Romy Sommer

And Ireland too (I am aware the Republic isn't part of Her Majesty's Kingdom!) I arrived in London around midday and it took a few hours to get across the city and out to Bishops Stortford, so I was pretty finished by the time I finally arrived. My first evening was spent quietly with my childhood friend Donna, catching up over steak and wine. The next day I travelled back into London for lunch with my editor, Charlotte Ledger, at the lovely Rooftop Cafe , across the road from the new HarperCollins offices. Hidden behind a nondescript office building entrance, this little gem was a wonderful surprise, with a great view and even better food. We enjoyed a delightful yet healthy lunch (really yummy asparagus!), accompanied by Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and lots of chat. We didn't talk much about business but it was wonderful just to get to know each other. The Rooftop Cafe near London Bridge The view from the Rooftop Cafe towards The News Building After lunc...

It's Friday morning, 5th April. I return to my desk at the day job from a coffee run to see an email in my inbox titled 'Harper Impulse submission'. My heart starts thumping wildly. It's only been three weeks since I submitted to Harper Impulse , the brand new imprint from Harper Collins, but I've heard via the grapevine that the editors had an acquisitions meeting... I'm not too stressed. A sale would be a dream come true, but a rejection won't be the end of the world. If it's a rejection, then I plan to self-publish. I have a freelance editor on standby and a cover already designed. I may not be anxious, but I can still scarcely breathe as I click open the email. It's two lines only. "Are you free today for a quick call? I'd love to chat further to you about your submission." I've already had friends go through this, so I know editors don't just call to chat about your work. They call to buy. I shoot back a reply. ...

I'm behind the times with the news, since the whole world has known about it for a full week, but at last I'd like to congratulate my Minxy CP, Joanne Pibworth, on her sale to Harper Collins. Jo's book The Lighthouse will be published under the pen name Jodie James, and the lovely people at Harper Collins are running a contest on their Authonomy site to find the book a new name. You can find out more here . Jo's call story is up on her blog, but the post that touched me most was this one she did for the Seven Sassy Sisters. We Minxes shared the ups and downs of Jo's journey, but what's really moved me about her success, is what I've learned from her along the way. I love that in spite of multiple rejections from her publisher of choice, having to re-think her career as a writer, then the 21 agent rejections she received on this book before it sold, she has remained strong and cheerful. Those rejections stung, but she never let them get her down. ...