Photo by Nadi Lindsay at Pexels. 

The last year I have made a concerted effort to get my novel published. Firstly I had to ensure it was as perfect as possible. To do this I joined a couple of writing groups for feedback on extracts I was a little unsure of. It was the best thing I’ve ever done and really made me think about characters, dialogue and structure. So get out the garret fellow writers, the air is breathable and you don’t need a mask.

I then read some work in public, most recently at a performance workshop held by local storyteller Pete Davis at the Nottingham Writers’ Studio. People can’t hide their emotions and so this was an attempt to get honest feedback from published authors. The feedback was excellent. Then I submitted the first 50 pages to the Literacy Consultancy whose advice was fantastic. I made the necessary adjustments and then submitted for a ‘mentor’ via a scheme put forward by Writing East Midlands. Unfortunately my application wasn’t successful, largely because I underplayed how important it would be to my development as a writer. I should know better really, seeing as this is the kind of advice I spout out regularly in this blog but now serves as a curt reminder never to presume anything and that every piece of work you submit represents everything about you.

Unperturbed (you need broad shoulders as well as hardened fingertips in this trade) I was successful in winning a half-an-hour pitching slot with an agent at the Writing Industries Conference and was allocated Ollie Munson of Blake Friedmann. He was, to quote my girlfriend, ‘an absolute darling’. A soft calming demeanour, slightly shy and most importantly, someone I felt instantly at ease with. We had a chat for ten minutes about the state of literature and what writers we liked and I figured that he was delaying the inevitable rejection by avoiding discussing the three chapters and synopsis I’d submitted. But he didn’t. He liked the book and wanted to read the whole thing. We agreed a submission of the whole novel for two weeks later and I went home and read the novel for the 10,000 time and emailed it over. He promised to get back to me in May and finally got back in July. Not bad really for an agent, especially considering this period is busy with various publishing exhibitions.

I’d like to say that I sat around the house nervously biting my nails and checking my email every day, but I didn’t. Having previously had my book accepted for publication twice and then dropped on both occasions I’ve learnt it is best not to dwell on such things. You’ll know when you need to know.

An email came through from Ollie on the 6th July. I knew it was a rejection straight away because I think he’d have rung up if he was interested. An email can’t quite express excitement like a verbal conversation, not yet anyway. Naturally I was really disappointed. Not just because it meant I had to drag my body off the floor and start all over again but because I genuinely warmed to him. The world of literature doesn’t often deliver people who have a solid grounding in reality and a genuine human touch, so he’s someone I’d have loved to have worked with. He’s kindly agreed to do an online interview so that I can make LeftLion readers aware of his service, so if you’re one of the lucky b*stards that gets a publishing deal. Spare a thought…

The email read ‘I really found THIS IS ALL I KNOW to be a charming book and there was so much there I like. The writing is great, I like your central character, all things that I know are crucial to a book’s success… it also has an interesting historical value since it really does sum up what England was like at the turn of the millennium. I just wonder if we need a few more years before that era really comes back into fashion.’ . He went on to recommend an agent and publisher who he thought would like the book and reassured that ‘I really felt there was a lot to admire here and honestly, if I hadn’t enjoyed it, I certainly wouldn’t have given this reply so much thought.’ (I would have published this in full but he requested otherwise.)

I wanted to share this rejection with other writers as a reminder that you’re not alone and most importantly never to give up. It will happen, I think. Take Maria Allen, she came out of the same NTU Creative Writing Course as Niki Monaghan and has just had her book published by Tindal Street Press which has been picked as one of the Guardian’s top reads for the summer. Good things happen.

Talking of which, a few days later my girlfriend mentioned what had happened to a local publisher called Ross Bradshaw (Five Leaves) who said he’d take a look at the book. Now the waiting game starts all over again. As a publisher of Jewish culture, crime and young adult fiction it’s highly unlikely the book will be for him, but you never know. So I’m raising a glass tonight for Maria Allen’s beautiful story, to the warmth of Oli Munson, to Writing East Midlands and the Literacy Consultancy for their advice and help and to all of you writers locked away in the garret sharing this awkward meandering path. Then I’ll be turning to the gospel of Luke Brown et al.

Photo by Pixabay at Pexels. 

How to pitch an article to a magazine is one of the most frequent questions I’m asked when holding journalism workshops and as is often the case within this industry, there’s no magical solution. But here are a couple of pointers.

Be direct and to the point. They want to know the genesis of your idea not every single detail. This can be done in 3-5 lines. Remember they have to trawl through hundreds of these enquiries a day.

News desks are run off their feet and poorly staffed. If you can make their job any easier, do it. Tell them you can provide hyperlinks and photographs if possible and explain exactly where you see the article fitting into the publication. Suggest a particular word count and the date you can get the copy in for. Be realistic. False promises do not bode well.

Have a unique angle, something that sets your idea apart from others. In my experience this comes from finding unique correlations and juxtaposing them together. This is an impossible trait to teach people and comes only with being well read and informed, a skill which inevitably improves with age. No wonder the government have put up the age of retirement…

A brief biog under the pitch reassures the Editor that you are competent and reliable. Alternatively this can be done in your email signature, with contact details and links to your work. If you are starting out then stating why you are so passionate about this feature and perfectly suited to write it may be enough to lure them in. Never underestimate enthusiasm because it tells an Editor that you’ll deliver the goods.

Picking up the phone is far more effective because you get to talk to someone directly which means you don’t become an anonymous email clogging up an inbox that will probably get erased due to time constraints. But you need broad shoulders for this. You may well encounter a gruff almost monosyllabic response simply because you are the hundredth call they’ve taken on the bounce. Remain calm, polite, enthusiastic and articulate. It works every time. With this in mind, print out your pitch and rehearse it.

When you ring up, mention your name in the first sentence. ‘Hi. I’m Arthur Seaton, a freelance journalist based in Nottingham’. Even if they don’t take the bait, at least your name has been stored for future reference. On a similar note, try to find out the name of the person you want to talk to before ringing up. And it goes without saying to check you’ve been put through to the right department before delivering your spiel. A lot of publications are owned by larger organisations and so numbers can occasionally be generic.

Whether email or phone, timing is pivotal. Make sure that a UFO has not landed or a madman has gone on a shooting spree because this will take up most of their attention. For example, this can account for up to 50% of all news feeds on a website as they have to keep up with developments.

I imagine email is still the favoured form of enquiry for most hacks, despite warnings to the contrary. If this is the case, bear in mind that more esteemed publications are likely to go for established writers. So if you know ‘one’ that likes your work, get them to pitch on your behalf. This may not be feasible for everyone but if you have contacts, use them.

There is of course the distinct possibility that an Editor will steal your idea and get one of his staff to follow up the article. Get over it. You probably stole your idea from a mix of articles you’d read online. But rest assured if you keep ringing up with great ideas, eventually they’ll cave in and you’ll experience that wonderful feeling that comes with seeing your name in print.

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