Thursday, November 04, 2010

Getting Published - One Year On

It's a year to the day since my first book, 24 Hours London (published under my real name), hit the bookshops! And wow, what a year it's been! Since then, 24 Hours Paris has also been released, with Sydney on its way -- and, of course, The Hating Game.

Although I've always longed to have my fiction published, the anniversary of 24 Hours London holds a special place in my heart. It was the first sign to everyone that what I was doing wasn't so crazy, after all; that I could get something published. I was on my way.

A lot of great things have happened this past year, but I'd thought I'd share a few. One of the best was being asked to contribute to a London feature The Times was running, then getting a request to take part in a live online Q&A, run by London experts. My internet being what it is (dodgy), I decided to head into The Times to do it in their newsroom. And of course I got lost. Oh the irony. The 'London expert', lost in London.

Another highlight was being interviewed on BBC London by Robert Elms. I was absolutely terrified of messing up -- I even had loads of cheat sheets on late-night London in case I froze -- but it was fun and I don't think too many people noticed the tremor in my voice!

And wow, it was so spectacular when a junior editor at my publishers spotted my book on display at the British Museum! I nearly keeled over with joy.

Of course, signing a contract for The Hating Game and realising that my fiction would finally be published is right up there too.

All in all, it's been quite a year!

Where would you like to be, one year from now?

79 comments:

  1. Wow Talli that's amazing!!! I can't wait for the next year to see where you've come! It's got to be one of the most amazing feelings to see your baby in stores!!!

    Too awesome! :)

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  2. Wow! That's fantastic! Dream do come true if your hearts in it, I find! Wow! So happy for you!!!

    I hope to have published my debut, for sure in a years time ...

    Drop by and enter my CELEBRATE THE LITTLE THINGS GIVEAWAY!

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  3. That's so awesome Talli! I know your going to have even more awesomeness to share with us next year!

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  4. Congratulations, Talli - it's well deserved.

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  5. Happy Book Birthday!

    (now let's have some cake. I'm starving, please tell me you have some cake....)

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful year! Here's to another one just as good or better! =)

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  7. That's fantastic! Here's hoping the coming year treats you just as amazingly!

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  8. you have had a fantastic year Talli here is to that little girl with bedazzled hair in your future *raises a glass in toast* I am not going to stop btw, i do see a lil girl in your future

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  9. that's just really cool, T. Congrats on all! :o) <3

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  10. Incredible! Congratulations on your year!

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  11. Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! A year from now I'd love to be where you are right now!

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  12. One year from now: I want to have an agent who has sold my book.

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  13. Congratulations, Talli!!!! You're amazing! You've accomplished so much! :)

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  14. Talli, I'm so glad for you! You're right - it's been a really wonderful year of great accomplishments. Keep up the good work!

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  15. That's great Talli!
    I think a year from now I'd like to know that a sequel to my book will be published - that CassaStar wasn't a one-shot deal and a fluke.
    Okay, would like to know it's scheduled to be a movie. That would be awesome!

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  16. That's wonderful Talli! It really does sound like a good year. I wish I could have watched that interview on BBC, but I don't have that channel unfortunately. A year from now I hope to have completed my novel, so that I can finally start querying agents. But I guess I'll have to buy a book first on how to query agents. :)

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  17. Thanks so much, everyone! It has been a fantastic year - and here's to all our futures!

    Joanna - haha! We shall see! :)

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  18. Happy One Year 24 Hours London Publishing anniversary!! :-) YAY!!!!

    And what a year!! Wow!!! You're moving in esteemed circles (literally with getting lost - hahahah! I'M KIDDING!!!! awwww!!!) YAY!! Well done you!!!
    Robert Elms, the Times... British Museum!! Good grief!! Wow!!!

    Enjoy your day! Take care
    x

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  19. What a great year you've had!
    Let's see, what would I like to have happened in a year.
    I'd like my mystery 'The Rock Walker' to be published, on the shelves, in the homes - I'd like the second in the Kitty MacDonald books - 'Earth Bound' to be on its way to being published and mostly -oh mostly - I'd like to be picked up by an agent for my literary fiction 'True'. Yep, that's what I'd like. Oh and my bills paid and a new pair of thigh high boots.
    yeehaw - dreaming big!

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  20. Old Kitty, it was too funny. The thing is, I'd left my A-Z at home and just had a silly Google Map printed. The newsroom is in Wapping... I really don't know that part of London! And everyone I stopped to ask either didn't speak English or had never heard of The Times. Quite an adventure.

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  21. Jan - Thigh high boots! They sound fab. I'd like a pair, too.

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  22. Congratulations on a great writing year, you're living so much of what we all strive for! You must be so proud of your accomplishments, and I'm wishing you much more of the same ... Happy writing :)

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  23. What a year, Talli, congrats and I can imagine a lot of hard work went into it all.
    Am back blogging now I have completed all my masterpieces (not!)

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  24. Sounds like it has been a really good eventful year for you! I wonder where next year will take you in fiction and as a london expert. :)

    1 year from right now I hope to be very close to have my BA in English and maybe another short story published. :)

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  25. It so exciting to see how much a year can change things. Of course, I'd like to see a book deal in the next year--but who wouldn't?!

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  26. Congratulations on all your successes. Sounds fun and terrifying all at the the same time. I love talking about myself, but I just know I would freeze up in an interview. I am excited for you about The Hating Game, and I can't wait to read it.

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  27. WELL DONE that's so exciting :) Happy dance for Talli!!

    One year from now I'd love to see BirthRight selling successfully and have book two on the way to being published as well :)

    www.damselinadirtydress.com

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  28. Congratulations hope you have some more on it's way. Good luck.

    Yvonne,

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  29. Hi Talli .. you sure have had quite a year .. and a few months to add on .. that are a'coming .. enjoy ..

    It's brilliant to share your journey .. enjoy the memories ..if you can with so much going on ..

    Remember Remember .. all the good things that are happening to you ..

    Happy days - Hilary

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  30. Congrats on such an awesome year! Can't wait to hear a year from now how your year has changed with Hating Game and other writing successes. :)

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  31. Wonderful! Sounds like a dream come true. It couldn't have happened to a nicer person.

    Where would I like to be in a year? I'd settle for represented by a literary agent.

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  32. It has been quite a year for you! And congrats on the fiction book! This is my first year having a novel published and it's been great and busy. Second one drops soon!

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  33. Congratulations on your year. It must be lovely to look back and see how things have changed so radically and yet wonderfully.

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  34. So exciting!! Wow, the interviews sound so cool too!
    A year from now I hope to have another book published (hope!) and I hope (hope!) to finish writing another one. Nothing major... LOL!!!

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  35. I would be happy to be exactly where I am now, unless we have decided to plan a new adventure.
    Congratulations on your successful year Talli.

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  36. What a fantastic year, Talli :D

    I had a British Museum moment too. I got a job via craiglist writing for a travel guide to Dublin, and was halfway through my first week of writing when I took a trip to London and saw their London guide in the BM store. I was so proud that I wrote for People What Were In The BM.

    This time next year, I'd like to be finished a new novel and have an agent. Here goes!

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  37. What an incredible year you've had. Congratulations to you and here's to next year being just as good.

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  38. hi Pani :) you are amazing , all the best for the next year :)

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  39. Pani! :)

    Thank you! Hope all's well!

    And thanks, everyone! Yay for good thing!

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  40. Or even 'good things'. That's the wine typing!

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  41. The British Museum! What an amazing year.

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  42. What a fantastic year! Here's hoping next year is even BETTER. That's right - BETTER!

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  43. That's so amazing, Talli! Congratulations. :)

    I'd like to have my novel done and edited one year from now.

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  44. Wonderful! Congrats! And I'd like to be published with one of my novels one year on--I'm working on it!

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  45. Congratulations, Talli! That's fantastic!

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  46. Talli,
    HAPPY 1ST PUBLISHING ANNIVERSARY! :)

    To see your book on display at the British Museum can't get any better than that!

    I share in your joy as I was 1 of the winners in Talli's Sept. competition & I chose a copy of 24 HOURS LONDON. Today it arrived, right on the anniversary! Oh, & it's autographed, too! So this is a very special travel guide.

    Many, many thanks, Talli! :)

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  47. Wow! What a banner year you've had, congratulations and well deserved!!

    This time next year? Hmmm. I usually don't start thinking about that until December but, hey, there's no time like the present.

    I'd like to have my newest novel completed and the most amazing agent in the world to work with. And an equally amazing publisher would be nice, too.

    Congrats again, I'm so happy for you!! that rebel, Olivia

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  48. I would love to find a copy of my book on the shelves of a book store. How cool is that!

    CD

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  49. That's really amazing, everything that you've accomplished! I'm so happy for you. :)

    Here's to many more great years to come!

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  50. Wow Talli! Congratulations on your accomplishments! :)

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  51. Congrats on a great year! And here's to many more years of being publish!

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  52. Ooh, congrats Talli, this is awesome! And congrats on your one-year. You've definitely come far and have some really amazing accomplishments. Also congrats on getting to do some interviews. :D

    ~TRA

    http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com

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  53. Thats wonderful. Congratulations. I will look out for your book next week when I am planning to go on a book shopping spree.

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  54. Talli, this is all so exciting! You've worked hard for this dream, and I'm so happy this has been such a rewarding year for you. And there are many more rewarding years to come!

    By the way, hilarious that you were lost...

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  55. It has been a great year for you. :o) Congrats--here's to many more!!

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  56. Wow...I am in awe of every single incredible thing you have accomplished. CONGRATULATIONS!! You are so inspiring and hard working. I only wish you more and more success in the future years :)

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  57. Incredible! The London Times, eh? Too cool! Congratulations!

    So long as I have an agent a year from now, I'll be content. :]

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  58. Congratulations on an AMAZING year! You're a wonderful success story, and you know what? It's just the beginning! Very happy for you. :)

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  59. That's such an awesome ride, Talli. Be PROUD! Fantastic, and looking forward to giving The Hating Game a good boost on Dec 1st!

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  60. Wowza, congratulations :D That's damn awesome! I'll keep an eye out for 24 Hours London next time I pay a visit to the BM :)

    A year from now I hope to be starting my PhD and at least finished a draft of my fantasy novel, ready to start revising. I also hope to carry on with my blog, and maybe look towards getting the webcomics that I write printed.

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  61. Hey, congrats on your book's anniversary. I do love these moments when you get to look in the rearview mirror, so to speak. But here's another thing you accomplished: 60 comments on your blog! A huge readership here and that helps a lot - especially when publishing fiction. Believe me :-)

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  62. Wow, Talli - I can't believe all that's happened in one year! So, so awesome! And your book on display at the British Museum? That is so cool!

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  63. So happy for you. Congratulations on well, everything!

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  64. That's brilliant. What a fabulous year. I'd love even a quarter of that success in a year's time!

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  65. Wow Talli! Way to go. Congratulations!

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  66. Congratulations Talli- I can see your year was very impressive.

    I have no idea where I want to see myself in a year... I do very bad with life planning, and I know I need to change that...

    ... maybe in one year I will have an idea where I would like to see myself at- one year from that point on? :)

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  67. Enjoy these milestones! You're doing GREAT, Talli! erm... Marsha...

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  68. And well deserved! :-)

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  69. Looking forward to reading your novel! Yippee.

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  70. Congrats on all your amazing accomplishments this year! And sharing your journey which has inspired others I am sure.

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  71. Congratulations on such an amazing year! Hope each year that follows will bring you only good things. Happy wishes...:)

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  72. Happy Birthday 24 Hours London! :) Congrats, Talli! I wish you all the best for The Hating Game. I soooo can't wait to read it!

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  73. Isn't it wild to look back and see how far you've come?

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  74. What a difference a year makes. Well done you! You're an inspiration to us all :-))

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  75. It's been a great year - you've packed a lot in! And time to blog, too! How do you do that?

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  76. Sorry for the late comment - WHAT an amazing year you've had! Keep up the good work and this year will be nothing when you're on Oprah and the Times bestseller list:)

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  77. Belated Happy P-Day Anniversary to you, lovely lady!!! You've had a heck of a year but you've deserved it. You work so hard, you're an inspiration.

    Where would I like to be a year from now? Closer to publication with two finished manuscripts on my hands, in a job and in Italy. I don't ask for much!

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  78. Oh that is fab, Talli! Congratulations to you. All your hard work paying off. :)

    Couldn't help laughing at the London expert being lost in London though. Heehee!

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  79. Thank you so much, everyone, for all the lovely comments! :)

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Coffee and wine for all!