Out of my Hands

It's a strange feeling when you know that, although you can't see it happening, there are things afoot in the background. When you have created something and sent it out into the world, although you can no longer see it, things are happening to it, people are talking about it.

I guess it's like when your children are grown up and leave home, they have an existence of their own, they are touching others, influencing others, probably annoying or upsetting others. They are making their mark on the world; for good or bad, they are making an impression.

And that is what is happening with my book, I guess. I see people are buying it and reviewing it. Perhaps telling their friends about it. They might like it or hate it. However they see it or were affected by it, my book is out there making its way in the big wide world without me to show it the way. It's out of my hands now... I've lost control. What a concept!

www.emilypattullo.com

Are books for Young Adults really for teenagers or are they actually for adults who like a little light relief?

We're told that the Young Adult book market is thriving and probably the most competitive of all the age groups, but is it just teenagers that are buying these books? I think not, and this is why: I find maybe one in twenty of the adult books I read truly enjoyable. Whether it be because the story is too literary and self-indulgent, or too racy and explicit, or too gory and gruesome, or just plain dull; they're hard work and unfulfilling, generally. And I often wonder, when I'm reading a book, why I drag my bored arse through the swamp of pages that I'm really not enjoying, just to get to the end. 

And I choose to read, often to the detriment of other things. But what about those who find reading difficult or boring? With so many other distractions out there these days: TV, internet, computers, video games, what incentive is there for people to pick up a book and trawl through it just so they can say they have read it?

And I'm talking about adults here. The ones that don't have to read regularly, if they don't want to: it's not on their curriculum and there's no teacher breathing down their necks. There are, after all, more important things in life, like feeding the family, and the X-Box.

But then something happened. Someone noticed a gap in the market for teenage fiction and suddenly all teenagers stopped what they were doing and started reading. Well, maybe... some of them, especially on the back of the Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games Trilogy, or even Harry Potter, for that matter. But surely it wasn't just kids inflating that market. 

So perhaps it's that us adults enjoy a bit of fun too? We like excitement without lengthy explanations, romance without blatancy, drama without gore, and issues that are dealt with subtly and sensitively, so that we can make up our own minds what the author is trying to tell us without having it thrust in our faces through explicit imagery or hidden from us within a complex and overly fastidious narrative.

When writing a book for teenagers, the author must take into account their relative innocence and naivety. He must tiptoe through the entrails of curiosity, careful not to disturb the sleeping shadows that lurk, and plant a seed. That seed will grow with the story, nurtured by the intrigue, the drama, the delicacy of suggestion, until it manifests itself as the reader's own interpretation. There is nothing blatant about it; there is no demand for the reader to follow instruction. It's subtle, and convincing, and so captivating that it's impossible to look away for fear the spell may be broken. 

OR, perhaps it's just that when allowing for a younger mind, one without preconceptions or judgement, as a writer, it's a more attractive and accessible audience, and therefore more appreciative.  

www.emilypattullo.com

Blast Off!

My book, Ring Around Rosie, is being launched at Waterstones… I never thought I’d say those words out loud. It seemed like an impossible outcome at the start of all this, and now that it’s happening I’m not sure how I got this far.

Admittedly, when I finished my book and was ignorant to the ways of the publishing world, I was sure it would be snapped up and I would be swept along on the journey to fame and fortune. But further down the track I’ve learnt that it just doesn’t happen like that anymore. Incessant self-promotion – tirelessly tweeting and blogging and face-booking – that is where I’ve languished for months, feeling no better than a street-seller as I watched my ebook fluctuate up and down the Kindle chart. It’s degrading and desperate, and oddly, at no point during this time have I uttered the words ‘I’m an author’; it hasn’t seemed appropriate, despite the fact that I have written a book, which is for sale on Amazon, that people read! But why is that?

There was me, thinking I was being so modern publishing an ebook. But the truth is there is something so much more ‘real’ about an actual, physical book. The image I held in my mind from the start – the end goal – was receiving hard copies of my book in the post. Holding in my hands something I had created, smelling the newness of the ink, knowing that its pages held a part of me. And I just can’t seem to get that satisfaction with an ebook; despite getting to number 3 on Amazon’s bestseller list for Action & Adventure, and Teenage Mysteries & Thrillers. Because no matter how well my ‘virtual’ book is doing, it’s all led to this moment: my ‘real’ book being launched at Waterstones.

Exclusive evening at Waterstones to celebrate the launch of Ring Around Rosie

Emily Pattullo is an editor and writer, with expertise in the global crime of child trafficking and prostitution. She is the author of Ring Around Rosie, and writes for various publications, as well as being a regular contributor for Brit Writers.

www.emilypattullo.com

www.facebook.com/emilypattullo.author

Interview with “Ring Around Rosie” author Emily Pattullo #amwriting #amreading

Interview with “Ring Around Rosie” author Emily Pattullo #amwriting #amreading

Book Launch at Waterstones!

Tell a story; free your soul

I read a piece, recently, by a victim of sex trafficking. It’s written like a story rather than a news article, so instead of being accosted by graphic images and shocking headlines, I was drawn in slowly, unaware of what awaited me. And before I knew it the story had my full and undivided attention; I couldn’t look away, despite the horror of what I was reading. I had been mesmerised by a swaying cobra, unable to jump out of the way before it struck.

And as it struck, I realised how the effect of a story can differ so radically from that of a news article about similar issues. Of course, much of it has to do with that particular story being autobiographical, but there were no flashing lights or sirens blaring, shouts through a loudhailer or violent explosions, it was merely the unassuming voice of one man, once a boy and victim to unimaginable cruelty.

I understand the importance of shock treatment, the initial pulse that sparks us into reacting, but I find that it takes regular and consistent shocks, in increasing waves, to really get the heart pumping. Whereas, often with a story that sets the scene and builds slowly, there is more of an awakening to it; an unwitting empathy as you grow to love and care about the people involved.

That story has stayed with me ever since I read it. It creeps into my subconscious at the most inopportune moments, such as when I’m playing with my children. And it’s unwelcome in many ways, and yet I’m grateful for the continued reminder of how lucky I am, and I realise that the very least I can do is spread the awareness of such horrific suffering through my own writing. Because whilst it’s hard for many people to talk openly about challenging issues, writing can give them a voice and a vessel through which to tell their story, one which otherwise may not be heard.

“Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.” – Hannah Arendt

The Prayer of a Sex Trafficked Child

Brit Writers & Me

Tell us how you started your journey with Brit Writers

For a while I had been going through the motions of sending submissions to agents, but to no avail. Of the roughly 30 agents I had submitted to, only one asked to see the whole manuscript. But that one didn’t come to anything either, although I am told it was what they call a ‘near miss’.

I then went through a period of mourning and self-loathing before coming across Brit Writers and entering the unpublished writers’ competition. Although I didn’t win it was suggested that I might try the referral service they provide, and through that I was put in touch with Imran.

Following several phone calls to discuss my submission package and where I could be going wrong there, I met up with Imran to discuss my book and how I could best place it in the world. He liked the strong message it carries, promoting awareness about child trafficking and prostitution through a fictional story.

We went through the book identifying any issues that might concern prospective agents and publishers. Aside from the fact that the controversial subject matter might be an issue for some, we wanted to ensure there was nothing else that would give them an excuse to turn it down. Imran had previously given my manuscript to a couple of readers asking them to be as critical as possible, but aside from a few small issues, which were easily rectified, they were very positive about it. With the reassurance that my book was the best it could be, Imran suggested we send over a submission package, that included a cover letter, biog, synopsis and the first three chapters, to four agents and one publisher to get feedback.

What was the general feeling among the agents and was your book picked up by anyone?

I would love to be able to say yes, they jumped on it right away and the rest is history, but it wasn’t to be so easy. Three agents came straight back to us, one within twenty-four hours, and both Diane Banks and Eve White asked to see the full manuscript, which raised my hopes perhaps too high so early on. Unfortunately, it was not for them at that time. Imran told me not to be too disheartened, that this was just the beginning and there were many other options available to me. I guess it’s always the dream of every new author that they will be dragged victorious down the traditional publishing route to unequivocal fame and fortune, but in reality, these days, it’s a rarity.

So what happened next?

Well, I picked myself up and Imran suggested we try a few more agents, with a couple more publishers thrown in. What happened next still haunts me as to whether I made the right choice, because a publisher did like my book and offered to take me on. But, and here’s the crunch: they wanted 80-85% of the royalties. Now what would you do? Would you take the ‘kudos’ that being with a proper, real publisher brings and give up all that hard work in order that someone else might reap the rewards, or would you step out alone into the harsh, endless winter of self-publishing and go it alone? That was basically the choice; I could have continued sending my manuscript out in the hope that I might get a better deal, but if that’s what a publisher wanted from me, and I’d had an agent on board too, what would have been left for me? I would have lost control, been beholden to a publisher’s demands, and probably lost my identity to boot. So after much deliberation and head banging, Imran said that if I took the leap into the unknown world of self-publishing, that Brit Writers would help and back me all the way.

Why do you suppose Imran persevered with you and your book?

I think that’s a question you need to ask him! I don’t know, except that Brit Writers is about supporting new writers, especially ones that have a purpose. My book, Ring Around Rosie, was written to create awareness about child trafficking and prostitution. It’s something I knew nothing about before I began researching it, and now that I know about this horrifying world I want others to know too. And teenagers, I think, are a good place to start; they are keen to learn, and have no preconceptions about things they know nothing about. I think that educating them though fiction will help them better understand the reality. And this, I guess, is what attracted Imran – that, and a great story, obviously!

 

So, you’re out there, alone, in the unchartered world of self-publishing. 

How’s that going for you?

Well, not too bad. I published an ebook on Amazon and after four weeks it peaked at number 3 on Amazon.co.uk’s bestseller list for children’s Action & Adventure. In fact, it got stuck behind The Jungle Book at number 2, and Treasure Island at number 1, which I guess I can’t be too bitter about! And it also got to number 3 on Amazon.com’s bestseller list for Teen Mysteries & Thrillers.
 

It’s by no means easy, though. I spend way too much of my time on social media sites, shamelessly plugging myself. And that’s not something I find easy at all, it pulls me way out of my comfort zone, and I wish sometimes that I could just be the writer I want to be, not the publicist I hate. But this is the path I’ve chosen, for now, so I have to make the best of it. But you know, it’s only my first book, I can’t expect to stroll confidently into the party and be accepted straight away. I realise I have to work for it, and so I will, as hard and for as long as it takes.

And there are great people out there that want to help and are incredibly supportive. There’s everyone at Brit Writers, obviously. And there are others I’ve met along the way like Yvonne Grace, and Maia Walczak, and Sheryl Browne, and Paddy Tyrrell, and Laura Besley, and Danica Worthy, and Michelle Goode, and, and, and…. There are too many to name them all, but the point is, I’m not alone, there are many others out there who are in the same situation, or at the very least understand what I’m going through, and just having that support is what keeps me going.

Based on your experience with self-publishing so far, would you recommend it to others?

At this stage I would say yes, but, firstly, be prepared to shift your perception of what self-publishing means to you. Yes you publish without the backing from a traditional publisher, by yourself, but don’t do it alone. Get advice, build a support network, give your time to others so that they might reciprocate. Friends are important in this game, and I don’t mean your mates back home, I mean like-minded supporters who know what you’re going through, people you admire. Self-publishing suggests you are alone but actually you need all the friends you can scrape together to keep your mind on the job, as well as keep you sane.

Ring Around Rosie is available to download from Amazon