Having a children's novel published has been my goal for (ahem) many years. However, when I imagine this dream becoming a reality, I always skirt around the changes it would probably mean to my life. A lot of published authors talk of promoting their work, interviews, talks in schools, newspaper interviews, social networking and book signings. I must admit it all seems a bit frightening, which has made me question whether I'm putting a hundred percent into my writing efforts? Am I afraid of what might happen? I'd like to think that if I ever get that wonderful letter/email/phone call that starts the dream rolling, then I'd take it all in my stride. I hope so, anyway. As a writer, I just want to see my book on the shelves!
Anyone else have the same fears? When I started writing as a teenager, I naively thought that I'd just post off the MS, sit back and wait for the cheques to roll in. Haha. HaHa. Ha.
About Me
- penandpaints
- Hi, welcome to my blog, I am a writer of short stories, children's and YA novels . An acceptance from People's Friend finally made me a published writer! Yeah, happy days! I have since had stories published in The Weekly News and The Last Laugh anthology. My main love is writing children's/YA novels...I'm now enduring a fruitless search for an agent... I also draw and paint, I like to draw animals (usually my adorable crazy cats!)Occasionally famous people and motorcycles.
I quite often have to do things (like standing up and talking in front of people/live radio etc) that terrify me in my current day job. So, I suppose from that point of view it wouldn't be that different, and would hopefully be more fun!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way exactly. I have yet to find a publisher for my book, but I haven't really tried all that hard. I think I'm a bit scared, too, of how my life would change. Don't know that I could handle that much change right now. It's a problem.
ReplyDeleteHelen, how brave of you, talking in front of people would have me as red as a tomato and wobbling like a jelly. It's not a good look for me.
ReplyDeleteJanie, I know, I'm glad I'm not alone, it is a worry though :/
I used to be able to talk publicly with a confident 'front' when I went out to work in the eighties. I'm out of practise now and it doesn't come naturally to me anyway. I don't know if I could do it now. Maybe I could if I wore shoulder pads and had a big perm again.
ReplyDeleteI'm very bad at socialising, being a bit of a hermit. But I still have daydreams where I'm famous and making speeches! Thankfully that is unlikely to happen.
I agree that thoughts of change are daunting. Maybe the reality would turn out to be easier than we imagine.
I really like your blog and am glad to have discovered it.
The promotional side of having a book published does seem like a huge thing nowadays. I'm not keen on public speaking either. But hopefully if we are ever in the happy position of having a book to promote then we'll be buoyed up by the thrill of it which will help our confidence. It probably gets easier the more you have to do it.
ReplyDeleteI've just come across your blog and have really enjoyed reading through your posts so far.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think of full-time authors as simply being people who are able to spend all day on their writing, able to shut themselves away in their own world if they so choose. But it seems the truth is really very different.
Best of luck with the submissions you have out there!
This is why being a ghost writer would appeal to me - I'd hate the promotional stuff.
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Joanna - Thank you for your kind words about the blog, I hope you're right, if the big day ever comes, we'll just get on with it, shoulder pads or not!
ReplyDeleteJoanne- You're right, a published book would be a huge confidence boost, if only!
David -Thank you very much, all the best to you also.
Suzanne- Hi, I know, that would be great!