Every week, agents and publishers in this country receive hundreds
of manuscripts from would-be authors. Of these, fewer than one per
cent will make it into print. David Armstrong was one of the one
per-centers, his first crime novel plucked from the slush pile at a
major publisher and published to acclaim
So far, so good. But it rapidly became clear to Armstrong that
being a published novelist is not always as glamorous as it seems
from the outside. There are the depressing, ill-attended readings,
the bitchy writers' conventions, the bookshops who have never heard
of you and don't stock your book. All of these will be familiar to
any writer who, like Armstrong, falls into to the category
euphemistically known in publishing as 'midlist'. The reality is
that for every JK Rowling, there are 1,000 David Armstrongs; for
every writer who is put up in a five-star hotel and flies first
class courtesy of their publisher, there are 1,000 who sleep on
friend's floors during book tours and dine at motorway service stations...
Witty, acerbic and wise, How Not to Write a Novel lifts the
lid on publishing. From agents to editors, publicists to sales reps,
it explains the publishing process Â- and how to survive it Â- from
the point of view of a non-bestselling writer. A unique book, it is
essential reading for anyone who dreams of getting their novel
published Â- and for anyone curious about the inside workings of the
publishing game.
