Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier

June 11, 2019 | By Merryn Allingham | 1 Reply More

Ten years ago I published my first novel and when I look back, I marvel that I’m still here. But also how bumpy the road has sometimes been. Below are some of the things that might have helped if I’d known what I do now:

That publishing is as commercial as it is creative, and no matter how much I want to write a particular story, I need to consider the market. I realised belatedly how crucial it was to develop a sense of my probable audience and research publishers who were most likely to be interested.

When I began my first novel, a Regency romance, I lacked any understanding of the commercial side of publishing. As a girl I’d loved Georgette Heyer’s novels and in my day job I’d taught every 19th century classic, so I reckoned I knew the period and assumed naively that I would find a publisher. It was only after I’d finished writing and set about deciding which lucky firm would receive my manuscript that I was told by a kindly agent that only two UK publishers took Regencies (only one now) – so not exactly a wide field – and my book, if it had any chance of publication, would need to be tailored to their requirements, not mine.

That I shouldn’t send out the same query letter or even the same synopsis with different submissions. I realised – belatedly again – that each needs to be tweaked to appeal to the person I was sending to, taking account, for instance, of their favourite books, the authors they represent or publish. There are a good many agent/editor interviews on the internet and I’ve often found them helpful in understanding the person I’m writing to.
That patience and perseverance are almost as important as writing talent. Agents, editors, can take a long time to respond to a submission. I’ve heard stories of authors receiving a rejection two years after they first submitted, when the book in question has been published for almost as long. Sometimes my submission has been completely ignored and I’ve had to learn to shrug and move on.

It’s well-known that rejection is far more common than acceptance, but when it arrives, it’s still hard to swallow. I don’t ever take it personally, but after a cherished project has been shown the door, it’s not always easy to keep writing. Perseverance is all!

That I shouldn’t have assumed that being published by one of the Big Five means I’ve arrived as a writer. It doesn’t and I’ve learned to open my mind to other possibilities. Unless you’re a big name author or a celebrity or both, mid-list writers can get lost in large corporations. Sometimes smaller works better. Digital publishers are generally open to unsolicited manuscripts so there’s no gatekeeper blocking the way. They can offer enhanced royalty rates, and because they’re smaller outfits, they’re very approachable.
That I would need to engage with publicity. And that’s true whether I’m published by a multi-national or a smaller, independent publisher. Even more so, if I choose to self-publish. Writers can find the constant need to publicise themelves very hard and I’d include myself in that. The same cry echoes across a lot of writing forums, that all authors want to do is write. But the publishing world these days requires writers to be active – to run a website, to be on twitter, to have a social media presence. Maybe if I’d known that, I would have packed away my keyboard there and then!
That self publishing can appear a win-win, but it isn’t that easy. Around the time I began publishing, I wrote a book that definitely wasn’t a Regency romance and thought I’d have a go at publishing it myself. I was completely unaware of how much hard work was entailed in getting a book ‘out there’. I edited it myself (never a good idea), spent days trying to format it, and asked someone who wasn’t a cover designer to do the artwork. You can guess the result – it didn’t exactly set the world on fire – and that was after an awful lot of labour. Now when I self-publish (books that have been previously published and the rights returned to me), I pay for an editor, a formatter, and a cover designer. The result is the books actually sell – modestly, it’s true – but very much better than my first effort.
That writing required me to learn and keep learning. I was naïve in thinking that my background in literature meant I was half way there. It hadn’t really percolated that what I was doing was entering an entirely new profession. In fact, I wasn’t even a quarter there and I’m only a little further today – still making mistakes, still learning.

But what I’ve discovered over the years is what a great support network there is. The writing community is large, warm and hugely helpful. I’ve tried to meet fellow authors at conferences or workshops if I can get there. I’ve joined several local writing groups – one social, one critique – and become a member of a number of online groups devoted to the genres I write (now women’s fiction and crime). It’s been humbling how much help and support I’ve had.

And finally, that despite the hiccups – and it’s sometimes been two steps forward and one back – I still love writing. Absolutely!

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Merryn Allingham was born into an army family and spent her childhood moving around the UK and abroad. Unsurprisingly it gave her itchy feet and in her twenties she escaped from an unloved secretarial career to work as cabin crew and see the world.

Merryn still loves to travel and visit new places, especially those with an interesting history, but the arrival of marriage, children and cats meant a more settled life in the south of England, where she has lived ever since. It also gave her the opportunity to go back to ‘school’ and eventually teach at university.

She has written seven historical novels, all mysteries with a helping of suspense and a dash of romance – sometimes set in exotic locations and often against a background of stirring world events.

A Tale of Two Sisters

Separated by time and distance, two sisters seek answers for all they’ve lost.

When Alice Verinder’s beloved sister Lydia goes missing, Alice boards the Orient Express bound for Topkapi Palace in Constantinople, determined to find her.

Lydia was governess to the Sultan’s young children and though her letters spoke of exotic delights and welcoming hosts, the reception Alice receives is decidedly cold and answers unforthcoming.

Now, as Alice digs deeper into the secrets of a land foreign to her she has only Englishman Harry Frome to help her. But as their search uncovers unforeseen dangers and exposes an unexpected passion, is Alice ready for the truths they’ll uncover?

Amazon UK: https://tinyurl.com/y4o8nl3u

Amazon.com https://amzn.to/2D18MZc

Website: www.merrynallingham.com

Facebook: www.tinyurl.com/m322ovu

Twitter: @MerrynWrites

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