Buy This Book TODAY (So You Can Read It Tomorrow)
As an acquiring editor, I rejected thousands of books. This is the story no one could resist.
I can find anything to like about almost any story, but holy shit did this one blow me away. In the words of Elmore Leonard, it was good.
I worked as an acquiring editor for years (and years). I got to work with a bunch of amazing authors on a bunch of amazing books. A few of them even won awards and hit the USA Today list.
But there was a bottleneck to what I could consider. Unless I could sell it to the acquisition team, I’d never get further than my passion for the story. I’d watch that book fly away like Peter Pan (in Wendy Spinale’s YA/Steampunk retelling: Everland (offsite link)).
I would LOVE to work with a publisher again someday. A good team that’s good for me. For now, though…I gotta say that while being freelance has more stress than a gumball in a kid’s left hand, it’s got one or two advantages that make it all worth it.
Like getting to work with undiscovered authors.
But no, it’s more than that.
Like getting to work with undiscovered authors who don’t even know how good they are. Undiscovered authors who are SO CLOSE that all they need is an editor like me to move this, tweak that, add a line here and…
SO CLOSE
Caron is one of those writers who still has no idea how good she is. It’s part of her British charm, sure, but it’s also her many years working with children. She worried she hadn’t written enough books to REALLY write one.
Now that she’d retired, she had time — but did she have enough to learn how to write a book?
“Stephenie was a fabulous writing coach and helped to quieten the insecurities I had about the standard of my writing. I never quite felt it was good enough but at the beginning of my journey — she encouraged me to believe in myself. Kind, funny and always enthusiastic, it was great to have someone to bounce ideas off.” — Caron McKinlay
I could tell from the first page — the first SENTENCE — that even if Caron hadn’t written that many books, she’d been telling stories her whole life. She knew how to hook kids and their parents too. She knew how to immerse her audience in the theme and emotion and meaning and experience of her tales.
The fact that she hadn’t done so with words on paper didn’t matter. She’s a born storyteller. Normally, an author doesn’t share a manuscript with agents until it’s finished. But if the opportunity presents itself…
“I wasn’t even a real writer.
Those trenches were hard. I remember telling my husband I was drowning in a puddle of despair and to get me some ice cream and chocolate.
I think only those in the trenches can you understand that stretching of time. Where minutes feel like hours and days feel like weeks and still there is silence. I had no room to dream of anything else but an email to prove my book was worthy. That’s all I wanted.”
— Caron McKinlay
WHY REVISE AND RESUBMIT? THEY WANT TO PUBLISH IT
Whether she was sharing partials or later the finished draft agents had demanded she send them ASAP, the response was the kind a writer dreams of getting.
“I was lucky, the full requests came in and a brilliant agent did love my book. I was ecstatic for about ten minutes. My agent now had to get a publisher to love it.
Enter the next day dream — a publisher was going to adore my book and offer a contract. It would be battled out at auction and result in a six figure number.
I would be asked onto the Graham Norton show and chat with all the celebrities (well not quite , but a deal did come through).
I am truly happy and grateful.”
— Caron McKinlay
GET TO KNOW CARON
ABOUT ME When not blogging, reading, and writing, Caron spends her time supporting her daughters, Francesca and Paola, who fill her with pride and joy. She doesn’t enjoy exercise — but loves running around after her grandsons, Lyle and Noah, to whom she is devoted.
Caron had three childhood dreams in life: to become a published author, to become a teacher, and for David Essex to fall in love with her. Two out of three ain’t bad, and she’s delighted with that.
Caron is often hanging around on social media and she loves to hear from readers so please feel free to contact her.
This is a book that will make you laugh, make you cry, and then make you come back for more.
Preorder your copy — so you can read it tomorrow!
NEXT: The Book I Risked My Job To Publish
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