Rosie Garland: From Mslexia Novel Competition to Harper Collins
This month, three judges decide the winner of the 2nd Mslexia Unpublished Novel Competition. Someone is about to receive a life-changing phone call. Two years ago, I was that woman.
I never imagined I would be. Fairytales are for other folk. I’d lost faith in my writing ‘getting anywhere’: indeed, I’d lost faith in my ability to write. But my winning novel, The Palace of Curiosities, was published in March 2013 by HarperCollins UK, one of the world’s largest publishing companies. It’s still a shock.
Like many writers, I’ve been writing for as long as I remember (I have a cough-sweet tin filled with miniature books I wrote for my dolls). By the end of the 90s I’d had poetry and short stories published, and I’d built up a following on the performance poetry circuit. I got an idea for a novel and was buoyed up by a run of early success: commendations in two fiction competitions and interest from a small publisher.
The crowning event of 2000 was a letter from a major London literary agency. They’d seen my competition entry, were impressed, and wanted to represent me. I danced around the room! I showed them my first novel, expecting wild enthusiasm. The agent advised waiting for a mainstream deal, so I turned down the small press. Naively, I waited for lucrative deals to come flying in. They didn’t.
Over the next twelve years, I wrote four-and-a-half novels. Not one was ‘good enough’, however hard I tried – and I tried very hard. Then I was passed to a different agent who regaled me with stories of the terrible state of the publishing industry. No-one showed interest in what I was writing.
I stopped telling friends about my novels, humiliated by rejection after rejection. I regretted turning down the small publisher. It was a tough job to keep going during those long, slow, arid years. Then I got throat cancer and everything stopped while I put my life-energy into recovery. But there’s nothing like a peek at your sell-by date to give you a boot up the backside. So, after I got the all-clear I emailed my agent and said, Let’s Do This Thing. He didn’t even reply.
His final rejection was my lowest point. I needed to move on. I could not continue putting my life into something that was giving me no nourishment. I didn’t regret those twelve years, because no writing is ever wasted. But it was time to stop banging my head against a brick wall.
In 2011 Mslexia announced their Inaugural Novel Competition. As a last-ditch-last-fling, I dusted off novels #3 and #4 and sent them in, figuring I had nothing to lose except the entry fee. Both made the shortlist of ten. I was astounded: perhaps I could write fiction, after all. And one of the judges was Sarah Waters. A writing heroine. Liked. My. Work.
Novel #4, ‘The Palace of Curiosities’ won outright. Within a week I had an enthusiastic new agent. Within a fortnight she sent it to fifteen UK publishers and I was at the heart of a bidding war. The result was a 2-book deal with HarperCollins UK. It was bizarre – the same words in the same order, yet a year before I couldn’t get it through the door of one publisher, let alone fifteen. I spent a long time pinching myself.
To say winning the Mslexia Novel Competition boosted my confidence is a vast understatement. I’ve proved to myself that I can write fiction: it was just a case of finding the right people to read it. The competition was judged anonymously and that makes me particularly proud.
I am not This Year’s Bright Young Thing, have not attended a fashionable Creative Writing Masters program, nor do I have industry connections. I won because of the quality of the writing.
It was the best £25 I spent in my entire life. I strongly encourage writers to enter as many competitions as possible. Someone out there loves your work – but they need to see it. So get it out there. Do it now.
Yes, I still have crises of self-doubt. But I’ve discovered a sense of validation, a punching-the-air ‘I did it!’ The win – and the resulting two-book deal – have given financial choices I never thought to have. I’ve given up my day job to focus full-time on writing. I’ve received writing commissions, invitations to lecture on University courses, been nominated for and won awards, toured book festivals…
I still subscribe to Mslexia. I still get up every morning and write. I take nothing for granted. I’m not a rest-on-my-laurels gal. I’ve built resilience, learned humility and discovered the extent of my determination to keep going in the face of rejection and failure. And I have regained a belief in my writing.
© 2014 Rosie Garland
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Rosie Garland is a novelist, a poet and singer in post-punk band The March Violets. Her poetry has been widely published, including in Mslexia, The Rialto and The East Coast Literary Review. She is a seasoned international performer, from the Cheltenham Festival of Literature to the Bowery Poetry Club, New York. Her latest solo collection of poetry is ‘Everything Must Go’ (Holland Park Press). Her debut novel ‘The Palace of Curiosities’ won the 2011 Mslexia novel competition and was published by HarperCollins in March 2013. Her second novel, ‘Vixen’ is due out in June 2014.
Find out more about Rosie on her Website www.rosiegarland.com
Follow her on twitter rosieauthor and facebook www.facebook.com/rosielugosi
Category: Being a Writer, Contemporary Women Writers, On Publishing, On Writing
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Sites That Link to this Post
- Meet Rosie Garland | WordMothers | February 10, 2015
- Rosie Garland: From Mslexia Novel Competition t... | May 10, 2014
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I’ve been reading parts of your work above and it’s interesting to hear that you started out sending out small bits. This is what I’ve done with the stuff from small workshops I went to. I have over 200 small poems self published and the books are beautiful. I have more. Do you team up with anyone else to do book launches and stalls.
Rachel
Hello Rachel,
Great to hear from you – yes, I started by sending out my work to magazines /competitions etc.
and I’ll be honest… I still do.
Sure, I have been published. But I value the way that sending out new work hones skills, plus provides the regular impetus of deadlines to work towards. It’s all good practice.
How great that you’re getting your work out there.
yes, readings are The ideal place to have a book stall. Whenever I’m doing a reading, all the writers share a stall.
Best of luck!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Rosie. What a tale of perseverance and strength. I’m waiting for that same phone call at the moment from Mslexia after 10 years and 4 books. Best of luck to you!
Fingers crossed for you, Sarah! Sounds like our stories have a lot of similarities…
“He didn’t even respond.” I will seriously never understand the lack of professionalism in this industry. How hard is it to say “I don’t see this book going anywhere”??? Kudos to you for plugging away. I’m gonna buy your book for that reason alone!
Thank you Charlotte!
And how lovely that you’re going to buy the book.
Yes – here’s to plugging away, eh?
This struck every chord going inside me, Rosie. I, too, have been buoyed to the point of representation with my books, have a wall-full of rejections (over 500 at the last count) and I still go back and re-read the ‘nicer’ ones which tell me my writing is good – but not good ‘enough’. Last year I started entering writing competitions with a vengeance and got shortlisted for the Greenhouse Chilren’s funny prize, and also had a poem shortlisted in the Hysteria competition – you’re so right about getting it out there – because – and as my husband always says – ‘success is a hundred failures’. Going over to order your book right now – missed the deadline for this years’ Mslexia comp, but will be sure to enter the next one. Fabulous post – thanks SO much for such encouraging words.
Hello Debs,
Thank you so much for that wonderful comment – I’m so glad my piece meant something to you.
Congratulations on getting your stuff out there – as well as the positive reactions you’ve had! And I love that phrase ‘success is a hundred failures’.
I loved reading your story, Rosie. It makes me want to get the finger out and try to achieve my dream before it’s too late.
Thank you.
I agree, Annette – if not now, when?
Very best of luck to you,
Rosie x
My writing began as a way of being heard, having my say. At six I started with rhymes and little poems. As one of four girls my voice wasn’t quite loud enough or strong enough to always be heard. Through all my life I have fallen back on writing as my sanity my friend and an outlet of love, hope and survival. Now I have been given time to write. At 57 I still write every day, short stories poems and an attempt at the big write. This has given me hope and reading this has made me realise; I have to dye writing no matter what . Thankyou
Ellen – thank you so much for that moving comment!
Writing as ‘an outlet of love, hope and survival’. That’s wonderful. So glad to hear that you kept going, and continue to do so!
‘I stopped telling friends about my novels, humiliated by rejection after rejection’
‘I am not This Year’s Bright Young Thing, have not attended a fashionable Creative Writing Masters program, nor do I have industry connections’
‘ Someone out there loves your work – but they need to see it. So get it out there. Do it now’
Every sentence hit home Rosie – but the above – particularly so! Your initial depression (something akin to what I’m going through right now) – made me feel, I am not the only one and that in itself is strength giving. But ultimately your persistence and determination is amazing and it gives me the the much needed push to persevere. Thank you so very much for this Rosie!
Thank you for that wonderful comment, Anjali 🙂
Thank you so much for this. I think it’s time I got down to penning my entry to a local writing competition. 🙂
Yes, do it right now, Soonha! 😀
Congratulations on your well-deserved success, Rosie. Perseverance…that’s what it’s all about. I have quotations taped all over my computer screen reminding me of that truth every day, but when nothing but rejections arrive in the mailbox for long stretches, it is really difficult to continue to push forward. Thank you for sharing your inspiring story.
It truly is difficult to keep going, Amy. And yes – anything that helps get through each day is worth it 🙂
This is amazing. So timely. Sometimes on the brink of giving up, someone tells you not to. Today, that person is you Rosie. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading your winning novel and many more upcoming ones.
Thank you so much for this comment, Angelina. Here’s to writing, turning up at the blank page, and keeping going!
Great story. Thanks for sharing
Thank you Elizabeth! I’m glad it meant something to you x
Congratulations Rosie it proves perseverance pays off. My debut novel Beyond the Past came out in January. I wish you all the very best
And all the best to you as well, Pam!
So inspiring. It’s hard not take it personally when you’ve poured your soul into your writing and it’s rejected. You deserve all the great things that are happening to you.
Thank you Sian! I agree – folk who say rejections don’t hurt either have a hide like a rhino or are lying 😉
To everything there is a season. You are in your own spring after the long winter. Congrats.
Thank you Randy. Yes, my winter of discontent certainly is turning into a glorious summer… 😉
What a fabulous story of inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward despite the obstacles that appear in your path! I am so happy that something so wonderful happened to you. Thank you for sharing your story! It’s the motivation I needed to hear today!
Thank you Aprel, and here’s to motivation!
Thanks Rosie – it is so hard to go on when the writing seems to be getting nowhere. Off to get your book – what inspires me is that you are talking about quality of language and this is the kind of writer I want to be.
Thank you for the support, Brigid! Naturally, I hope you like the book (yes, I meant the bit about crises of confidence…) x
Totally agree! And having read “The Palace of Curiosities” I would say Rosie Garland’s DEFINITELY an author to look out for, and I’m very glad she recovered her faith in her ability to write. Because she absolutely can.
Thank you so much, Gill.
Believe me, there are mornings (like today, randomly) when I need to listen to my own encouragement!
Inspiring! Thank you for sharing your experiences.
My pleasure, Gloria. I’m happy if anything I say helps someone else!