How I Got Published – Julie Shackman

From an early age, I loved writing and reading. I remember reading Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz when I was thirteen and I thought it must be wonderful to write stories and get paid for it!

I trained as a journalist and studied Communication & Media, but always harboured a longing to be a romance author. 

My first two contemporary romance novels, “Rock My World” and “Hero or Zero” were published digitally by an e-book publisher based in London, but like many writers, I always dreamt of a traditional publishing deal.

 When I approached Australian uber agent Selwa Anthony with my third novel, A Room at the Manor, in April 2017, I honestly hadn’t expected to hear back. 

I had read about Selwa’s phenomenal reputation in the Australian literary world, as well as her enthusiasm for mentoring and encouraging debut authors, but I assumed that with her impressive client list, she would more than likely reply with a polite decline.

I had submitted to agents, only to find that I was receiving positive comments about my writing but no offers of representation. 

When I read about several UK writers, who had successfully secured literary representation abroad, I decided to submit my writing to her.

These authors had spoken of finding no logistical problems at all, with having an agent based internationally and said they simply exchanged emails as usual, and where telephone calls were required, they just arranged them with the time difference in mind.

I had based “Thistles,” my fictional tea room in the story, on my favourite tea shop where I write and wanted to look at what would happen when secrets and revelations come back from the past.

I thought also about my main character (Lara McDonald) and how she might react to having to assert herself in a very difficult situation – and what effect this would have on decisions she would have to make in the future. It was these ideas that formed the basis for A Room at the Manor.

I am an avid reader and love many genres, but my favourite by far is romance – both reading it and writing it.

I decided to approach Selwa and emailed her my synopsis and first ten pages of my novel on that Saturday afternoon, only to be lost for words when an email reply pinged in my In box from her on the Monday morning, saying she enjoyed my writing and could I send her the full MS?

She added that she would get back to me with her decision within fourteen days, so I spent the next week or so trying not to refresh my In Box every five minutes! I tried to feel quietly optimistic and told myself that even if she declined, having an agent of her stature ask for my completed MS, was a step in the right direction.

Then, on day 12, another emailed arrived from Selwa, asking if we could have a telephone chat?

When I spoke to her, I remember my heart leaping in my chest when she said my MS required some work but that she loved my writing style and the premise of my book. Then when she offered to represent me, I burst into tears!

After several rounds of edits, Selwa began submitting A Room at the Manor and within six weeks, she had secured me a publishing deal with Allen & Unwin – cue more heart hammering and tears!

She then informed me that she had negotiated an audio version of the book with Bolinda.

A Room at the Manor was released in Kindle, paperback and audio on 27 June 2018 in Australia and New Zealand and since then, it has also been released by Forever, the romance imprint of Ullstein in Germany, as an e-book on 4 March 2019 and in paperback on 2 May 2019. 

A Room at the Manor was also released in the UK by Atlantic Books on Kindle and in paperback on 1 August 2019.

Since then, so much has happened!

I’ve had eight more feel-good romances published with the wonderful HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter. They are all standalone, but come under the Scottish Escapes umbrella and number nine, A Scottish Lighthouse Escape, is out in e-book on 30 July and in paperback on 31 July. It’s going to be released as an audio book too.

I’ve just finished writing Book Ten and that is with my agent now for her feedback.

 I also write verses and captions for greetings card companies, which is a nice diversion from the book writing and I’ve had a few articles and a couple of short stories published in women’s magazines too, which is something else I enjoy. 

Don’t listen to the doubters and the pessimists. Just keep going. 

I have a wonderful agent in Selwa and a wonderful editor in Jennie Rothwell at One More Chapter and my message to any writer out there, is to never, ever give up. It only takes one person to say Yes and persistence and tenacity count for so much in the publishing world.

Sometimes, I sit and look at my row of published novels and can scarcely believe that I was the one who wrote them and that I got there in the end.

Read lots, write lots and if you want it badly enough, it will happen, believe me!

Good luck! x

—

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. 

As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. She admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags. 

She has an adopted Romanian rescue dog called Cooper and when not reading or writing, loves working out, taking Cooper on long walks, music and watching romcoms. A Scottish Lighthouse Escape is Julie’s thirteenth novel.

Website –   Julie Shackman Author

Twitter – (2) Julie Shackman (@G13Julie) / Twitter

Instagram –  Julie Georgina Shackman (@juliegeorginashackman) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook –  (5) Julie Georgina Shackman | Facebook

A Scottish Lighthouse Escape

‘Julie Shackman knows how to bring the feel-good factor to fiction’ Woman’s Weekly

Get ready to fall in love with the brand new romance in the Scottish Escapes series from bestselling author, Julie Shackman.
When romance author Rosie Winters’s own fairytale romance ends with a bang, she’s determined to get away from everything. Packing up her belongings she sets off for the furthest place she can think of: Scotland.

Rosie spent her summers at her late grandmother’s coastal cottage in the Highlands and knows it’ll be the perfect place to wallow for a while. Even better that there’s a gorgeous lighthouse and dolphins in the bay.

What Rosie didn’t expect was to bump into the new lighthouse keeper, Mitch. Despite her recent heartbreak, Rosie finds herself fascinated by the mysterious Mitch. As they spend more time together, is it possible that he needs Rosie every bit as she needs him…

*Available to pre-order now!*

UK Amazon HERE

USA Amazon HERE

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing