Background about me... and a little advice on how to get attention of an agent or publisher
After 4yrs I published my first book with an imprint that had been bought out with a major publisher. I had over 100 rejections from agents and publishers, but managed to finally get a publisher in a round-about way.
Because I was writing a memoir based on my line of work, I approached the biggest nursing union in the world that has a weekly magazine, and gave them a copy of one of my rejection letters. The rejection letter said the following...
'...no one wants to read about a nurse...no one will buy a book about a nurse...'
Naturally this seriously pissed off the nurses at the union, and they replied with the following...
'...everyone knows a nurse...everyone like nurses...and everyone wants to read about nurses...we're happy to read your work.'
They read it and loved it, and recommended me to a contact in the publishing business.
I now have 2 books published and around 200,000 sales later (majority of them ebook, although was on UK airport shelves and in WHSmith) but the imprint has closed and the overseeing major publisher will not even look at my work without getting an agent.
I can't even get an agent with such a history of sales and 2 books out. In fact, when I had my first contract offer, I approached a dozen agents, and only 1 was interested in taking me on, even with a guaranteed contract. Some even said to me that they had not heard of anyone getting a major publisher without an agent, and could not tell me how they could be of benefit to me.
I also learned that when your imprint closes, and the overseeing publisher takes over, they don't bother with promotion. So they own the rights to my 2nd book, while I get left with a lot less input than my first book.
I tried discussing this with them, and they ignored my email.
So, here I am, trying not to be bitter. But my current project 'the Bully book' is something I truly feel could be huge. I work with teenagers, and they cannot put it down.
So I'm a bit nervous about inkshares, not because of anything they've done, but I have very little trust left in any part of the whole publishing business. But what I have found on this site so far is encouraging, and that is genuine people.
So thanks for your kind words so far. I will get round to reading more of the books I have followed, but will take bit of time is all.
