Blog Tour: Under My Skin by Zoe Markham

Title: Under My Skin
Author: Zoe Markham
Published: 31st March 2015
Publisher: Carina

Today is my stop on the Under My Skin by Zoe Markham Blog Tour, and I have a brilliant Guestpost on Zoe's experience in getting a book deal, so for all you aspiring writers this is one for you. There is also a chance to win a £25 Amazon Gift Voucher at the bottom of this post! 

(Banner designed by Gina Dickerson: http://rosewolfdesign.wix.com/rosewolfdesign)

Achievement Unlocked: You've got a Book Deal! When your first novel is signed, no matter how sensible and level-headed you normally are, you find yourself thinking That's it! I've done it! You get this sudden picture in your mind of living the full-time writing life; you know you're not getting an advance but you skip over that part because the words 'film rights' appear in your contract and you plan where you're going to put the extension and start wondering if there's room for a swimming pool.  And then six months down the line, when you're on your third set of edits and it's 3am and you have to somehow extricate a character you love from your MS without the whole thing falling apart, you give this sort of…hollow laugh at your mind-blowingly naïve former-self. You still have to work the 9-5, still have to take care of the house and family, and still have to write long into the night.  I always thought that the signing-on-the-dotted-line moment was it, the point when all your dreams came true and you levelled-up like a boss. I saw getting that first deal as the end of the journey, when in fact it's only the beginning. I'll tell you exactly how daft I was, I told my family that when I got a contract I'd buy myself a Mont Blanc fountain pen – what actually happened was we ended up with a Chinese takeaway, and even that was a bit of a stretch to be honest.  Once you're signed you come off the 'Easy' setting and get thrown straight into the Boss level on 'Hard'. In itself this isn't a bad thing, in fact it's actually the best thing that can possibly happen for you and your writing, but it can take a little while to see that – through the tears! Of course, experiences will vary greatly depending on your writing and your publisher, but there are always going to be changes and compromises you'll have to make before your baby is released into the world. You'll be working with seasoned professionals who know what works and what doesn't, and don't have the time or the inclination to indulge your wobbly-lip moments over the fate of much-loved secondary characters or those personal axes you snuck in to grind, thinking no one would notice. Getting that book deal is definitely a level-up moment, a massive one, but it's important to remember that you're still a long way from defeating the boss. 

  It's still The Best Thing Ever, and you're on your way at this point just like you always dreamed. But if you can move through to the boss level fully suited-up and ready to take evasive action when necessary, the total opposite of how I went in (whistling and sipping tea) you'll be much, much better equipped to handle the fight like a pro and come out on top! *Please disregard this post if you've been signed with Random Penguin and offered a six-figure advance. You ARE The Boss.


Buy Links
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1BNRDu2
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1FRvnCA



About Zoe Markham

Zoë writes Young Adult fiction, blending dark twistiness with urban Britishness to produce unique, unsettling tales. 

A full-time editor by day, Zoë writes by night, fueled by endless mugs of tea and an increasingly blurred distinction between fantasy & reality.

Zoë lives in the wilds of West Oxfordshire with her husband, son, and the obligatory two cats.

Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZoeMarkham

Website: http://t.co/DLQlFx7tvB

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