Ryan writes…

Dear Michelle,

I hope this message finds you well and that autumn is giving you all the ghostly inspiration you could wish for! I saw in the bookseller that you’re contributing a short story to an anthology out next October! I for one cannot wait and want to thank you for keeping your readers so well satiated next October! It’s going to be an amazing month for MP fans! Just wondered if there are any hints you can give as I’ve been craving my MP fix since Wolfbane! Ha!

I also recently started submitting my latest novel to agents on the hopes that I can join you on bookshelves some time in the future! I’ve poured my heart and soul into this book and sharing it is incredibly daunting but also very exciting! I wondered if you had any advise for how to occupy my anxious brain whilst going through the submission process. Was there anything that helped you when you wear searching for an agent or when you were on submission with publishers!

All the very best,
Ryan
(Aka HalfBloodRyan/Empire of Books)

Hello, Ryan – and thank for your enthusiasm about my short ghost story!  I’m afraid I won’t be in a position to share anything about it for quite some time, as I’m still writing it.  I’ve mothballed the first draft and plan to unwrap it and revise it very soon, ie around Hallowe’en.  The timing seems appropriate, and I did the same thing for Dark Matter.

Huge congratulations on submitting your latest novel – and I mean that irrespective of the response you get.  It takes a great deal of commitment and stamina to produce a novel, and it can be really hard to share it with strangers.  But it’s good that you’ve put your heart and soul into it; that’s what you should do when you write. And again, I mean that irrespective of the response you get.  As for how to keep the angst at bay while you wait – oh dear, I wish I knew!  I too went through it for long stretches, although perhaps it was easier then, as this was in pre-internet days, so I only had to check the post once a day; whereas you maybe have to stop yourself compulsively checking your emails… In my case the day job helped somewhat, but not all that much.   What I can say is that when I was in the dumps – for instance, after getting yet another rejection letter – and it crossed my mind that maybe I should just give up, it really helped to tell myself: “If you stop now, you’ll be 100% sure of never getting published – but if you keep going, you’ve got a chance.”  Put like that, I knew that I had to keep going.  And that’s what it boils down to, I’m afraid.  Keep on keepin’ on.

Anyway, I wish you all possible good luck while you wait.  With very best wishes, Michelle