Jean Fullerton: Changing Partners

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jean Fullerton to the Romantic Novelists’ Association blog today. Jean is a friend to many members of the RNA and her journey to publication is one that has thrilled many NWS members who still dreamt of their first publishing deal. Here, in the week that Jean’s latest book is published, she tells of the latest turn in her extraordinary life as an award-winning author.

Now let me tell you being a writer is just the greatest job in the world and there’s nothing better than

when you’ve sweated blood to bring a story together someone emails you to say how much they love your book. However, before you can receive such an email your book needs to get into the hands of the reader.

Now I know today you can be independently published and many good friends have decided to follow that pathway. I applaud them for their bold decision for me however, I decided to take the traditional route to publication and I have been fortunate that for the past ten years Orion have been my publisher.  

The publishing industry are always working a year in advance so this time last year when Wedding Bells for Nurse Connie was released my agent and I were deep in negotiation for the next contract. Over the summer as the discussion went back and forth it became increasingly clear I was not working out so after a couple of lengthy discussions with my lovely agent Laura Longrigg at MBA Literary Agents I told her to say thanks but no thanks on my behalf. Now, I won’t pretend that being without a publisher for the first time in eleven years I didn’t wake up in the wee small hours in a cold sweat on a few occasions but in the cold light of day I knew I’d made the right decision.

Over the past few years other publishers had approached my agent but as I was already under contract at the time we couldn’t pursue their offers. However, within a week or two of Laura putting out feelers she had a phone call from my original editor at Orion, Sara O’Keefe, who is now Editorial Director at Atlantic. The rest, as they say, is history.  I am now under contract with them and just finishing my second East London WW2 book for them and am hopeful of many more to come.    

Turning down a publishing contract is a leap into an uncertain future but sometimes you just have to hold on tight to your self-belief and say no.  

About Jean:

A Londoner who worked as a district nurse in East London for over twenty-five years and is now a full-time author.  She has won multiple awards and all her books are set in her native East London.  Her first series was set in the early 1800s but her most recently four books about nurses Millie and Connie have jumped forward a century and are set at the end of WW2. Her latest book, POCKETFUL OF DREAMS, is the first of her East London WW2 series featuring sisters Mattie, Jo and Cathy Brogan and their extended family.

Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter:  @JeanFullerton_

Amazon

Pocketful of Dreams

It's 1939, and the Brogan family of London's East End are ready to show Hitler what for. But things don't seem so rosy when rationing, evacuation and air raids start to put this larger-than-life family to the test.

When a mysterious young man arrives at the Brogans' local parish church, he provides just the dazzling distraction they need - and for eldest daughter Mattie, the promise of more than she'd ever wished for. But as the pair fall deeper in love, they are drawn into secret dangers, rife on the very London streets they call home.

As the young couple race to protect the East End, as they know it, can their dreams survive the darkening backdrop of wartime...?

Thank you, Jean, and good luck with Pocketful of Dreams.

If you would like your book to be featured on the RNA blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

Ask the Industry Expert: Literary Agent, Laura Longrigg

Happy New Year! A new year and a new interview with a publishing industry expert. This month, Helena Fairfax meets Laura Longrigg of the MBA Literary Agency.

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Laura!

Please tell us a little about the MBA Literary Agency and how you came to be a part of it.

MBA has been an agency for book authors and tv/film writers for over 40 years.  We’re a small team that has worked together for many years, six agents and support staff and we are based in an elegant house in London’s Fitzrovia.  Recent highlights include the publication of award-winning author Stef Penney’s new novel,  controversial footballer Joey Barton’s bestselling autobiography and Bafta winner Robert Jones’ TV series, Murder. 

What do you enjoy most about your job? And least?

I enjoy finding new writing and I enjoy making deals – not very original but always a thrill when my instincts are right that a new author is very special indeed – for instance Sue Wilsher who has a two-book deal with Sphere for her 50s set, Essex-based sagas.

I least enjoy rejections, and having to tell authors about them.  I feel very unhappy when an editor, who has expressed great enthusiasm for a book and really gets it and wants to work with an author, is then not supported by her colleagues and allowed to offer. 

What is it you are looking for when a manuscript lands on your desk? Are there any specific plots or themes you’d like to see?

Our policy is to ask for a sample of three chapters and a one page synopsis  of a completed novel.  If I like these, I ask to see the whole book.  I look for good writing and plotting, fully formed characters who develop in appealing and authentic ways, convincing POV (either third or first person) narratives, and above all I need to be surprised and emotionally engaged.

What advice would you give someone submitting to you?

Do your homework about the agent/agency you are submitting to – what do they specialise in, which of their authors do you admire?  Take care to write as ‘selling’ blurb of your work as you can (a memorable one-sentence pitch is a great bonus), and don’t be shy about any literary or relevant professional or personal successes, like short story prizes, published journalism, and number of followers on Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

Have you seen any trends in genre fiction in the past few years, and – the million-dollar question! – what do you think will be the Next Big Thing?

I wish I knew, of course!  I have found more publishers buying up saga writers, and there seems to be more interest in ‘straight’ historical novels too.  You might think that the psychological thriller market is saturated (especially with titles including ‘girl’) but an original take would still attract a lot of interest, in the US too, especially if it included elements of horror, gothic, also something surreal or supernatural. 

What benefits do you feel an agent can offer an author?

Most publishers won’t actually consider authors unless they come via agents nowadays.   In the early days, we provide crucial editorial input to prepare material for submission, and we also know the right editors to send new work to.  It’s hard for authors to have conversations with editors about things they are unhappy about – like their title, edit or cover image – an agent can make a tactful but firm stand.  It’s also very hard for most authors to negotiate financial and other crucial contractual terms with their editors – whereas it’s an agent’s job to get the best deal they can for their clients. We also work closely with our film/tv agent colleagues, who are constantly pitching our books and authors to production companies, here and in the US, and have a dedicated foreign rights manager. 

What’s your favourite romance novel of all time?

Pride and Prejudice or Middlemarch – not an obvious romance but with an incredible love affair at its heart, I think. 

Apart from your own authors, which book have you enjoyed the most in the past twelve months, and why?

A wonderful short novel, by a Chinese writer, set during the Cultural Revolution, about the power of language and love, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, by Dai Sijie. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Play and sing music, spend time with my family, read! 

If you could describe your working-day in just three words, what would they be?

Busy, varied, challenging.

Thanks so much for your thoughtful answers, Laura. It's been a pleasure getting to know you, and I really enjoyed your answers. (And if anyone out there writes a gothic psychological thriller, please let me know. I'd love to read it!)

If you've enjoyed Laura's interview, or have any questions at all, please let us know in the comments.

***

Helena Fairfax's engaging contemporary romances have been shortlisted for The Exeter Novel Prize,the Global Ebook Awards and the I Heart Indie Awards. Her latest release is a romantic suspense called A Year of Light and Shadows, available on Amazon in ebook and print, and from other e-book retailers.

***

Thank you, Helena and Laura for a most interesting interview.

If you would like to write for the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com