Guest Post: Sarah Jasmon
Today please welcome debut novelist Sarah Jasmon to WKDN. Sarah and I met at the Moniack Mhor Arvon centre during our MA summer school, and I loved reading her novel 'Waterborne' (as it was titled - you can read about this below). There must have been something magical in the air in Inverness that spring as several of the writers have gone on to success - the group still meets each year and I really hope to go back (if you get the chance to go on a course there, it's marvellous - beautiful, remote, I laughed all week and learnt to cook haggis). I was over the moon to hear about Sarah's publishing deal - it's always inspirational reading about a new writer's route to publication, and I'm delighted Sarah agreed to share hers today. Congratulations, Sarah, and over to you:
Knowing how to get on in this writing business can be hard. At
the beginning of 2013, I made a resolution. I was going to identify journals
and competitions and send out all of my short stories. I didn’t want to win; I
just wanted to get on a shortlist. That, I felt, would be a start.
I’d graduated from my MA in Creative Writing in 2012 and since
then had done a bit of freelance copywriting, a couple of readings, and blogged
for the Lancaster Litfest. Comma Press was running a short story writing
course, so I went on that as well. The Litfest work was so much fun that I
carried on, interviewing and reviewing on my own website, sarahjasmon.com.
Fast forward to Summer 2013. I’d had a couple of articles taken
up by non-paying publications. I didn’t get onto any of the competition
shortlists. None of my stories were chosen by journals. My MA novel was
sitting, like so many others, in a drawer. I didn’t want to send it out because
it needed more work. I couldn’t seem to put the time aside to do the work. It
sat there. I felt a bit depressed by it all.
My boyfriend, Graeme Shimmin, is also a writer. He entered one
competition this year, the Terry Pratchett First Novel Award. He got on the
shortlist. Domestic ructions? Not really. I was not only delighted for him, but
I got to go to the award ceremony. (Actually, afterwards, Graeme told me that
the invitation was just for him, so technically I gatecrashed the awards.
Whatever...)
What do you do when you’re in a room full of publishers?
Network, network, network! I started chatting to a friendly lady who said she’d
just started at Transworld as an editor after a number of years as an agent.
(I’m really glad I didn’t know who she was. A friend later said to me, ‘Jo Unwin? You were talking to Jo Unwin??’)
Anyway, it came out I was a writer as well. Jo asked me about my book. Luckily,
I’d worked on my pitch at a writers’ gathering at Moniack Mhor. I asked her if
she’d mind having a look at my cover letter, as the one time I’d sent my novel
out, the response had been ‘Having read
your cover letter, I can tell I wouldn’t be interested in your novel.’ Jo
was more encouraging, and gave me her card.
A couple of glasses of red later, and I was talking to Katy
Loftus, also a Transworld editor. I’d done a few book reviews for Picador, and
asked Katy if there might be an opportunity for doing the same for Transworld.
We swapped emails.
A month later, and I still hadn’t acted on all of this. Katy
had emailed me, saying she’d been looking at my website, and had noticed I’d
written a novel. Where could she find it? Well, I replied, in my bottom drawer,
actually. Would she like to see it? Y’know, another set of eyes? Yes, she said.
I didn’t want to send my novel to Jo or to Katy as it was. It
needed that edit. I didn’t have a good enough synopsis. I couldn’t bring myself
to make a start. And then I realised that, by the time I got round to it,
no-one would remember who I was. I’ve missed opportunities in the past by not
acting in time. I wrote a better synopsis and sent the novel off.
The next couple of weeks were dizzying. Within a week, Jo
emailed me to say she liked the book and would I like her to introduce me to an
agent? Would I? ‘Bite your hand off,’
I replied. Then Katy. She loved it, would send some notes. The positive
responses made me feel giddy. I spoke to Carrie Plitt, an agent at Conville
& Walsh, and sent her the manuscript. ‘Don’t
worry if you don’t hear from me straight away,’ she warned. ‘It might take a month to six weeks.’
Two days later, Carrie was on the phone. She loved it as well.
Would I like to come down to London
and meet up? Then Katy got in touch, to say she’d like to buy my novel and work
on the next stage of editing with me. For a moment, it looked as if I’d be
going to London
to meet my agent and sign a contract on the same day. Then everyone calmed
down. The acquisitions process within a publishing house means that things
can’t happen that fast. Katy went away and started building a support base for
her pitch. I spent the summer holidays waiting for the acquisitions meeting to
happen. There were delays. One person was on holiday. The meeting was too busy.
It would happen next week. No, the week after.
When the phone call finally came, I’d almost stopped expecting
it. I was still telling people I had an “agent” (yes, I did say it with
quotation marks) with a feeling of disbelief. Now I could add that I had a
publishing deal as well.
So, where am I now? I’ve been down to London again for the traditional meal with my
agent and editor. I have astoundingly helpful editorial notes in front of me
for the next draft. The title has changed. My original was Waterborne which, the marketing team pronounced, sounded ‘germy’.
Once this had been pointed out, it wouldn’t go away. We’re now working with The Summer of Secrets. The revised
manuscript is due in February, for publication in November 2014. A Hollywood film producer has checked out my LinkedIn
profile. Life still feels a little unreal.
What have I learned from the process? It’s a bit like a house
of cards. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t made the most of my opportunity at the
awards ceremony. The opportunity wouldn’t have meant anything if I hadn’t
already finished my novel. Katy wouldn’t have seen the novel if I hadn’t had a
website for her to visit. I wouldn’t have finished the novel if I hadn’t done
the MA. Get your ducks in a line, in other words. If I can, anyone can.
My website is www.sarahjasmon.com
Twitter @sarahontheboat
Check out excellent articles for starting your novel at www.graemeshimmin.com
