Thursday, 21 October 2010

Result!!!

If you read my last post you’d know how nervous I was about my Carina Press Pitch. Well, it happened last night. And since I was so angsty about the US/UK time difference, I arrived in the chat room, get this…four and half hours early!

But I wasn’t alone. Oh no! My own personal cheerleading squad, the awesome, amazing, brings-tears-to-my-eyes Minxes were there with me every step of the way. And I'll tell you, at certain points the conversation took a turn for the well... interesting!!!

Also along for the ride were the amazing Maisey Yates and Abbi Cantrell with their pom poms at the ready!

And so it was that at the stroke of midnight, I entered the chat room and met Executive Editor Angela James.

And ladies and gents, she was really, really lovely. She put me at ease immediately and because the pitch was only ten minutes, we had to get straight down to business. That was the fastest, most exhilarating ten minutes of my life.

And the result??

Angela said she’d love to read my manuscript and requested the full!

I’m thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. I'd also like to say thank you to everyone else who turned up just for the hell of it and stayed even after I'd dragged off
myself to bed at 2am.

You're all awesome, girls, and I (and indeed all of the other pitchers) couldn't have asked for better handholders!

Thanks also to everyone who answered my last post with advice and well wishing.

You make this writer's journey so enjoyable :)

Maya xxx

Thursday, 14 October 2010

Wish Me Luck?!

So I entered the Carina Editor Pitch after prompting from my wonderful CPs. Have I told you how fab they are? Well, they're fab!

And guess what? I got picked…aaggghhhh, I mean, yaaaayyy! Thing is, I’ve never pitched anything in my life (unless you count the past life where I worked for a company that sold ‘discount rejuvenated perfume’) I'm not proud, and I quit after the first day when I realised there’s no such thing as "discount rejuvenated perfume". I did sell eight on my first day though so...

I digress. Yes, so I have to pitch to Angela James of Carina Press next Wednesday, which is in (gulp) six days! I’m not (quite) terrified yet, and knowing myself, I probably won’t be until about an hour before when you'll find me cowering in a corner mumbling, "why, why, why..."

Seriously though, I’m excited because even if nothing else comes of it, I'll learn the process of pitching for the next time I decide to, er, jump of a cliff, lol.

So, wish me luck and know that any words of advice or encouragement will be gratefully received :)

Saturday, 9 October 2010

The List & The Party!!!

So, the long awaited LIST is out. If you don't know what I'm talking about...well, what can I say...
Anyway, I was very sad (and extremely puzzled) to see none of my favourites made it onto the list. But fear not, ladies, with Joanne Pibworth's new invention of the KOKO cocktail and the smorgasbord of hotties waiting to serve them, your blue funk will not last long.

Throw your glad rags on, slink that feather boa around your necks and head on over to The Minxes Blog for The Party Of The Year!!!

See you there!!