It’s Monday again, and the weekend flew by seemingly just as fast as the whole of June did. Seriously, where have the last four weeks gone? They’ve been a blur of dreaming up a Writer’s Edit office (no, that’s not a reality… not yet anyway), ploughing through Kindling Volume II submissions and prepping for July’s giveaway. There was also freelance work, my brother’s birthday, my sister leaving for Europe for 5 weeks (her first trip overseas without the parents), literary events like ‘My Literary Hero is Problematic’ and in general, just wayyy too many beers. But let’s get down to it, here’s what happened in June…
My Book:
Though Red Hands isn’t signed just yet, there have been a few interesting developments in the last month… A couple of weeks ago, I received a call – yes, a real life phone call, from a publisher who had previously rejected my manuscript. She told me that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, and that she really wanted to take it on, however it needed some additional editing.
The publisher and I chatted on the phone at length about the strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript. A few days after the call, I received my printed manuscript in the mail with the first three chapters marked up for editing. I’m currently applying these changes to the manuscript, and am awaiting responses from the two other publishers still considering it.
At the time, this phone call felt like a major win for me. Throughout the whole novel writing/editing/submitting process, I’ve definitely realised the importance of celebrating both milestones and the little wins. After this particular event, I promptly went out and bought myself a ricotta tart. Edible rewards are key.
Editing Life:
There’s never a quiet moment in digital publishing it seems. Despite feeling a bit down on my luck at times, I’m always grateful for this side to my life – it’s fast paced, results-driven and never fails to surround me with interesting, passionate people. Here’s the run down:
Writer’s Edit
The main change to Writer’s Edit over the last month has been the introduction of our two Editorial Assistants, Bernadette and Claire. These two wonderful women have been helping with everything from editing and social media to photography and just generally keeping me sane. We’ve made the new additions to the team official over on our Meet the Team page.
Throughout June, we’ve also been prepping for a big event on the site set to start in July. From July 1 for two weeks, we’ll be running a competition/giveaway and the lead up to it has been crazy busy. We’ve been up to our ears in outreach marketing, native advertising, creating hero image and installing software among other things. It’s a really exciting time for Writer’s Edit, and I can’t wait to see where this competition takes us.
It’s also been another huge month for our Twitter, with @WritersEdit hitting over 20,000 followers under the incredible guidance of Dave, our Head of Tech.
Kindling Volume II
Myself and the wonderful Kindling editorial team have been working incredibly hard putting together the first draft manuscript of Kindling Volume II. Kyra, Kelly and Rory have begun editing the shortlisted pieces, while I’ve been trying to iron out the production schedule and marketing strategies. The lovely, and might I mention, award-winning designer, Alissa Dinallo has kindly agreed to create the cover for us again. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with this time round.
Interviews
This month I’ve been a busy bee talking to people about independent publishing and Writer’s Edit Press. In particular, the ACT Writers’ Centre’s blog Capital Letters, featured this interview with me. I talk a little about scheduling and my routine, as well as give a few pieces of advice for emerging writers.
I was also lucky enough to speak to the independent publisher, Giant Squid Books earlier this month as well. Based in Washington DC, the lovely intern Lina reached out to me and requested an interview (that felt pretty damn special). Lina had loads of thoughtful questions lined up for me, and we chatted about the challenges and benefits of running a small press as opposed to a traditional big publisher, and where I thought indie publishing was heading.
What I’ve Read:
- Lion Attack! by Oliver Mol
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
- The Waterfowl Are Drunk! by Kate Liston-Mills
- These Are The Moments by Jenny Bravo
* * *
I keep waiting for things to slow down, but it doesn’t look like that’s likely anytime soon. I’m not sure I’d have it any other way… July’s set to hold huge changes for Writer’s Edit after we run the competition, but I’ll leave that until next month’s recap.
Finally, I’m going to try and be a bit healthier this coming month. I wouldn’t go as far as to commit to ‘Dry July’, but cutting down on drinking is definitely on the cards. I’m also well aware that I need to eat a lot healthier. It’s something I’ve always struggled with, but I’m determined to find some kind of salad that actually satisfies! I’ll keep you posted… Baby steps.
Until next time!
– Helen
Note: Featured image by Hello Mallory Anne.