war in Hastings and 'Midsummer Murders' is, apparently, a big seller abroad and this programme isn't really contemporary
by SecretSpi 1 year ago

Mike - I am rather hoping that a few people over the age of 12 will buy it and enjoy it - and that parents/grandparents/great-grandparents will want to read it as well. The closest thing already on the market is probably Young Bond by Charlie Higson which is for a slightly older age group and of course has the advantages of using an established character and having a famous author.
by Spangles 1 year ago

Congratulations! What marvellous news. I hope you do really well with it, and with all the books that will surely follow.

As you're a spy, I wonder if this means you've come in from the cold?
by curlykats 1 year ago

Congratulations! Hope it goes well.
by Barry Walsh 1 year ago

Well done Spiski and all good fortune for a great success with it. How long before it will be available?
by Mcallan 1 year ago

Hey congrats SS! I knew you would do it! Can't wait to see a copy to read to the grandkids...of course I don't have any yet....I can read it to myself anyway! You will do well with this 'cos you are dead smart and clever...and you can write a bit!
by Debi 1 year ago

Well done! Do you have a website and/or blog? You're going to need to start building up a buzz to let people know the book is out there. It will be a lot of work but on the plus side, no one else would give as much attention to your book as you will, so it will be a labour of love snd hopefully one which will pay off.

Catherine Cooper (Cadidore on the Cloud) originally self-published her children's book and sold shedloads by organising her own school tours. Though yours isn't self-pub, the promotion could be similar.
by SecretSpi 1 year ago

Awwww....you're all too nice. Publishing being what it is, I think that we'll be looking at 2012, which does give me plenty of time to start on the marketing. Hope you can all wait ... maybe Mac will have produced a grandchild or two by then, as it were...
by TonyGetsLost 1 year ago

You'll have no shortage of help from the Cloudies in the spreading-of-the-word! You'll also have to dive in to that dreaded Twitter type thing I imagine. I'm learning that myself right now and it seems like a really good promotional tool.
Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS!!
We REALLY need a Published Counter which ticks up every time one of us gets a deal!
by Caducean Whisks 1 year ago

Fan-jammy-doobilous, Spi! Reeeeally pleased for you! Lovely to hear that when things go right, they get righter and righter. Long may your roll continue. Have you started the sequel yet?
by SecretSpi 1 year ago

The sequel is ready to go - only I'm not sure where!
by Skylark 1 year ago

Just read the link and it sounds great - I'll definitely be buying a copy :-) Well done Spi :-)