I’ve signed a 3 book deal... (A Lot Has Happened, Pt. 3)
I have waited almost 2 years to share this. Reader, it was good news.
Let’s go back to 14th June 2022.
I received a sudden message from my WriteNow mentor, Kasim, asking if I could have a chat with him and his manager that morning. “Sure” I thought, “I’d love to meet your boss.”
That boss is Sam Bradbury, Publishing Director of Del Rey. Kasim told me that he had read THE REAPER in a day and then sent it to Sam, who read it just as quickly. As Sam started to ask me about my writing journey, Kasim said “okay okay let’s get on with it! We want to buy your book.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there in stunned silence, staring at the computer screen, as Sam and Kasim explained that the whole team was excited about the series, and they wanted to offer me a 3-book deal. Don’t worry! They said, take all the time you need!
I tried to concentrate on other things for the rest of that morning, but I just couldn’t.
So, onto Penguin Michael Joseph. I met them that afternoon. The two editors said they really enjoyed the book, and expressed an interest in working with me to potentially get it published later down the line. They asked about my writing journey, and then they asked me what was important to me about the story. So I told them:
My main character’s Jamaican heritage and the relationship with her grandma, who is from the Windrush Generation
Having a predominantly Black/POC cast
Exploring intra-racial issues of class between different Black groups and cultures
They all agreed with me that these were important, and told me they would be in touch.
The next morning, I received an outstanding book deal offer from MJ. But the terms were different from Del Rey’s. I read the email several times. Once, again, I was lost.
I had two book deal offers and no agent! So I made a shortlist of agents and agencies that I liked and wanted to be part of. One of the agents was Molly Jamieson from United. Even though I had worked with Molly before (we did an event with United for BGW), I wanted to be absolutely professional and send her my work as if I was querying without knowing of her. Once the book is published, I’ll post my query letter here as it contains spoilers :)
I can’t take all credit for this, as I was helped MAJORLY by Liza DeBlock of Mushens Entertainment, who is one of our BGW mentors! She’s a gem.
Molly replied to me within the hour. After a phone chat, during which she said my work is right up her street, I signed with her. We discussed both offers, and after Molly’s amazing work, I was able to get more money for the deal, and chose Del Rey, partly because it was my mentor’s team, and partly because they’re an established SFF imprint with US connections.
So…that’s it. The contract was finalised in October. I’m going to be published, and THE REAPER comes out in 2025. It is an adult urban fantasy focused on Amethyst St Clair, a lonely Jamaican empath who can feel the presences of non-humans. One night she encounters the aura of an entity known as The Reaper. He introduces her to the secret city beneath London where paranormal creatures reside. Together, the duo solve supernatural mysteries around the city whilst keeping the peace between “Upstairs” and “Downstairs”. Expect government conspiracies, witches, warlocks, skeletons, basilisks, and more, pansexual vampires, slow-burn romances, African and Caribbean-inspired magical lore, and a London reimagined (for fans of THE CITY WE BECAME, RIVERS OF LONDON, KRAKEN, SAN ANDREAS SHIFTERS).
When I think back to this blog post, and how I cried when an agent rejected this story because it is too “new adult” and not marketable, I’m amazed at how quickly things can change.
I still can’t believe it happened if I’m honest. It felt like this was a long journey, but the end was unceremonious and brief. I’ve been editing THE REAPER and have completed books 2 and 3. The best thing about being signed and agented is having purposeful motivation: when you’re querying to the ether with no results, you lose steam and feel too dejected to work on further books in a series, worried that none of it will never see the light of day anyway. I’ve had renewed energy for GETHSEMANE as a whole, and I’m so grateful to finally be here.
Here are things that I’ve learnt:
Competitions are life. Let’s be honest, anyone who has followed this blog would know I struggled to land an agent in the early days because my queries were bad. Competitions level the playing field and provide other means to sell your work. Unlike traditional querying where you’re trying to impress one person, competitions have a panel of judges which increase your chances. Despite the many bumps along my WriteNow journey, this competition changed my life.
Persevere, persevere, persevere. Altogether, I had been querying for 6 years, and REAPER was my third book to query. In the grand scheme of things, I’m actually one of the luckier ones. I recently saw a Twitter thread where unagented writers were sharing war stories, and many of them have been querying for 20 years and counting, with well over 15 books under their belts. The road to traditional publication is for the longsuffering…
Don’t be afraid to try other avenues. If you’re serious about getting traditionally published, you owe it to yourself to exhaust your options. I no longer see agents as gatekeepers (even though they can operate like that at times) and I don’t believe there’s only one way in. Trad publishing is definitely fortified, but the wall is long, with many entrances of various sizes. You need to find the right one for you. Submit your work to established indie presses, query agents in other countries, take note of publishing houses that accept unsolicited manuscripts.
Network. Black Girl Writers is a way to connect with agents for people who would otherwise struggle. Beyond that, there are book fairs and events going on throughout the year. Writing schemes like Curtis Brown and Faber offer classes from agents, publishers, and published authors. There’s also agency initiatives: Greene and Heaton has their Greene Door Project, and Madeleine Milburn offers an international mentorship scheme with guaranteed representation at the end.
Finally, I just want to thank everyone who’s followed, retweeted, sent DMs of support, and encouraged me over the years. Setting up this site has been one of my best decisions; it allowed me to meet so many awesome people, and even when I received a rejection, I could post a short story or anime analysis on here, and receive feedback and kind words from many people. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. I’ve realised that community is important for aspiring authors, as we spend so much of our time in solitary confinement, writing away and getting lost in the worlds of our heads, then sending our sweat and blood out to strangers and oftentimes getting nothing back, sometimes not even a read receipt. Without community, where would any of us writers be?
I hope that this blog has been a space of community for you.