Saturday, March 23, 2013

The I.T. Girl Goes Live!

I was heading out the door last night to see a play a friend is in when I got an email from my editor saying The I.T. Girl is available on Amazon! Suddenly there were texts to write, tweets to tweet and a facebook page to update with a status such as 'OMG my book is online and now I'm late'.

Today, as a friend advises, I will try not to stare at Amazon all day. Instead, I have websites, such as this and The I.T. Girl to update. BIOs to change - why do I have so many profiles? - Let people who expressed an interest in the book know it is available, and make time for some general merriment.


Endeavour Press publish novellas and essays, reconnecting with the era of pulp fiction through electronic publishing. Thanks to them for liking The I.T. Girl and doing such a great job with it! And thanks to all my proof readers who put up with my interrogations and helped to shape a book I am proud of.

Oh, if you think you'd like to read an authentic, fast-paced story about what it's like to be a woman in I.T., you can download it to your Kindle from here

Sunday, March 10, 2013

IT Girl

I am very excited to announce that Orla's Code is going to be published! Yes, this is even more exciting than school summer holidays or getting retweeted by someone famous. And over all the stages since final draft to final submission, this one happened quite quickly.

Endeavour Press gave a talk to my writing group, London Writers Cafe, about 3 weeks ago. It was on getting published and how to raise your e-profile. We all sat poised with pen and notepad on knee as usual. I toyed with asking a question: How important do you think it is to have your own marketing plan in relation to securing a book deal? A few submission guidelines I've come across recently request this and I always shy away from these publishers because I don't have a marketing plan. Anyway, I didn't get to ask my question, but afterwards, as is the wont of our writing group, guests and audience went up to the bar for a drink and further chat. Throughout the talk I had been listening for Endeavour's submission guidelines and I was thinking they might take a look at O.C. So, over a glass of wine, I gave the Endeavour team my pitch. I was asked some questions: Are you working on another book? What has been the reaction of other publishers? What is it called? Orla's Code, I say. This was met with a thoughtful pause. And then: Call it I.T. Girl. As in It Girl. Always call something what it is... Before leaving I promised a submission the next day.

Following my submission I was asked for the manuscript and then a week later received a reply. I was bracing myself for rejection - cause you know I'm getting used to it - but marvelously it simply said: We think this is something we can publish, would you like to come in? I was grinning like an idiot at my workmates. One wanted to know if she had something on her face. But even the following week before the meeting, I was still bracing myself for disappointment. Like maybe they'd say: We like it but can you change 50%? Or: We'd like to serialize it in an avant garde magazine we're experimenting with. But, again they simply said: We like this and we'd like to take it on. Then we got down to the serious business of marketing, strategy and book covers. 

I had taken a half day from work for the meeting and I wasn't meeting friends until later on so, afterwards I went to the Tate Modern nearby and saw the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition. I think I'll always have a warm, fuzzy association with brightly coloured pop-art from now on.

So, here's my TODO list:
  • read over mauscript final edit when it arrives
  • research book reviewers who might be interested in reviewing IT Girl
  • mobilise friends and family
And that's all, folks. IT Girl will be available in your favourite e-book stores hopefully very soon!...