My
journey to publication — Christy McKellen
Where to begin?
At the end,
perhaps.
I’m Christy
McKellen and I write for the KISS/Modern Tempted line for Harlequin Mills &
Boon.
It’s quite a
thrill to be able to write that, I can tell you. It took me six years of
learning craft, reading my genre, writing, submitting, receiving form
rejections, picking myself up and dusting myself off, reading, writing,
entering competitions, learning more, resubmitting and so on, until I captured
the interest of an editor.
I was lucky
enough to be offered a two-book contract last July, after submitting a full
manuscript on the back of a Twitter pitch I’d entered earlier that year. (You
can read my Naked Call story here—yes, I did say naked): I’m currently writing book three for the same line.
Yup, things have
moved on fast!
Rewind to the
beginning of my journey.
When I first decided
to try writing for Mills & Boon I didn’t know another soul who was doing it
and had no idea how to go about it (apart from just sitting down and writing of
course, but that’s only part of the process, as I soon discovered).
So I plucked up
the courage to send an email to the lovely Kate Walker, whose wonderful books
I’ve read and loved for years, asking for advice. (Not that she’s at all scary,
but I felt a bit shy about contacting her out of the blue J).
Kate very kindly
sent me an extremely helpful and encouraging reply back and the advice she gave
me was absolute gold dust.
On her
suggestion I joined the RNA’s New Writers Scheme, which, as part of the joining fee, allows you to send in a full length
manuscript for critique by an editor or published author.
I also discovered
and read, cover to cover, Kate’s wonderful 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance,
which is a fantastic resource for aspiring romance authors.
And then I
wrote. And wrote. And wrote.
After only
having the traditional submitting route available at the beginning of my
journey to publication, it’s been fantastic to have had an increasing number of
opportunities to get my stories in front of editors over the years. I made sure
I entered all the competitions that Mills & Boon ran and even though I
didn’t win, or even place in any of them, I met a huge number of other aspiring
authors who I’ve had the pleasure of travelling along the long and winding road
with.
I’ve made some
wonderful online friends that way, including my hugely talented critique
partners. For me, having a group of people who were roughly at the same point
in the process as I was and happy to swap manuscripts for honest, constructive
advice was an absolute boon. Writing in the dark can be a lonely and
frustrating business and whenever I received a form rejection with absolutely
no feedback I was always a little heartbroken, so having friends to cheer me on
was essential.
There were many
points when I wondered whether I’d ever get there, but I guess that’s normal. I
know now that I wasn’t mentally ready or sufficiently skilled to take on the challenges
of working as an author six years ago (marketing, writing multiple manuscripts
a year, deadlines!) and in retrospect I’m glad I went through the motions (and
emotions) to get where I am today. All the experience—particularly the
rejections—have made me a better and more rounded writer (with a much thicker
skin).
If you’re on
your own road to publication I salute you and wish you the very best of luck. My
advice for getting where you want to go is this: Believe in and nurture your
voice—it’s what makes you unique—and never, NEVER give up.
B.K.
(Before Kids) Christy worked as a Video and Radio Producer in London and
Nottingham. After a decade of dealing with nappies, tantrums and endless
questions from toddlers, she has come out the other side and moved into the
wonderful world of literature. She now spends her time writing flirty, sexy
romance with a kick (her dream job!).
Christy
loves to hear from readers (and writers!). You can find her at www.christymckellen.com or
email her at christy@christymckellen.com
Christy’s
debut for the KISS/Modern Tempted line HOLIDAY WITH A STRANGER is available now
from all good book retailers. Barnes & Noble Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk iTunes uk
After
three months travelling all Connor Preston wants to do is sink into his own
bed. The last thing he expects is to find a stark-naked woman already there…
Josie
Marchpane wasn’t anticipating company either. Connor might be six foot four
inches of pure muscle, and boast a disturbingly sexy smile, but a
fortnight in the South of France is the one thing standing between Josie and
her sanity – and she’s not about to give it up without a fight!Josie plays to win. The problem…? Connor does too. And, with only one
bed between them, things are about to get interesting…
Christy’s
second book for the same line LESSONS IN RULE-BREAKING will be available from
May this year.
Journalist
Jess has always followed the rules when it comes to her career:
1)
Never say no! Trying to extract a tell-all interview from bad boy of the art
world Xander Heaton might be her own worst nightmare, but she’s just going to
have to grin and bear it!
2)
Absolutely no flirting on the job—professionalism is key to a journalist’s
success. Even if Xander does have her imagining the most
unprofessional scenarios….
3)
If resistance proves impossible, remember the golden rule—never kiss and
tell!
One night with Xander and she’s broken at least one rule…and discovered
it’s much more fun breaking rules than making them!
Thanks for visiting, Christy. I'm so looking forward to reading your book.
Oh - and PS - Christy mentioned the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance - look out for big news on that coming in April.
