Thursday 3 December 2009

Writewords Interview

Hello everyone, there is an interview with me on the WriteWords website, which tells about how I ended up in the Macmillan New Writers fold http://www.writewords.org.uk/.

Just finished the copy edits, (yes I've had to cut out embarrassing numbers of the word "unaccountably" and if I had a pound for every unnecessary comma I'd be rich) but it still seems ages before I'll actually hold my book in my hand. However, I know that there are at least two Macmillan New Writers whose books will be on the shelves before mine. They are Terence Morgan with "The Master of Bruges" and Ciara Hegarty with "The Road to the Sea" and the reason I know is because when I was down in London I picked up one of the Pan Macmillan 2010 New Titles booklets, and their books are listed in it under the MNW imprint. So congratulations to you both if either of you are reading this, and I hope you don't mind me blowing your cover.

17 comments:

Ann Weisgarber said...

Congratulations on the interview, Deborah, and it's good news that you're through the editing stage.

Your route to publication has a familiar ring, and my fingers are crossed that the success of your novel makes all the other publishing houses wail with bitter regret.

Len Tyler said...

Congratulations. Great interview - I liked the bit about the phone call.

And welcome Terence and Ciara, if you are reading this. Are you coming to the lunch?

Frances Garrood said...

Enjoyed your interview, Deborah, and special congratulations on being published in the USA!

Ellie said...

Congratulations, Deborah (and Terence and Ciara).

Deborah Swift said...

Thanks everyone, hoping to make the lunch and put faces to book titles.

mattfwcurran.com Web Admin said...

Hi Deborah

That's a great interview. There really isn't a better feeling than when you get that first letter or email from a publisher saying they want your book. Again, big congrats on The Lady's Slipper. Look forward to picking up a copy next year...

Ann Weisgarber said...

I missed the part about the US deal. Deborah, how about a few details?

Tim Stretton said...

Nice interview, Deborah. You have a fun few months coming up - enjoy them!

Terry said...

Hi,
I'm Terence Morgan, although the only people who ever call me Terence are my wife when she's furious and Will Atkins.
Thanks for the welcome, Len. Ann Weisgarber suggested I should join this blog group, but I'm such a compter moron that I don't know how to work it. This is the third time I've tried to post this message....
Now what do I do?
Press something....

Terry said...

Hi Deborah;
I didn't realise that I was writing just to you -- I thought it was a general comment to all. Please forgive the ignorance/incompetence.
I was surprised to find that "The Master of Bruges" was coming out so early; I had it in my brain that it was going to be late spring. Like you I can't quite believe it; as you say, not until I hold it in my hand...
Sophie has set up a couple of interviews for me for next week with local papers from this are and from Liverpool, where I used to live. Exciting, this writing lark, isn't it? I've just come back from a research trip to Belgium for the next book.
Anyway, my apologies for the error. I suppose I'll get used to it in time.
Best wishes,
Terry

Tim Stretton said...

Welcome to the gang, Terry.

I've been looking forward to The Master of Bruges ever since I heard about it. Glad to see it now looming into view!

no said...

Hi Terry!

Ann Weisgarber said...

Bravo, Terry! You made the leap to the blog world. I'm glad you're one of us now.

Alis said...

Good interview Deborah! Looking forward to meeting you at the get-together in February. Good to see MNW publishing more 'hist fic'!

Hi Terry - don't worry about being computer incompetent - you'll soon get the hang of this. Then you'll be hanging out here like all the rest of us when you should be writing!

Terry said...

Oh! So I wasn't writing just to Deborah?
This is quite beyond me. Anyway, thanks to all of you who have welcomed me (and in the case of Ann, ordered my book!!!!) and I hope to make Alis' optimistic prediction come true.
Does anyone have any ideas about how to publicise the book? Sophie has arranged some interviews and I will soon have an expert setting up a website for me, but I am truly a blind man in a minefield in this industry, and details of anything that worked for anyone else would be gratefully received -- or should I sit back and let Sophie do it all?

Tim Stretton said...

Terry, one publicity thing we do on this blog is to feature whichever book MNW are launching along with an author interview.

If you'd like to send an email to me (bluecatxxx@dragonchaser.net) we'll arrange that for The Master of Bruges (delete the 'xxx' from my email address which is only there to stop automated software finding and abusing my address)

Deborah Swift said...

Hello Terry,I'm a bit late in welcoming you because I'm in Thailand and its even more peculiar trying to find the right buttons to press on a Thai keyboard. The Master of Bruges sounds like my cup of tea so I've ordered it. If you get any good tips about publicising your book, maybe you could pass them on to me too!Are any of you writers up in the North of England? If so we could maybe have a northern get-together sometime.
Thanks everyone for your nice comments about my interview.