“An experienced editor had told me my idea wasn’t right, that it wouldn’t sell in this market. Who did I think I was, going against her advice?”
With her new book ideas rejected, The Wake author Vikki Patis reveals how she decided to stay true to herself
I suppose one of the times a writer might consider giving up is when they don’t get signed for a second contract.
I signed my first two-book deal with Bookouture in 2018, and I was on cloud nine. I was going to be an author, me! I wrote and edited and cried and lived off chocolate and coffee and eventually my two books were published. I thought they did pretty well – the second even grazed the top 100 at one point – but the energy from my publisher was lukewarm at best. I kept trying to come up with new ideas for another contract, but all of them were rejected. So I did the only reasonable thing I could do – I wrote the book I wanted to write.
It took me about seven months, which is longer than I usually take to write a first draft, and during that time I wondered what the hell I was doing. An experienced editor had told me my idea wasn’t right, that it wouldn’t sell in this market. Who did I think I was, going against her advice? But the idea had taken hold of me, and I just had to write it.
Once it was ready, I submitted it to a few publishers and agents and received some keen interest from a few avenues. In the end I decided to sign with Bloodhound Books, and I am so pleased I did. Girl, Lost came out in May this year and it smashed into the top 100 a couple of days after publication. It’s my best selling book so far, but really, I’m just happy it found a home with a publisher who was as enthusiastic about it as I was. My fourth novel, The Wake, is out in a couple of days and I’m feeling the usual mixture of excitement and anxiety. It’s a new angle for me and I was worried it wouldn’t quite hit the mark, but early reviews have been very positive, so fingers crossed! And I recently signed another three-book deal with Bloodhound Books, so you’ll be hearing from me for the next couple of years at least.
While what I did was risky, I just had to believe that my story would find a home somewhere, even if it meant self-publishing it, and that I am, despite the usual anxieties, what my colleague once called ‘a proper author, on Goodreads and everything’. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.
Vikki Patis is a bestselling psychological suspense author. Her third novel, Girl, Lost, was published by Bloodhound Books in May 2020 and became a top 100 bestseller on Amazon. It was later longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize 2020. The Wake will be published in October 2020, with another to follow in early 2021. Vikki also runs The Bandwagon blog and the Psychological Suspense Authors’ Association. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, baking gluten free cakes, or walking in the Hertfordshire countryside. She lives with her partner, two cats, and a wild golden retriever puppy.
About THE WAKE:
Blood isn’t always thicker than water…In the wake of Richard Asquith’s death, his family come together to say goodbye. The Daughter: Skye hasn’t seen her father in years. Can she ever forgive him for what he did? The Daughter-in-Law: Lexi hopes her secrets have died with Richard. Can she keep the truth to herself forever? The Mistress: Eleanor is heartbroken, but is her grief clouding her judgement? The Celebrant: James has had enough of death. Can he give Richard the send-off he deserves?
Everyone has something to hide but buried secrets always surface…A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller by the bestselling author Vikki Patis. The Wake will appeal to fans of domestic noir, as well as to readers of authors like C.L. Taylor, Claire McGowan and B A Paris.
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No second publishing contract forthcoming? Write the book you love.