Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 107

How To Write Great Child Characters

All books need to have great characters. It is the life-blood of any story. If your characters fall flat then no matter how good your plot is, readers simply won’t be able to connect wth it.

If the protagonist in your novel is a child, this task can be even trickier. Indeed, if you have any child characters in your book that play a significant part, getting the balance right between believable and interesting is tough.

We might think we remember what it’s like to be a child, or we might have children or relatives who are children to help us gain insight into the essence of what makes children so, well, childlike. However, translating this to the page to create characters that are just as exciting and well-rounded as our grown up ones is difficult.

So what are the main things to look out for and consider when writing child characters? Let’s take a look:

Don’t make them too cute

Cutesy child characters will soon grate on your readers. If they are meant to be likeable yet they are sickly sweet all the time they’ll come across is boring, and a little irritating too.

Don’t make them too old

OK so some things that children say can strike a chord that makes them seem wise beyond their years, but if you make your child characters brimming with sage pieces of advice every time they open their mouths, they simply won’t be believable. Children should have an innocence and a playfulness about them that separates them from the grownups in your book.

Don’t make them stupid

Dumbing down children will only make them unlikeable. Of course, there can be a ‘stupid’ child in your book if that’s intentional and they serve a specific purpose. But simply writing your child characters in a way that makes them appear empty headed will again make them dull to your readers and hard to relate to.

Don’t use baby talk

There is nothing more annoying than having to read lines of dialogue in baby speak! Let your child characters talk normally and instead choose the words carefully to reflect their age.

Make them unique

Child characters should be as unique and interesting as the rest of the characters in your novel. If they all blend into one another they will be bland and easy to ignore - give them quirks, give them eccentricities, give them unusual personalities - bring them alive in your book.

Let them grow

Children should have goals, go on journeys and grow and develop too. If a child character is one of the main characters in your book then give them something to work towards and show the reader how they have changed and what they have learnt - they shouldn’t be the same by the time your book comes to an end.

Remember - children are children

As you write your child character, always ask yourself ‘would a child do this? would a child say this?’ It’s easy to slip into habits where your child characters are suddenly mature beyond their years, but as long as you keep checking in and asking those questions you can ensure they talk, act and react in an appropriate way.

Using the above tips you can write child characters who are interesting, original and entertaining too - just as all your characters should be!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Write Great Child Characters appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Write The Perfect Happy Ending

Everyone loves a happy ending, and indeed most authors choose to make the endings for their books positive. A happy ending leaves your readers with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and if they have been rooting for your protagonist to achieve their goals, they’ll finish the book feeling satisfied that they got the ending they deserved.

However writing a happy ending requires more than simply finishing your book with ‘and they all lived happily, ever after’! To create a seriously satisfying ending, one that will leave your readers with a lasting impression of your book, you need to carefully construct your ending to make it just right.

So what are the elements you need to include to create the perfect happy ending? Try these:

Avoid sickly sweet perfection

Your readers want your protagonist to get what they set out for, but if everything is miraculously, flawlessly perfect by the end, it may all seem a bit too good to be true. Create an ending that is positive but has a bittersweet edge, or simply reflects the struggles and sacrifices your protagonist had to make to get there. If you look to some of the endings of celebrated books, while they may be considered happy, there is usually something that keeps them from being entirely perfect, and that’s why readers root even harder and are even happier that the hero of your story got what they deserved in the end.

Tie up any loose ends

There is nothing worse than ending a book and going ‘is that it?’ If there are lots of unexplained elements to your book, or lots of parts to your story that remain open ended, you run the risk of frustrating your reader, now matter how pleasing your ending is. Tie up loose any loose ends before you finish your story - unless it’s part of a series that is in which case leaving them on a cliffhanger can be intriguing!

Keep it simple

Of course, the build up to the end of your story can be full of drama and tension and maybe even a twist or two. But when it comes to writing the actual ending don’t over complicate things. If you throw in distractions or suddenly add another element or layer you’ll only distract the reader, and this will make your ending seem weaker and take away from it somewhat.

Don’t use a cop out

Make you're ending thoughtful and meaningful. If your protagonist is in an impossible situation at the end of your book, think carefully about how to get them out of it. If they suddenly wake up and ‘it was all a dream’ or a magical unexplained force or character suddenly saves the day, your reader will feel cheated, and despite having resolved anything they won’t appreciate they way you’ve done it.

Don’t force a happy ending

If a happy ending doesn’t feel right, don’t force one just because you think it will please your readers. Write an ending that suits the style and content of your story, not all books have to have happy endings after all!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Write The Perfect Happy Ending appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Common Obstacles Writers Face ( And How To Get Over Them)

There are many obstacles writers have to face, but if we want to achieve our end goal - which for most is finishing our novels, we must learn to recognise these obstacles and find ways to navigate around them, or better still, bulldoze through them and never let them stand in our way!

So what are the most common obstacles that writers face and what can we do about them?

Giving up too quickly

Writing a novel can be a daunting experience, and if you’ve never tried before, the romantic notion of what it might be like is quickly dispelled once you get going. Just remember that it is so worth it in the end. You’ll feel amazing if you finish your novel and always wonder ‘what if’ if you don’t.

Comparing oneself to others

It’s easy to compare yourself to those writers you admire, however doing so can leave you feeling rather inadequate. Instead let great writers inspire you, but remember you have your own unique way of writing, and they too struggled and doubted themselves before they got famous . So keep going and you never know, one-day people could be reading your books and comparing themselves to your brilliance!

Going too quickly

If you are going to write a book, then try to write it properly. You might be desperate to get it done, but if doing so means you aren’t writing your best, you’ll only end up re-reading your book at the end and realising it was all a bit of a waste of time. Writing a book is generally a slow process. Help yourself by having a realistic writing schedule and sticking to it.

Going too slowly

At the same time if you write too slowly you’ll feel like you are getting nowhere and that you’ll never finish - which can lead to giving up altogether. Again, by creating a writing schedule you can avoid procrastinating and will get into a good writing routine.

Self-sabotage, self-deprecation, self-destruction

Writer’s all go through stages where they are filled with self-doubt, and negative thoughts, and if these get out of control can lead to self-sabotage where we convince ourselves we are so worthless and awful at writing we shouldn’t bother continuing to torture ourselves any longer. It’s very difficult not to have moments of self-doubt, however recognising that every writer goes through the same, and learning that being negative won’t help you, is the best way to get over it and move on.

Assuming we know best

Sometimes writers can make incorrect assumptions about what editors want and how they should submit their work to them. If you have made it all the way to the stage where you can submit your work, don’t ruin it by not following submission guidelines. Always read submission guidelines and follow them exactly - it’s as simple as that.

Never letting go

We all put so much into our work that, at times, it can feel very difficult to let it go, finally step back, and truly believe it is ready to be shared. If we refuse to let go of our work we could end up ruining it, over editing it, or simply holding onto it for so long we lose all motivation to do anything with it. We must learn when enough is enough. If you have edited your manuscript and put everything in place to make it as good as it can be, it’s time to let go.

These are all common roadblocks which authors face, but by recognising them and knowing how to deal with each one as it appears, you give yourself a much better chance of being a happy, healthy and successful author.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Common Obstacles Writers Face ( And How To Get Over Them) appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Lessons Learned From Completing My First Novel

Finally getting to the end of your first novel can feel like the greatest achievement on earth. When you finally finish and get it out there into the world all that hard work, all those long, late nights, all the blood, sweat and tears - it can all feel truly worth it.

However, if you stop there you might never achieve the success you had hoped for. In fact, statistically, authors who go on to write second and third books are more likely to have their worked published, and tend to be viewed as more trustworthy by readers in general.

So, while writing one book may be an amazing feat, you shouldn’t rest on your laurels for long, and indeed should get back to writing and creating as soon as possible.

The great thing about writing a second novel is that you will be armed full of knowledge, of lessons learned, and mistakes made from your first that you can use to make this one even better.

Here are just some of the most useful lessons I learned when writing my first book, ones that would have been good to know from the outset!

The novel isn’t going to write itself

OK, this might seem glaringly obvious, but I spent a whole lot of time procrastinating, plotting, planning and generally faffing about before I got down to writing my novel, and when I finally did so, I did it painfully slowly. If you want to get a novel written you have to write it. You have to be dedicated to it, make time for it, and be ruthless when it comes to sticking to your routine.

It’s OK to go back and start again, or get halfway through and make a huge change which means a complete overhaul of your plot

Your story is never going to end up how you thought it would. Once you start writing and get lost in your world you’ll end up taking your story in directions you had never previously imagined. That’s all part of the fun. OK so some days it may seem like you are taking two steps forward and one step back, but you will be making progress, and making your novel the very best it can be in the process, even if you have to scrap half of what you have already written to do so.

There are certain things a novel can’t live without

Your novel needs to contain a journey be that literal or metaphorical (or both!), the characters must change and grow and be relatable. There must be a goal, and there must be obstacles that get in the way of the goal and it needs to be set in a world that you have described in a way that your readers can picture it. Think about these elements before you start writing your next book and make sure they are all included in unique, surprising, amazing ways and you’ll have the basis for a great story already covered.

You are going to feel paranoid, scared, elated, confused, frustrated, angry, disheartened and a whole bunch of other things in between.

Writing is emotional, and the highs and lows are just part of the job. Find coping mechanisms, accept that you’ll have good days and bad days and keep believing in yourself no matter what.

Don’t let writing take over your life

Writing a novel is a mammoth task and while it’s wonderful to get immersed in your writing, you need to come up for air sometimes. Take breaks, have fun, get distracted. Just like any other job, you can’t focus on it 24 hours a day seven days a week, it will drive you crazy if you try to and will probably end up making your writing a little bit worse!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Lessons Learned From Completing My First Novel appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

What Happens After A Publisher Says ‘Yes?’

There are lots of pieces of advice out there for writers on how to handle rejection, on what your options are if your book gets refused by a publisher, or how to get your book in perfect shape to give it the best chance of success when you send it off.

There are, however, a lot less on what actually happens if you get a ‘yes.’

We are so focused on the improbability of actually being accepted by a publisher that many authors don’t even contemplate what would happen if they got the call, the email, the letter that says a publisher is interested.

So what does happen if a publisher accepts your work for publication? Here is some insight into the publication process and what authors should expect.

If a publisher is interested in your work, if you sent in sample chapters, a synopsis and a proposal, they will come back to you, and ask for the full manuscript.

You can expect a publisher to ask you to adjust certain parts of your story. They may do this right away, explaining that in order for the story to work for them, some elements must be amended to make the book more appealing to a wide audience or to make it more marketable to a particular type of reader.

When you send in your full manuscript it’s important that you have made sure it has been professionally edited and is in the absolute best shape it can be. If they have only read the first few chapters and you know for a fact that they are the best bits of your book, you need to wow them with the rest so really give it your all. Remember there are still no guarantees at this stage - if they fear that they will have to do too much work to the rest of your manuscript to get it right, they might well decide it’s not worth their investment.

Changes publishers suggest should be taken seriously. However, not all of them will be mandatory, and if you strongly disagree with a suggested change, it’s OK to discuss this with your publisher, but make sure you have good reasons why - and respect the fact that they have much more experience when it comes to knowing what sells. If they say something is a deal breaker, you have to decide whether you feel it will compromise your integrity to make the change, or whether you can live with it.

When they have read the full manuscript they will come back to you again with notes and comments where they feel the book needs to be changed. It is then your responsibility as the author to make the requested changes and improvements they have asked for. Bear in mind they may give you a deadline for this and if so you should ensure that you stick to it.

Your work will then go to the in-house copy editor who will format it to ensure it is compliant with the in house style and formatting guidelines and will have more edits - looking particularly for typos and inconsistencies. The manuscript will then be returned to you to make the requested changes - again you can argue if you disagree (but having a good reason is imperative). If they start to think you are being difficult and obstructive this could damage your relationship, and remember until the contracts are signed, they could still back out!

This usually marks the end of the editing process. The publisher will then get to work on your cover. Some publishers allow you to give your thoughts on this, and all will let you see and approve the cover before it is finalised. However, if you are working with a big publisher it’s worth remembering they have teams of experienced professionals who will know, much better than you do, what kind of cover will attract the right readers to your work.

The contract is usually sent out during these processes. It is important that you read every word, and advisable to have a lawyer take a look too, and advise you on anything that you should make note of. Your contract will bind you to certain terms and conditions, responsibilities and, of course, how much you will earn. Remember, your contract is negotiable. It is a business deal after all. Publishers will naturally try to get the best deal for them, but it is OK to stand your ground and usually, a compromise can be reached - however making unreasonable demands should also be avoided!

The release date of your novel will be agreed, and your publisher should advise you on what you can do to help promote and market your book. Then it’s time to pop open the champagne and get really excited about seeing your book hit the shelves!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What Happens After A Publisher Says ‘Yes?’ appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Can You Over Edit Your Story?

Most authors feel a sense of trepidation when it comes to editing their books. The initial elation of having finally gotten to the end of your story is short lived, and the process of editing and reshaping your book into something actually readable rears it’s ugly head and makes you realise just how much you still have to do.

Yes, editing can be a long and slow process, but ultimately a satisfying one if, after you have finished, you feel proud and confident in your work.

The problem however, is that many authors are rarely satisfied with their stories, even when they have given them their all. We become too invested, and suddenly reluctant to let go. We think we’ll read over it just ‘one more time’ or work on it for ‘just one more week', but when that is over, we still want to do more.

If we get too close to our work we can never get to the stage where we feel it is ready to send off to publishers or to self-publish. We end up sitting on it for years, tinkering with it now and again until we reach the point when we don’t even know if we are making it any better.

So how do you know if you are in danger of over editing your story? Look out for these telltale signs:

Editing the same sentence or paragraph over and over again

If you can’t seem to get a particular sentence or paragraph right either take it out altogether or just leave it. One slightly off sentence isn’t going to make much difference, and you are probably just too close to your work to see it’s actually fine.

Changing fundamental parts of the story which has a knock on effect

Changing huge parts of your story can be necessary, but if you do it over and over again and then have to change all the other parts to make it work you could just be making your book confusing and worse - make sure if you change significant parts of your book, it’s for good reason.

The start is incredible, and then it gets weaker

Are you just editing the first few chapters over and over again? If the start of your book is mind blowing, but the rest still needs work, you need to move on otherwise you’ll never get finished!

You’ve been editing for more than six months

Editing can take a long time, every author knows this. However, it shouldn’t take years. If you are dedicated to finishing your story you should be able to comfortably edit your novel in six months or less.

People stop asking you about it

Have you been editing your book for so long people stop asking you ‘ how’s the novel coming along?’ If you’ve lost the interest of your nearest and dearest, you should take that as a sign you’ve been working on it for too long.

You only change the odd word and phrase each time you reread

If you are only tinkering with the slightest word or phrase but still refusing not to go back and read the whole thing over again it is probably because you are refusing to let go.

You still believe you can get it perfect

No book ends up being completely perfect with every word as graceful and inspiring as the next. All books have flaws or parts which could be improved. Accept yours can’t be perfect and let it go.

You feel afraid to stop

The fear of finishing is common among authors. We put so much work into our stories that the idea of actually putting them out there and letting others judge them is frightening, but if we don’t, what are we doing it for?

If any of the above signs are ringing a bell it might be time to stop editing your novel, accept that it’s as ready as it is ever going to be and actually do something with it. If you don’t bite the bullet now you may end up ruining all your hard work and even making your story worse than before. So just take a deep breath, step away from your computer and rejoice in the fact that you made it to the end.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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What To Do After You Finish Your Book?

Finishing your first novel can feel like an incredible achievement. It may have taken you months or even years to get to the stage where you feel as though it is ‘done.’ When you started out you probably had no idea how long it would take you, and how much effort would be needed to get you to the finish line - but you did it, you’re there!

Writers should always revel in this moment, pause, and celebrate - it’s a huge achievement to finish a novel after all. However, once they have given themselves a suitable number of pats on the back, many may wonder ‘ what happens next?’

Often we can be so engrossed in finishing our stories that we forget to leave any energy left for what to do with it once it’s done - and often this can be the hardest part!

So what should authors do once they finish their books? Here are some things to think about.

Decide whether or not to self-publish

The decision of whether or not to self-publish is one which all authors must make. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but once you have decided, the rest of your plans will all be influenced by this - so don’t make the decision lightly and choose what feels right for you.

Get a professional editor

Even if you feel you’ve done a thorough editing job yourself, hiring a professional editor is always a good idea and will give your book that final polish.

Create a great cover

If you are self-publishing, you need an eye-catching, appropriate cover that will give your readers an instant perception of what your novel is about. Don’t try to design this yourself - leaving it to the experts is important if you want your book to look professional and worth reading.

Create a marketing plan

Whether you choose to self-publish or not, coming up with some useful strategies on how to market and promote your book, and yourself as an author is so important. If you self-publish no-one is going to help you, but there are so many things you can do. Sending press releases, organising book signings, offering to speak at public events, getting on the radio, creating a great author website and blog - the list is endless, and to give your book the best chance of success you need a thorough plan, and you need to stick to it.

Start networking

Writing organisations, groups, and events are all your friends - get out there and meet as many people as you can in the industry, contact bloggers for reviews, write letters to people letting them know about your book, make a list of useful local contacts who might be interested. Network and build contacts in any way you can.

Become ace at social media

For any new writer, social media can be a fantastic way of reaching out to a new audience and building up a fanbase. Get on all social media platforms and learn how to use them to your advantage to get your book noticed.

As you can see there is little time to rest on your laurels once you finish your novel - and the more time and energy you devote to what comes next, the more likely your book will be a success. So, by all means, celebrate your achievement so far, but then it’s time to get back to work!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post What To Do After You Finish Your Book? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How Do You Know You Should Be A Writer?

Many people daydream of writing a book. Of becoming a famous novelist, of spending their days dreamily sipping coffee, indulging their creativity, and typing away without a care in the world.

To those who don’t know much about the writing industry, the life of a writer can seem romantic, stress-free or even glamorous.

However, those that do know it well, understand this is often far from the truth.

Writing is a tough gig, where you have to put in long hours, make big sacrifices and be willing to put up with that feeling that you are getting absolutely nowhere, and that there are no guarantees no matter how hard you try.

Despite this, there are those people who simply cannot imagine doing anything else. But before you pack in your day job, and take that huge and risky leap, is there a way you can be sure? In short, how do you know if you should be a writer?

Here are some of the signs that mean you probably should:

You dream of writing

Do you find yourself indulging in little fantasies where you see your published novel in the window of a major bookstore? Do you imagine being interviewed or going on TV to talk about your book? Or perhaps doing a book signing where the queue stretches as far as the eye can see? If you are constantly daydreaming about what it would be like to be a successful author, this is a sign that you are meant to be one.

You’ve always loved to write

Have you always loved writing stories? Even when you were a young child? If so it seems as if this is a passion that is clearly here to stay? Don’t ignore it any longer!

You love to read

Do you devour books? Do you love reading all different types of genres, keep changing your mind about your favourite authors, and feel excited by the smell of a new book? The crispness of the pages? Those first few lines that say so much? Your love of books could be a good indication that you are meant to write one too.

You don’t care about the glory

It’s important that writers write because they love it, not just to get rich or famous. Does this sound like you?

You always find time to write

The most important part about being a writer? Finding the time to write. If you are always putting it off, or always finding an excuse to do something else, you are going to struggle to get anywhere with your writing. However, if you make writing a priority, however difficult, that’s a sign that your love of writing could really take you places.

People call you a daydreamer

Do you always find yourself drifting off and daydreaming about things? Do you find when you are walking down the street you make up stories about the people that pass you? Do you often surprise yourself by the weird and wonderful thoughts you have? If so you should stop dreaming and get those thoughts down on paper!

You have a knack for telling stories

Are you a great storyteller? Do people always gather round when you start to tell a yarn? Or perhaps ask you to repeat the stories you’ve already told them because you tell them so well? Whatever it may be, if you love telling stories and people love to listen to them, you clearly have a gift - so use it.

You can’t stop thinking it’s what you should do

One of the biggest signs you should be a writer is simply the fact that you can’t get that niggling feeling out of your head that that’s what you should do. Listen to your gut - you’ll only end up regretting it if you don’t.

If the above sounds like you, it seems as though you aren’t likely to want to do anything else. So take a deep breath, take the plunge and just go for it!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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The Best Places For Productive Writing

We all have those days where we find it difficult to write productively. Where we find any excuse to put it off, and when we do finally sit down to write, we just can’t seem to concentrate or find the inspiration. Worse still are the days where we are feeling productive and inspired, but little distractions such as children interrupting, the phone ringing or outside noise can mean that we find it impossible to get any writing done.

Often simply being confined to the same four walls every day can make it difficult to feel creative, and going elsewhere could suddenly fill you with a new creative energy.

While it may not always be possible to move your writing office elsewhere, if you find you are constantly getting distracted when you try to write, it might be that a change is just what you need!

Here are some great places to try:

A library

The library is often a go to setting for writers who want some peace and quiet. It’s frowned upon to be loud, there are comfy chairs, and you have all the information and resources you could possibly want at your fingertips!

Your work office

While you might like to keep your day job and your writing separate, if you get in early or stay a bit late, the office can actually be a serene and productive place to write in. You’ll be in that ‘working frame of mind’ too which will help you to concertante and really get things done.

A bookstore

Bookstores are wonderful places - the smells, the rustling of paper, the rows and rows of gorgeous new books to inspire you. Lots of bookstores have places to sit and skim through books before you buy, making them ideal places to hang out and write in for a while.

A museum or art gallery

Museums and art galleries provide big, open spaces, are usually quiet, and have lots of inspiring things to look at too!

A church

OK so a church might not be everyone’s writing cup of tea, but they certainly are atmospheric! You’ll find it’s pretty quiet here too!

The quiet carriage of a train

Public transport can be the ideal place to write - if you get lucky of course. Wedged up against someone’s armpit and amongst screaming children isn’t ideal, but if you bag yourself a seat in the quiet carriage, or stick on your headphones, trains, buses and planes can be great places to get some work done.

While we’re on the subject, places that don’t work so well are:

Coffee shops

You might think a coffee shop is a great place to write, but they are usually busy, noisy, and you have to keep buying coffee if you want to stay there!

Friends houses

Your lovely friend might offer you some refuge from the madhouse that is your own home, but we bet you do ten minutes work before opening a bottle and gossiping about your other friends instead.

The Park

Being in nature is very inspiring, but parks can be difficult to write in. You are at the mercy of the elements for a start, there is rarely somewhere really comfy to sit, you can’t get WiFi and you are a target for weirdos to come and start talking to you too!

Writing productively can be tough if you don’t have the right atmosphere to work in. So next time you feel as though you could do with a change of scenery, try these places and see how you get on!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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How Do Publishers Decide What To Publish?

To many writers, publishers can seem rather mysterious. When we send our books off we feel as though all we can do is cross our fingers and hope and pray that we are one of the lucky ones.

We are often told that, while a publisher is never going to publish a terribly written book, it can depend on as little as whether they have had their morning coffee or not that could tip them one way or another when it comes to deciding to give a manuscript a second glance.

However, while we may often imagine a lonely editor, sitting in a dark room, surrounded by towers of envelopes and papers, the reality is that publishers have a process. Books that are chosen are not done so on a whim, and it is not simply down to one person and their particular mood on the day as to whether you become a multi-million-pound bestselling author, or continue your depressing job at the fish factory until your dying day.

How publishers decide what to publish is not a secret, and the more authors that learn about the business decisions and the steps it takes to receive that positive news from a publisher, the more chance they have of delivering a manuscript that will make them sit up and pay attention.

So how does it work?

Your submission will be read by an editor. Making sure you send your submission to the right editor is an important first step. Broadly speaking, when they read your submission they will be looking for certain things. They will make an initial decision based upon whether they think your work is well-written and your plot captivating. They will then decide whether they believe it is good enough to attract a wide audience and bring in revenue. Thirdly they will consider whether you, as an author, already have a platform which will help to increase sales. Other factors such as whether they have recently acquired a similar book may also have a bearing on their decision.

If interested, the editor will go on to do a great deal of homework on you as an author, on current trends, and on how they can evidence that your book will sell.

If they decide you take your book forward they usually pitch it at a large meeting where many other people are involved. From editors, assistants, marketing teams and publicity teams - all will listen to them pitch your book and together discuss and decide whether they agree that it has enough merit to take it forward.

Most published books are deemed successful dependent on by how well they sell within the first eight weeks of release. Therefore, publishers will do a profit and loss analysis, trying to determine how well they think your book will do in this time period. For first time authors, this can be tricky, and it depends on how much the publisher is willing to take a risk, how volatile the marketplace is at the time, and whether there is any evidence that books similar to your own have become successful.

As writers, it is important to remember that all publishers at the end of the day, are businesses. They want to make money, and if they don’t, they will fail. When you are writing your book and pitching it to agents and publishers, you need to convince them it will sell. Do your own research and present your pitch in a way that you have done some of that work for them.

At the end of the day, if you can convince a publisher your book will make them money, there is no reason why they wouldn’t take it on.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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