The Long Road to Publication - Part 3

by Andy Smith

Not a huge amount to report on the publication front since last time. My submission is currently under consideration by a number of agents (i.e. discounting the ones who said ‘no thanks’ straight away, so the ones who are at least thinking about it), and I’m waiting to hear back from them. This, as you doubtless know, is something which can take a very long time. Like a doctor who doesn’t want to be unemployed, you need patience. (Yes, I’m using up the leftover Christmas cracker jokes. What do you want for nothing?)

So what have I been doing while I wait? For one thing, I’ve started writing the sequel to Breaking the Lore. (In my long-term, finally make it, ideal world there’s a whole series of Inspector Paris books. Plus agents like having a series. Watch this space.) I’ve had the basic idea for the second novel and the kind of things I want to cover floating around in my head for a while, so I’ve been assembling them into some sort of order. (Aside: ‘Assembling’ being the operative word. I wish I could say I sit down to write and wonderful prose simply flows out, but it ain’t like that). 

I have to construct stories - think of the elements I want, work out the order to put them in, determine how to get from one point to another, then put in dialogue and jokes to link things together. Writing becomes Lego. I’m pretty sure that isn’t what they tell you on creative writing courses.) It’s starting to take shape now, with Paris once more having to work out what these weird magical creatures are getting up to. When an agent finally says they want to take on Breaking the Lore and then asks “Have you got anything else?”, I can go “Yes!”

What else have I been doing? I’ve been hoping some agent(s) will get back to me, but I’m certainly not assuming it’s definitely going to happen. So I’ve been starting to put things in place ready for self-publication as well. That’s all top secret at the moment though, so I can’t tell you any more or I’d have to kill you.

Anyway, back to the grindstone. And as Vincent Van Gogh might have put it: happy new ear! (That’s the last of the Cracker jokes. Honest.)