Tag Archives: Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency

INTRODUCING SISTER SCRIBES: KIRSTEN HESKETH

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The second Sister Scribe I have pleasure in introducing is Kirsten Hesketh. Actually, she’s done a fab job of introducing herself… except she’s failed to mention that she’s kind, generous, funny and super-bright… and two glasses of sherry and a limoncello generally put her under the table.

 

Hello!

My name is Kirsten Hesketh and I am a novelist living in beautiful Henley-on-Thames. I am absolutely delighted to be part of Sister Scribes and I’m very excited to see how the project unfolds over the next weeks and months.

In fact, between you and me, I’m also feeling a twinge of Imposter Syndrome as I am the only one amongst our number who has yet to be published. Shhh … maybe they haven’t realised! Seriously, though, I hope my dispatches from the querying trenches will be interesting and entertaining: after all, isn’t it as much about the journey as the destination?

Anyway, a little about me.

My debut novel, Another Us, is the – hopefully! – poignant and funny story of a marriage at breaking point. Emma and Daniel’s son Jack has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Emma is horrified to discover that 80% of such marriages fall apart. I am neuro-typical – if there is such a thing! – but one of my children was diagnosed with mild Asperger Syndrome when he was ten. My book starts pretty close to where we were as a family at that time (with an extra child added in for good measure) but quickly moves into ‘what if?’ territory – exploring the impact of the diagnosis on the family and the marriage.

I wrote the book in fits and starts, slotting it around my day job as a marketing consultant. I made every writing mistake possible – trying to get it right before getting it written (painstakingly polishing passages that didn’t even make the final cut) and sending it out to agents as soon as I’d finished the first draft. I don’t think it really had a plot. Let alone a narrative arc!

About this time, I joined Twitter and started to discover that fellow writers really are the most generous and lovely bunch. Twitter led me to the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) New Writers’ Scheme, which in turn led me to the RNA conference.  The RNA conference led me to delightfully raucous kitchen parties, sore head … and the other Sister Scribes. And along the way, I have met some truly inspirational women writers and poets and I am very excited to be introducing some of them to you in due course …

Once I had worked out what Another Us was really about. I redrafted and polished it and I started pitching to agents again. That was nerve-wracking, but once I’d received the first couple of rejections, I started to enjoy the process. I was lucky enough to have a little flurry of interest and I chose to sign with Felicity Trew from the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency who, interestingly, I had heard speak at the RNA conference. Felicity is advocate, enabler, co-conspirator and therapist all in one and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

I’m now working on my second novel – affectionately titled Muddy Milly – which is set on an archaeological dig and is about a woman facing up to traumas in her past. My hubbie and I are heavily involved in a Roman dig near where we live in the Chilterns and I absolutely love it – the excitement, the camaraderie, the gentle exercise, the beautiful woodland. I’m really looking forward to March when the season starts again …

I’m a proud member of Reading Writers and am currently their treasurer and I’m still a member of the RNS New Writers’ Scheme. I am very much looking forward to the conference in the summer (although my liver is not).

I’m very much looking forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks and months.

Kirsten xx

 

Follow Kirsten on Twitter @Kirsten_Hesketh

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editor

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Newly appointed literary agent Felicity Trew describes a day in the life of one the top literary agencies, the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editorfelicity

By the time I get on the bus in the morning, I’ve already visited 50 different worlds… through my submission inbox. I never know where it’s going to take me.

I start my day meticulously trawling through the new manuscript adventures on an iPad, my portable office and library. I get hundreds of emails from hopeful authors each week with stories ranging from lovesick demons to 14th century political deviants. There is a lot that is not suitable for my list but every now and then I find a gem.

You can sum an agent in three words: talent-spotter, advocate and counselor. Our responsibility is to find the best authors and to bring out the best in them.
And book writing is 90 per cent idea, writing and 10 per cent editing that into something really rich and attention-grabbing.

So a substantial part of my morning is spent helping authors tighten their manuscripts into a powerful punch of literature for the publishers. Sometimes that can even mean sitting down with an author lost in a plethora of ideas and choosing the strongest option.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editorthecarefuledits

Most outsiders think the book world is a cosy industry of coffee cups and cupcakes, but it is a crowded business – which makes it tough but exciting. So after reaching out and responding to my clients, who come first, I tackle the contracts to get the day going.

The one reason a writer needs an agent is that legal document which exists for the lifespan of the book and controls everything from advances to film, TV, radio, theatre, eBook and merchandising rights. The contract can make or break an author. Get one sentence wrong and you’ve lost everything for a lifetime.

Agents feel a huge responsibility to give authors the best chance at carving out space on that cluttered bookshelf.  But it’s also a dynamic dance with the publishers. My job is to make sure all sides are happy, that the terms are clear and fair.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editorcupoftea
Lunch breaks are rarely breaks. They are spent negotiating details with publishing houses and putting forward our best and newest work – as well as tapping into what publishers and readers want.

Right now the time-tested solid trend is the saga: it is a natural development, people don’t want to feel abandoned by the characters they have grown to love after just one book. Escapism in the form of traditional fantasy and historical fiction are both definitely on the rise. But I always encourage my writers to write what they know and love irrespective of market trends.

The afternoon is spent preparing for the book fairs and literary festivals.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editorthethinking

The next big event on my calendar is the London Book Fair in April: a bustling marketplace of the international book world, where all the big deals are made and names forged.  Every major publisher, book seller, literary scout and agent descends on the sprawling venue – which this year is Kensington Olympia – hoping to buy and sell their wares.
It’s months of preparation: chasing authors with their deadlines, helping them shape their work, building eye-catching presentations and then networking to set up those all-important meetings to make sure our authors get heard above the crowd.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editorgoodbook
But book festivals are my real love – as it’s a chance to meet writers face-to-face, which is ultimately why I do my job.

This year, I’ve been asked to give several talks: an opportunity to offer advice to new authors.  The next is the Literary Festival in Wycombe in April at the Downley Community Centre, followed by the SCBWI retreat in May and Winchester’s Writers Conference in June.

The most frequent question I’m asked by new authors is how to approach a literary agent. The simple answer is: know your agent. Study their author lists, read their statements and their authors’ works, follow them on social media, find out what they are looking for and address that in your covering email. And do not send round robins or even worse accidentally address a rival agent (it has happened). Beware, the delete button beckons.

A day in the life of Felicity Trew – literary editoripadportablelibrary
After a busy day rushing between appointments, lunches and meetings the long bus journey home is an opportunity to catch up on industry news, looking at the latest signings, best sellers and mergers.

And maybe – just maybe – I might just read book of my own.

 

 

Words for the Wounded: Review of the Third Place Entry

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Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award 2016

The Secret of Skara Vhore, by Jennifer M Calder by Margaret Graham

(published by Matador) 

skara vhore

‘A great setting and good tension between a real and fantasy world… the loneliness of an unwanted teenager discovering a world where good and evil battles… great concept and world building…’ Felicity Trew. (Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency) 

 

Katie is a lost and troubled teenager who is claimed by distant, unknown relatives and is dispatched to a remote Scottish island. Distrustful of the world, she slowly accepts the friendship of perceptive Morag, mischievous Robbie and the reticent Kirig, a strange boy who lives in the hills. But sinister and ghostly events threaten them as past time spills into the present. Katie struggles to uncover her forgotten history but then is asked to risk the lives of those she loves in order to battle against the forces of chaos and fulfil her destiny. Set in the highlands of Scotland, The Secret of Skara details the battle between good and evil, as well as the loyalty among friends. 

 

Judge’s comments: This Young Adult novel (the first of a trilogy) has a perfect setting – the loneliness of an unwanted teenager discovering a world where good and evil battle. It opens with an anonymous boy stumbling through a moorland landscape with no clue to its time or place. The next chapter gives us an unnamed girl in an all-too-real  – and  equally desolate – contemporary England town. The origins of these two children, their coming together and its consequences, form a great setting and tension between a real world and fantasy world.

 

Katie is a troubled teenager with a buried past and Kirig is a strange and almost silent boy. Together with two other children, perceptive Morag and impish Robbie, they must find their way through the confusion of past and present to a new understanding of who they are.

 

Calder creates both the wilderness of a Scottish island and the equally bleak desert of a run-down English town with a confident use of detail and it is so nearly ‘there’.  However, with an eye to any forthcoming novels in the series: sometimes the writing can be quite dialogue heavy which unravels the pace and sometimes the Young Adult voice doesn’t grab and pull in the reader, (essential in this genre). Maybe change the title – it must speak to the audience.

 

An interesting novel, a great concept and world building. A worthy 3rd place.
About Jennifer M Calder:

jennifercalder

Jennifer studied English Language and Literature at Edinburgh University. From childhood she has had a fascination with words and story-writing and during her time as a full-time mother she wrote for her own children.

On returning to the classroom Jennifer taught in inner-city schools in England, where her expertise lay in the field of children’s literacy. Later came a career-change into another area of ‘word work’: copy-editing and proofreading for academic publishers.

But when Jennifer returned to her home in the Scottish highlands – coming back to the sea,  heather and hills of the magnificent landscape that inspired The Secret of Skara Vhore – she made the decision that she would concentrate on her own writing.

While teaching Jennifer had met many pupils with chaotic lives who deserved to be rescued from their situations. At least in fiction she could make it happen for one troubled girl.

Happily, the novel has been very well received by reviewers and readers. Although officially aimed at the  teenage market the novel is being enjoyed by anyone who is into the dark supernatural.

The Secret of Skara Vhore is Jennifer’s debut novel.  She is now working on the second novel in this trilogy.

 

 

Words for the Wounded: Review of 2nd Place Winner

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Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award 2016

Words for the Wounded: review of  2nd Place winner.

alisonclink

The Man Who Didn’t Go To Newcastle by Alison Clink

(published by Matador)


‘Lovely pace and voice… It’s a really moving exploration of siblings across their lives and most importantly, mortality.’

Felicity Trew (Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency)


‘In June 2007 whilst out walking my dog, I opened a text from my brother saying: Am in St Georges – Rodney Smith Ward. Ring me. A.’  Alison’s brother Adrian had been admitted to St. George’s Hospital in Tooting with a cut hand and low blood pressure. Tests had led to more serious concerns and he was calling on Alison to be with him when the consultant brought results of a biopsy on his lung. Alison heeded his call and took the train up to London the next day, only to find that the results weren’t available. She then went back to Somerset, with no idea of what the next few months would hold for them both. Whilst juggling her home life – at a time when her four children still lived at home – with long-distance hospital visiting, Alison tried her best to cope and make plans when Adrian eventually told her that, following the results, he’d been given a year to live. She had no idea then that he wasn’t being entirely truthful…
Judge’s comments: In The Man Who Didn’t go to Newcastle Alison Clink charts her care of her terminally ill slightly older brother, Adrian, with a lovely pace and voice and creates a really moving exploration of siblings across their lives and most importantly, mortality.  This is a situation which unearths not only memories of the past they have shared, but an awareness of their separate adult lives, especially as friends of his arrive to cheer him on. With each visitor it seems, another puzzle piece is put in place. Throughout this memoir Clink weaves the present and past together with a honesty which reveals the difficulties of caring for someone who is no more perfect than the rest of us.  There is not only sadness but humour, and implicit tension but it was felt that the diary structure was a little constricting. A more complex play with point of view rather than the date and time of the diary might have made it stand-out more.

It is interesting to consider how Clink’s undoubted and empathetic writing skills would be translated into fiction. She already writes short stories so let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for an Alison Clink novel. Bravo. A worthy 2nd place.

alison-clink5

About Alison Clink:


Alison Clink is a writer and creative writing teacher living in Somerset.

Over fifty of her short stories have been published both in the UK and abroad. Several of her stories have been broadcast on Radio 4 and two short plays have been performed in Frome and Bristol.

Alison runs a drop-in creative writing group at Babington House near Mells, Somerset on Wednesday mornings 10am – 12.  This is for members of Babington House, guests of the house and my guests.

She also write critiques for aspiring writers, and gives talks to writing groups.

Her memoir, The Man Who Didn’t Go To Newcastle, is now published by Troubador and her first novel, Two Blackberry Lane is close to completion.  You can find her on facebook and twitter.
Alison says:

 

‘I am delighted to be supporting the ‘words for the wounded’ charity.’

 

www.alisonclink.co.uk

 

 

 

Words for the Wounded: Review of the First Place Entry

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Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award 2016

1st place

 

Words for the Wounded- review of the First Place entry.

 

From both ends of the stethoscope:  getting through breast cancer by a doctor who knows. By Dr Kathleen Thompson.

(published by Faito Books)

 

 

‘Such a wonderful idea to bring doctor and patient together – like making a connection between the two worlds of Alice’s looking glass….  It is both accessible, well written and honest.’  Felicity Trew. (Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency)

 

 

Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

 

We forget, perhaps, that doctors can also become patients. Dr Kathleen Thompson suspected something was wrong. She hesitated – surely not her? Finally, and reluctantly, she sought a diagnosis. It was indeed breast cancer.

 

Kathleen looks back on her cancer with honesty, humour and compassion, and with the benefit of her medical understanding and knowledge of the system. She uses her experience to guide the reader through diagnosis and treatment, both when things go smoothly, and when they don’t.

 

She explains medical research and how to assess the credibility of the numerous treatment claims, and what we can all do to protect ourselves from cancer.

 

Judge’s comments: If you know anyone who has breast cancer, if you yourself are suffering, or if you just want to know more about the commonest UK cancer, then this could be the book you didn’t know you were looking for. It will give you the comfort of knowledge, of good advice, of reassurance that cancer is not an inevitable death sentence. It will also empower you to take control of your condition.

It is such a wonderful idea to bring doctor and patient together – like making a connection between the two words of Alice’s looking glass. As a doctor, Kathleen Thompson knows how to interpret medical information, how to challenge another doctor for answers and how to interpret what her body is telling her. Or so you would think. What made this book immediately appealing was the sheer humanity of her first reaction to discovering something ‘not quite right’ with one of her breasts. She ignored it. After that it was an easy step to  join her as she adjusted to being on the wrong side of the doctor’s desk and most people would want her to be with them in the consulting room at critical moments. Failing that, just take a friend and this book.

The book does not tell you what you should do or how you should feel. It offers strategies, explains what you can expect and what you can ask for – and what you should not tolerate. It clarifies jargon and gives you choices. It tells you what you can do to help yourself in terms of diet and exercise and rest, but does not make claims that any one thing will ‘cure’ you. It’s all right to be tired, and frightened and angry. It’s not all right for doctors to tell you ‘not to worry’.  And most breast cancer sufferers survive.

From Both Ends of the Stethoscope is both accessible, well written and honest. For someone who’s enduring the after-effects of chemo- or radio-therapy, it makes life a precious fraction of a degree easier.

 

All of which makes this book an unassailable 1st place winner.

 

About Dr Kathleen Thompson:

Words for the Wounded- review of the First Place entry.kathleen

Kathleen is not only a writer but a physician, specialising in pharmaceutical drug research.

A few years ago her life changed completely, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This became the inspiration for her book, ‘From Both Ends of the Stethoscope’.

She has a passion for sharing her medical expertise and writes regular medical features for Frost e-Magazine. She has also written guest features for Fabafterfifty e-Magazine and a guest blog for Breast Cancer Care.

She learned a great deal from having cancer herself, and is keen to provide this insight to her readers.

She adores ballroom dancing and enjoys adventures. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, walked the 500 mile Camino de Santiago and cycled through rural Rajasthan and in the mountains of Kerala.  During some of these activities she raised funds for Women v Cancer –which provides funding for three cancer charities, including Breast Cancer Care.

She has two long-suffering children, who tolerate their mother’s crazy projects, and regularly rescue her from IT catastrophes.

Kathleen is delighted to support Words for the Wounded which does such fabulous work.

 

 

Early Chapters by Gillian Holmes of The Editor | Get Published

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Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Frost is delighted to have an editor of Gillian’s calibre to help aspiring authors. It’s particularly apt, because the fundraising Independent Author Book Award, run by www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk is open for entries until 6th March 2016.

 

Last year’s winner, Jane Cable, is now represented by the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency as a direct result of the competition. Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency is judging this year’s Award.

 

So over to Gillian:

 

Early Chapters

 

It’s tough being a writer, and we editors appreciate that. I have never written a book – if you don’t count the half-written romance with a Daniel-Craig-as-Bond-type hero, but the least said about that the better. So all writers who have the tenacity and commitment to complete a novel have already earned my full admiration.

 

However, on the other side of the coin, having worked as an acquiring editor, a reader for literary agents, and a reader for competitions, you can appreciate, I’ve probably read more than my fair share of opening chapters and synopses. And sometimes I stop within half a page. It sounds brutal, but when you have a lot of manuscripts to read, you simply don’t have the time or the inclination to read on to see if it improves.

 

So here are ten tips to help you catch the eye of the judges.

 

First the Don’ts:

 

  1. Please do not, and really I mean this, open with a dream. Ask any editor/agent/reader. There is nothing more irritating than to be pulled into some action, only to find it’s not real. Can I add here, do not ever use dreams as a way to move the plot forward. Please.
  2. Do not open your book with backstory… if we don’t know the characters, how can we be interested in their backstory?
  3. Do not start the book with a minor character. No matter how good the writing, as soon as the reader realises that the character they have been reading about disappears by chapter 2, they will give up.
  4. Do not open with your character doing mundane stuff – getting ready for work, having breakfast, unstacking the dishwasher, going out the door – because although you may think it’s a great contrast with the explosive action that comes later, the reader may never know that. They’ll have given up just as your character is locking their front door.
  5. Do not mince your words. Starting any book with exposition and/or long descriptions of the character or location can be mind-numbing for the reader. Dive in, all will reveal itself as the book unfolds. Speaking of long descriptions: watch out for flowery language and too many adjectives. Having to wade through paragraphs of wordy prose before you even get to the story is frustrating and time-wasting.

 

Now the Dos

 

  1. Give the reader a snappy opening line that immediately intrigues.
  2. The submitted chapters should be the very best they can be, so I would suggest you hire an editor/copy editor. It can be an expensive business, but do it for just these three chapters in the first instance. It makes a huge difference to the reader, and could give you some useful advice for the rest of the book.
  3. Keep the pace moving and don’t get bogged down in irrelevant detail.
  4. Introduce us to your characters – the reader needs to be invested in them from the start.
  5. If you’re sending a prologue as part of your first three chapters, make sure it’s relevant and interesting, not just a convenient way to give backstory.

Soon I will be giving you some hints on writing the synopsis.

 

 

gilliansholmes@hotmail.com

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
http://www.carolinesheldon.co.uk

 

 

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret Graham

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Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Gillian Holmes – aka The Editor – has been working in publishing for nearly twenty years. She started out at Quarto, working on craft books and worked with many publishers, and finally

Arrow Books where she edited many bestselling authors, such as Katie Flynn, Dorothy Koomson, Amy Silver (aka Paula Hawkins), Cathy Woodman, Margaret Graham, Lisa Lynch, and many others.
Gillian now has her own editorial agency, The Editor, and over the following two weeks, she will be giving advice on the first three chapters, and the synopsis. This might well prove useful for any of you who are thinking of entering the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award. Last year’s winner is now represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. Felicity is this year’s judge. (more details www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk)

Frost asked Gillian more about herself.

What are your passions?

 

My main passion is reading. My parents moved around the world a lot and because I went to boarding school, I didn’t have many friends at home. So books stopped me feeling lonely. Well, that and my musical box (no music as all tapes warped due to the tropical climate) which I would play while I pretended to be a ballerina. Quite sad considering I have never had a ballet lesson in my life.

 

I also love to swim. An early morning swim will usually set the day up perfectly. I find solutions to all sorts of problems in the water – including problems with the book I’m working on at the time. Oh, and I am a massive QPR fan; this affliction has taught me forbearance and patience.

An interview with Gillian Holmes – editor by Margaret GrahamQPR2

What do you read?

 

I read widely and according to my mood. I usually have several books on the go. I read women’s fiction when I want to be engrossed in someone else’s life. For those days when I’m tired, I read romance – contemporary or historical. It’s comforting and always cheers me up. I also really enjoy real-life tales of derring-do like Agent Zig Zag. Also, Samuel Pepys’s diary is a big comfort read for me; he always makes me laugh. I like crime for when I’m bored, I particularly like books with a long-running characters, so Jo Nesbo and Lee Child are great favourites. Recently I’ve discovered a new character to follow in Tony Parsons’ Max Wolfe: tortured single father, boxer and policeman. What’s not to love? And finally, I adore historical novels. I used to raid my mother’s collection of Georgette Heyers and Jean Plaidys, but my absolute tip top favourite was Katherine by Anya Seton. Last year, my aunt researched our family history and, thrillingly, she discovered Katherine is our grandmother (great great etc). I was in actual heaven! Personally, I think this is the most interesting fact about me. If my friends had ever heard of her, I’m sure they’d agree.

 

What do you love about what you do?
I have never managed to write a book, so I admire and respect authors enormously. Books have been my constant companion throughout my life, so to read one in the rough, and help an author shape it to be the very best it can be, is enormously satisfying. Editing is very subjective, so as an editor I must never lose sight of the fact that this is not my book, so I need to set my ego aside. Just because I’d do it differently, doesn’t mean I should advise the author to do it my way. An editor has to be a different person for every book they edit and work within the parameters of the author’s style and vision. I like that challenge, and if an author seems genuinely happy with my suggestions and work, I’m thrilled. I love knowing that I have helped create something without actually having to do all the work. I’m a bit lazy, you see.

 

The first three chapters or so are important in drawing in the reader. 

What would be your first piece of advice?
Firstly, your first line needs to grab the reader’s attention and set the tone of the book. Don’t save your best line for half way through the first chapter, or even half way through the book. Get it out straight away so the reader wants to keep going. Then the challenge is to follow through on that promise. Try not to fill the first chapters with backstory and description. Always remember you’ve got another 70,000 words plus to fit that in. Just keep it moving. Hook us in and don’t let us go.

 

I find a synopsis difficult. Will you be helping Frost readers with this? If so, in a nutshell, what should a synopsis do?
Yes, absolutely, because having worked as an acquiring editor, an agent’s reader and a reader for competitions, I know how important a good synopsis is. Firstly, remember why you’ve been asked for it and who you’re writing it for. Usually it’s for a competition or a submission to an agent/publisher. They want the synopsis because, if they like the first three chapters, they want to see how you’ve developed the rest of the book. It will give them a clear overview of the concept and structure, and often determine whether they will want to see the rest. They don’t want irrelevant detail and descriptions, and they don’t need dialogue. And most importantly, they DO NOT want you to leave a cliffhanger. Finally, keep it short – 1500 words or fewer.

pic 3 books

Will you ever write a novel?
I’m not sure. I have a butterfly mind and I tend to get bored quite quickly. Writing a whole book would entail me concentrating on one thing for far too long. Having said that, I did write half a book once – it was a romance inspired by my crush on Daniel Craig (I know, I know, I’m a sad cliché). The heroine (who wasn’t at all based on me, not at all) rescued him from some dastardly kidnappers. I got so involved with my characters (well one in particular) that I expected him to email me to let me know what happened next. Sadly, he never did, which I know he regrets.

 

pic 5 daniel craig

 

Or a short story?
Short story writing is a very particular skill and not at all easy to do. I might try it one day, though. The great thing about short stories is they can be just as satisfying as a good novel, but they don’t take as long to read.

 

Your favourite book as a child?
I had two. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield – I wanted to be Posy so badly, that when I had my daughter I (briefly!) considered it as a name. And A Little Princess. I went to boarding school when I was very young, so I related. Which is a little dramatic of me, as I was treated perfectly well by the school and, disappointingly, I never did discover that I owned some diamond mines.

 

What question would you like to be asked?
How does your husband Daniel feel about the fact that your career as a prima ballerina keeps you away from home so much?

To contact Gillian. gilliansholmes@hotmail.com
To find out more about The Independent Author Book Award: www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk
Words for the Wounded are also holding a LitFest on April 16. www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

 

 

Meet Gillian Holmes – Literary Editor

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Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Graham1

Gillian Holmes

 

Frost is delighted that Gillian Holmes of the editing house, The Editor, will, over the next few weeks, advise Frost’s readers on writing successful first chapters, and that tricky beast the synopsis.

 

The timing is particularly apt because the charity Words for the Wounded (sponsored by Frost Magazine) has launched its 2016 Independent Author Book Award  for self published books – fiction or non fiction/e-book or physical.  which is due to close on 6th March. Last year’s competition was won by Jane Cable, who as a result is now represented by Felicity Trew of the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency.

Meet Gillian Holmes – literary editor By Margaret Grahamfelicitydrew2 Felicity Trew

 

It is Felicity who is judging the Words for the Wounded competition this year, so flex those fingers, sharpen your imaginations and let Frost, and Gillian, help you along the way.

 

Gillian Holmes  has been working in publishing for nearly twenty years. She started out at Quarto, working on craft books – applique and decoupage was very popular at the time and she’s endeavoured to forget everything she learned about those skills over the years.

 

She quickly moved on from that nightmare to work at Simon & Schuster where she worked with authors such as Jackie Collins, Ben Elton and Sean Hughes. As well as doing quite a lot of football, the X Files and books about UFOs.

 

Then on to Carlton, working on illustrated non-fiction and TV tie-in novelisations – the Coronation Street novel is a particularly proud moment. The entire 40 years in a novel.

 

But with three children, life in-house became difficult, so she worked as a freelance editor, copy editor and proofreader for various clients, before moving back in-house to Arrow Books six years ago, where she edited many bestselling authors, such as Katie Flynn, Dorothy Koomson, Amy Silver (aka Paula Hawkins), Cathy Woodman, Lisa Lynch and Margaret Graham, and many others.
Gillian is really looking forward, over the next few weeks, to helping those of you who are working on a novel, or perhaps to inspire those who are not, to do so.

For more information about the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award, and the charity which raises funds to help in the recovery of wounded service personnel, go to www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

Gillian has now set up her own concern, The Editor: gilliansholmes@hotmail.com