Submission, submission, submission

This morning, I wiped away a tear when I re-read my post last March  about the first time I submitted my three chapters and synopsis to agents. I think I was partly touched by my cheerful optimism and partly sad that I had fallen into the classic mistake of submitting too early.

Looking through my file of reply letters, I saw all the agents had replied, even if only by formulaic letter. Some had made complimentary remarks, one was handwritten, one had asked to read the full manuscript (which got me more than a little excited!) but the result was a universal ‘No, thanks’.

I needed answers.

So, I took action.

With some trepidation and after a thorough exchange of emails, I sent my baby, plus synopsis, a note of writerly ambitions and a selection of agents’ comments off to the redoubtable Nicola Morgan‘s Pen2Publication writing consultancy.

Brave or what?

She was characteristically bracing, but specific:
“At the end, you will see a list of things I think you need to do to it to make it good enough for quality publication, or for success in self-published form. Sometimes I recommend that a writer simply leaves this first novel as a practice-run and starts again. I’m not saying that with you, because I think you have an enjoyable idea with potential; but don’t underestimate what needs to be done to it.”

The following conclusion spurred me on and has remained hovering in the forefront of my brain for the past year:
“But I don’t want you to forget that there were also good things about this, and promising aspects, especially in your rich imagination of […]. If I didn’t think it was worth working on, I’d have suggested you begin a new book but I think there is enough in here that shouldn’t be lost. No idea is ever wasted. I believe that if you take these things on board you have every chance of being able to create a genuinely interesting, exciting and unusual story – unusual in a way that could be publishable.”

So I did. I got the machete out and chopped 30,000 words of fluff and dough and added in tighter, tougher and kick-ass ones.

I did an inspiring, but practical Arvon Foundation course on commercial fiction, I read books, blogs and articles until my eye-balls fried, I attended the Festival of Writing at York this year. Most of all, I interacted with other writers and read, read read.

All the time, I was editing, polishing, agonising. On one run-through, I got rid of 28 ‘felt’s (Smug or what?).

Now I’m submitting again because I want to be published. This time, I think it’s a much better product. And out there, I know there’s somebody who just might agree.

July 17th, 2011 | Category: Getting published | 8 comments - (Comments are closed)

Weekend in Wales - A bit of a Roman(tic) holiday

Carleon (Isca) Roman fortress wall

Last weekend, I was in Caerleon, South Wales attending the Romantic Novelists’ Association conference. It’s a joyous event, where you re-affirm old friendships and form new ones, where you’re are reminded of old things you’ve forgotten and learn new ones.  Talks on characters, publishing contracts, marketing; presentations by those who have made it and those who hope to; meetings with publishers, agents and industry gurus. And the wine…

For a flavour of the event, have a look at these.   Warning! May contain shoes and smiles.
RNA blog – Day 1 pictures      RNA blog – Gala dinner (and shoes)      A first timer’s view

I’m not going to repeat their words – they’ve said it all. But I’m going to tell you about something else I did that weekend before the conference got started.

I went off on a Roman holiday.  Caerleon or Isca Augusta was one of the three permanent Roman military HQs in Britain. Isca became the headquarters of the II Legion Augusta in about AD 75, when Governor Sextus Julius Frontinus began the conquest of Roman Wales. Recent finds suggest Roman occupation of some kind as late as AD 380. More info here.

Being me, I took a load of photos. The most impressive remains are of the amphitheatre, the only fully excavated one in Britain. (Click to play my video in the rain.)

 

 

 

Nearby are part of the fortress wall and the Prysg Field Barracks (right) the only Roman legionary barracks visible in Europe.

After arriving here in AD 75 from the other Isca  (Isca Dumnoniorum, or Exeter as we now know it) the 5,000 strong Legio II Augusta stayed for 200 years.

 

 

 

The National Roman Legion Museum contains a wealth of finds, including carved gemstones lost down the drains! Of course, there are amphorae on display and a nice piece of mosaic, as well as coins, funerary stones, domestic and military detritus. A reconstructed barrack room gives you an idea how small the soldiers’ quarters were. If you are visiting, they have a schedule of events not to miss.

 

Roman garden

 

 

 

 

 

Behind the museum is a Roman-inspired garden which gave me a few ideas for my own.

 

 

 

 

 

And if you fancied a swim, then the fabulous display at the Roman baths museum could entice you in. (It’s only a hologram, so I wouldn’t dive in, but very effective at giving you an idea.)

And there is more to come. Last year archaeologists found traces of a huge building which may turn out to be the size of Fishbourne Roman Palace in Sussex.

 

 

Update: Walking by the fortress wall in the fine rain, but still loving and absorbing everything, I bumped into a fellow walker. We chatted and he obviously caught on that I was a ‘Roman nut’.  He told me he was a member of the University of Cardiff faculty involved in digging the site. Poor man! He was bombarded with questions.

Photo courtesy of the South Wales Argus

But as he was speaking to another enthusiast, he said they were developing excavations as there had been indications there was much more to find. There always is, of course, but his was a humdinger. He revealed that remains of a Roman harbour had been found in a meadow by the river. All very hush-hush, so please not to speak about it. I almost jumped up and down, but did manage to keep my dignity.

Look through the gallery of pictures for more images of what Roman Caerleon might have looked like.

 

 

Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers INCEPTIO, PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA and INSURRECTIO. The sixth, RETALIO, came out in April  2017. Audiobooks now available for the first four of the series

Get INCEPTIO, the series starter, for FREE when you sign up to Alison’s free monthly email newsletter. You’ll also be first to know about Roma Nova news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.

July 14th, 2011 | Tags: , , , , , | Category: Events, Research, Roman life, Roman military, Romans, Romantic Novelists' Association | Comments are closed

Second-hand books – unfair to authors or an enticement to buy?

Some authors don’t like second-hand book stalls, whether run as a businesses or for a charity fête. In fact, they hate them. The author gets no royalty or secondary right or anything. The books are toted around, exchanged or traded like a lump of former tree for a pound/euro, so virtually free. I heard one say it was verging on piracy. A bit strong in my opinion, but I respect his right to say it.

However, consider this…

If you live in a non-English speaking country with no easily obtainable books in English, whether from a chain or an independent, bookstalls are an opportunity to discover new reads, new authors and to talk about books.
That’s the cultural argument.

But it could be that having discovered a new-to-you author, you are entranced by them, you want to read more of their work. Chances are the bookstall doesn’t have any more by that author. You go home, clutching your new treasure and dive on to the Internet and, notwithstanding the postage, order two or three more by the same author. I did exactly this after buying one book for 50 cents in a barn sale and promptly spent another £35.00 on Amazon.

So perhaps the second-hand bookstall or exchange, sprawled in boxes on a trestle-table once a month, isn’t a demon from hell, but a spur to a buying frenzy by keen readers.

Or have I set a cat among the pigeons?

July 1st, 2011 | Tags: | Category: Books | 2 comments - (Comments are closed)
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