Kirsty gave writers at our Wiltshire retreat the inside track on publishing trends and tips for getting noticed by agents and publishers. She talked about the importance of the pitch ” Have a clear vision of your story, who your reader is and why they should buy your book.” She also laid out what all publishers are looking for namely: a distinctive voice, authenticity, a believable character that jumps off the page, skill in managing the plot and the characters within the plot, vision and an author’s credentials as a writer.
After tea and cake she went through the publishing cycle which writers were surprised to learn averages 12 – 14 months. Structural editing is followed by a line and copy edit, then proofreading – that’s all before building a publishing and publicity platform for the author.
