My Book Deal Moment by Tracy Bloom

This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.

In a way I think I’ve actually had two book deal moments!

Not because I’ve had two book deals but because the book deal moment for me is all about that feeling when you finally believe the dream you’ve held so dear is coming true and I’m lucky enough to have experienced that twice in very different ways.

The first time was when my self-published novel, No-one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday, got to number 4 in the Amazon eBook chart. Why number 4 was the trigger to making me think I was on my way I’ve no idea. Perhaps it was because I had Dan Brown and Sylvia Day ahead of me so I thought there was no way I’d get any higher. That day we bought champagne and sprayed it round the garden much to my children delight who begged to do it again. “If I get past Dan Brown we’ll do it again,” I said knowing full well that would never happen. Three days later I was at number 1 and stayed there for three weeks. True to my word we did it again but with cheap sparkling rose this time!

Having struggled to get a UK publishing deal for a while it was amazing when my self-publishing success attracted interest from Penguin Random House. But to be honest it was also a bit weird. Six months earlier I would have been swinging from the chandeliers had such a prestigious publisher come knocking but I had slightly mixed feelings given I was still on a self-induced, self-publishing high! I went down to meet the team there, however, determined to enjoy myself as I might never ever be able to say again that I’m on my way to a meeting with a potential publisher! My young’s son’s advice when I dropped him off at school was that I should do four forward rolls to impress them. As I entered the meeting room I was relieved to see it was too small so I proceeded to talk them to death about how I came to write and my self-publishing experience. They listened and nodded politely and told me lots about the company and how much they wanted to work with me. I had such a ball! A stay at home mum/writer is not used to important people listening to their opinions.

It was probably a couple of weeks later that I got the call to say a four book deal had been agreed. Penguin Random House wanted me. Me! I cried of course. I cried when the Osmonds got back together and I don’t even like the Osmonds! I never thought I’d be the type of person who was capable of making their dreams come true. But I did. So if your thinking your not the type of person either, stop it and just make it happen.

I Will Marry George Clooney (By Christmas) by Tracy Bloom is out now.