Writing Magazine

SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

Bowled over by book two

‘I self-published my first novel, Strong Undercurrents, in 2015 and have recently self-published my second.’ writes subscriber Carolyn Bartley.

‘I did try to find an agent interested in publishing my second book – Love Before Wicket – but as I had no interest, I decided to publish anyway.

‘Despite the work involved in self-publishing – a lot of self-promotion and self-publicity – I feel that it is worth the effort to see one’s work in print. As my previous publisher was no longer available, I searched online for another local company that was able to produce a number of hard copies as well as providing an e-version to sell online. Cardiff-based firm, Jelly Bean Books, were able to offer all the services I required, including a great edit and exactly the book cover I wanted.

‘The idea for the novel came from various articles I kept coming across about men having a mid-life crisis, so I thought it would be fun to write about a woman having one. Love Before Wicket is a warm, witty and wry look at marriage in middle age – the ties that bind, and the temptations that can lead us astray.

‘My local bookstore, Griffin Books, is incredibly supportive and held a recent book launch, which was well attended. My work now is to contact local press and other organisations to let them know about the book. Most of all, hopefully readers will spread the word that

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