And so it begins…

Today we bring you part 2 in Miranda Dickinson's series of blogs about getting published. For those of you who don't know, Miranda posted her book onto authonomy last year and was picked up by HarperCollins imprint Avon a few months later. Her book will be published in Novemeber, and here on the authonomy blog we'll be following her every step of the way.

So, here I am on my amazing journey into print (apologies for the cheesy opening line – right now it’s about all my brain can come up with!)

Part One of the journey involved me being in constant shock whilst the lovely people at HarperCollins Avon patiently waited for the penny to drop with me that they actually wanted to publish my book and weren’t just being nice. That done, the hard work begins…I now have a scary sheet of A4 paper pinned to my noticeboard – it says, ‘MIRANDA DICKINSON-SCHEDULE’ in capital letters (just like it’s shouting – in my head I picture Windsor Davies in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum barking out the title at me whenever I see it…) Of course, I’m being over-dramatic: it’s actually nice to have it all written down so I can see how the next few months will pan out.

Being a complete novice at this, there have been several things about the process so far that have surprised me. The first was discovering – to my delight – that I could write more words for Coffee At Kowalski’s. I remember reading somewhere that the average women’s contemporary fiction novel was between 60,000 and 80,000 words, so made sure my original manuscript was just under the upper limit. Not true, I have found.

I learned this when I visited HarperCollins in London a couple of weeks ago – a completely weird and wonderful experience (but more on that later). When I met my editor I discovered that my novel can be 100,000 words – which is fantastic, because I can add more scenes for the main characters and develop the story further. This is another thing I’ve learned about the process: even when a manuscript has been accepted for publication, there are still opportunities to work with and improve your novel.

Kowalski’s will go through several edits before it appears on the shelves in November (which, all of a sudden, doesn’t look that far away!) Firstly, there’s a Structural Edit, which I’m doing now. This is where I can develop or add scenes and change anything in the story that needs it. So, for instance, there’s one character in my novel who I never really felt had a satisfactory conclusion to their story. The brilliant thing is that they now have a sparkly new storyline, which makes that particular character much more rounded and feels like the right situation for them.

My editor sent me a list of initial editorial notes – which ran to seven pages! To be honest, I was a little taken aback by this – as any writer knows, your book is your baby and, on first impression, the editorial suggestions felt a little like handing your beautiful baby to a babysitter who says, ‘Awww - how sweet. Now if we can just pin the ears back here, and maybe change the nose, it’ll be perfect!’ That said, I never thought my novel was perfect – which is why I was so stunned when it was chosen – so I am relishing the chance to work on it again.

Once I’ve sent my Structural Edits back, it will be read by the team at HarperCollins Avon and there then follows a really scary thing called ‘Line Edits’ – I’ll tell you all about that when I get there…

But back to my visit to HarperCollins. Apart from almost missing the building (I was just about to ask someone where it was when I did the classic movie thing of looking straight ahead and then up – and up – to a massive sign with ‘HarperCollins’ in twenty-foot-high letters…) and not knowing where to sit, (was I allowed to join the important-looking people on the posh leather armchairs or should I just hunker down on the wooden seat around the planter?), I didn’t do too badly. Part of me felt like such a hick walking into the impressive atrium of the building (was it just me, or was I actually wearing The Loudest Shoes In The World™ as I walked in? Think the approaching T-Rex and the cup of water scene in Jurassic Park and you’ll get the idea…) – yet I also had the sudden sense that I was now a part of it all – I am a HarperCollins author – something at once thrilling and ridiculously scary.

What struck me the most about meeting the team that will, quite frankly, be busting a gut on my behalf during the next three years, was their complete enthusiasm for my book. I never realised that so many people read a manuscript before an offer is made; I also never realised how much they have to champion that manuscript with all the relevant departments who will ultimately decide if they want to publish the book or not. To know that so many people (who don’t know me from Adam and who have no reason to support my work) have chosen to back my book is an awesome thing; to that end, I feel I owe it to them to produce the absolute best book that I can. That’s why I’m using every spare hour I can muster to work on my novel. I have a notebook with me at all times, so lunch-breaks, coffee shop visits, evenings and sometimes breakfasts are always accompanied by copious amounts of long-hand notes. Finding time to write whilst holding down three jobs is a challenge but, apart from a buzzing brain that doesn’t like switching off at night, I seem to be coping!

It’s a lot of work, but I can honestly say I’m loving every minute of it so far. It’s great to have the opportunity to polish my novel before all the other edits and proofreads begin – and every stage is one further to the day I’ll walk into a bookshop and see my novel there.

Thanks so much for your support – I’ve received so many fantastic comments so far, together with some really kind emails and messages. It means a lot coming from my fellow Authonomists and is appreciated more than you know.

Well, back to the editing. Any offers of caffeine or chocolate to help ease the process will be gratefully received!

Miranda x