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Friday 12 April 2013

What is 'The Call'?

Anybody who has been following me for a while, will know that I have been writing a Young Adult story this year, called Popping the Cherry, and even have a follow-up story planned called A Girl Called Malice.



Alas, there aren't many options for YA authors without an agent when it comes to potential publishers, especially British ones - I love the idea of a British publisher so that I don't have to keep Americanising my stories - so with Mira Ink only taking agented submissions, I was very interested when a new British publisher opened its doors.

Carina UK, a subsidiary of Harlequin (Mills & Boon), is a new digital first publisher. After a couple of emails and tweets, Carina UK went straight to the top of my hit-list, so a few weeks ago I submitted a standard proposal, comprising the opening three chapters of Popping the Cherry and a synopsis, for consideration.

And then I had to wait...

Thankfully I had a family holiday abroad and a never-ending stack of books in my to-read pile to pass the time.

There is a thing in the romance writing business referred to as 'The Call' and it is synonymous with publishers like Harlequin and Mills & Boon in particular, where an editor prefers to speak to an author directly rather, than via email. Seeing as it usually involves an offer, 'The Call' is a momentous occasion and can be the start of an author's career or heralding a new venture.

Well, today...


I got 'The Call'!!




It turns out my YA voice really "pops" - although perhaps, it isn't all that surprising, when you consider YA fiction is where my heart is, and the genre I absolutely love to read - and this 'voice' of mine has landed me a two book deal with Carina UK.

The good news doesn't end there though - oh no, siree - it transpires the editor also works for Mira Ink so is the perfect person to progress my fledgling YA career.

As usual, I am jumping the gun by writing this post because this isn't a done deal by any means. The only reason I am 'coming clean' now, is because the majority of you have been with me every step of the way, supporting me and sharing in my journey.

Eighteen months ago, I wasn't even a writer - Aurelia B Rowl didn't exist - yet this week alone has heralded FOUR books either contracted or under offer. It all feels somewhat surreal still to be honest, so I'm glad I have a few days to make my decision. This isn't even supposed to be my job until September when my daughter starts school full-time.

I now have to consider the offer carefully and decide whether to proceed or not. Admittedly my heart is already signing the dotted line but there are a number of tight deadlines I would have to meet, which will push me to the limit and potentially impact my family. Naturally, there will be an announcement if and when I sign any contracts.

I do know one thing though, my writing future would appear to be shaping up very nicely indeed...

14 comments:

  1. Good for you! That is wonderful news! I understand totally what you mean about Americanizing your books. I'm Canadian, and did not learn to spell that way. (eg favour is right for me; favor, not so much). I have no doubt you can handle any deadline that is thrown at you considering your wonderful track record to date. Good Luck! We'll all be waiting with bated breath for this new writing phase. :) Cheers.

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  2. Woohoo! Thrilled for you. Now I'll finish reading the post. Lol x m

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  3. Congratulations! I'm thrilled to know you managed to pick up the phone!! Did you know the call was coming?

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    1. I suspected if it was good news that it would be a call, so naturally I was expecting an email ;-)

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  4. Fantastic news Aurelia - and so well deserved - we all know how dedicated you are, and how hard you have worked for this! So pleased for you! Good luck with your career as a writer! x

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  5. Brilliant news! Congratulations - it is so nice to have an offer for the genre you really want to write. Good luck with the deadlines!

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  6. Well done Aurelia. You are an inspiration.

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  7. Congratulations and the best of luck to you!

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