Month: November 2017

My Book Launch – The Maid’s Room

/ FionaMoMitchell / 2 Comments

When my debut novel, The Maid’s Room, was published last week, I had a launch party at Waterstones, Richmond. On the way there, my mouth went a bit dry as I wondered what on earth I was doing. There were going to be 60 people there, and I had to do a speech – a prospect I wasn’t relishing.

But as soon as I climbed the stairs to the cafe area in Waterstones, a curious calm took over.  My books were piled everywhere. There were posters of my gorgeous cover, and all the tables were decorated with yellow roses.

Then the guests started to arrive – my agent Rowan and other agents from Furniss Lawton, my parents, and lots of my friends. Even my former editor, affectionately known as ‘the best boss ever’ had schlepped all the way from West Sussex. Other people had made long journeys too – and I was so happy that they had.

I mingled, gushed a lot, and smiled the kind of genuine smile that doesn’t give you face-ache.

Thorne Ryan from Hodder & Stoughton did a great speech and talked about some of the plaudits The Maid’s Room has already won from magazines such as Grazia and Red. She even mentioned the ‘genuinely excellent’ that Heat magazine said of the book last week.

Then it was time for my speech. I actually enjoyed standing there thanking all the people who have got me to this place, including my husband who has weathered the seemingly endless disappointments along the way.

I read a short excerpt from my book, signed lots of books and had an all-round brilliant time. Afterwards some of us headed to a nearby pub, and ouch – yes, I did need the paracetamols the next morning.

Thank you to everyone who came to my book launch – I enjoyed every second of it.

 

Book Review – ‘The Maid’s Room’ by Fiona Mitchell

/ FionaMoMitchell / 1 Comment

This 5-star review of my forthcoming debut novel, The Maid’s Room, has made my Tuesday. ‘I adored this book,’ says Emma’s Bookish Corner. A massive thank you to Emma for taking the time to read my book, and write such a considered review.

Emma's Bookish Corner

20171107_153415THE BOOK

Sisters Dolly and Tala have never felt further from home. In the blistering heat of Singapore, they spend their days enabling ex-pats to have lives they could never afford for themselves.

Even though she has little freedom, Dolly can just about live with her job if it means she’s able to support her beloved young daughter back in the Philippines. One day – if she’s lucky – Dolly may even be able to go back and see her.

Tala, however, just can’t keep her mouth shut about the restrictive, archaic rules maids are forced to abide by on pain of deportation. She risks everything to help her fellow maids, who have struggled to have their voices heard for far too long.

In a world where domestic workers are treated so poorly, ‘The Maid’s Room’ explores how women can come together to change each other’s lives, and be the…

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The Best #Books to Read in November

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I’m thrilled to bits that The Maid’s Room has been chosen as one of the best books to read in November by Red Online. I’m especially pleased because the feature also lists my debut novel alongside books that I’m desperate to read.

Red describes The Maid’s Room as ‘. . .fascinating, thought-provoking and sometimes heartbreaking. . .’

Publication day for The Maid’s Room is only ten days away now, so I’m on countdown, and super excited.

The Maid's Room cover image-3

The Surprising Benefits of Submitting to Literary Agents

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Rejection didn’t break me, but it did chink away at my self-confidence. Not because of what any of the literary agents said about my work, but because I made the mistake of listening to that nagging voice in my head. ‘This is never going to happen for you.’ ‘You’re fooling yourself.’ ‘You’re wasting years of your life doing this.’

This week, 32 copies of my debut novel, The Maid’s Room, arrived by courier. My daughter shunted folders aside on some shelves to make way for them. And as she did, a rejection letter for my very first novel fluttered onto the floor.

The words stared up at me. ‘I read the material with interest but I’m sorry to say that I didn’t fall in love with your book in the way I had hoped to.’

I’ve given away two copies of The Maid’s Room so far, and now have 30 copies left. 30. The number of rejections I received far exceeded that. Most of them arrived in emails which I’ve still got in a file marked, ‘Novel Stuff’. (Perhaps I should print them all out, or maybe I should delete them. What do you reckon?)

Every time, a writer contacts me to say they’ve just been rejected, it throws me right back to that place. God, how it stings. But the arrival of my big box of books this week made me think – even though rejection hurts, it does have some fringe benefits. Here are just five of them:

  • Finding the right agent for you. All of those rejection letters are a way of figuring out which agents to approach again when the book is better. Forget the agents that ignore you, or the stock rejections. Set your sights on the agents that give you great feedback. When you find a brilliant agent, you’ll be glad the others turned you down.
  • Finding writer friends. My family and friends propped me up when my ego was as a saggy as old knicker elastic. But finding people who are going through the same thing as you really helps too. I’m lucky to have met lots of people on Twitter, then in person, who have cheered me on and vice versa.
  • Gaining writing plaudits. If I’d been snapped up within 24 hours of sending my novel to an agent, I might not have entered all those writing competitions. Getting shortlisted in a few was a boon. And I feel lucky to be one of the Bristol Short Story Prize alumni.
  • The larger your pile of rejection letters the more manic your happy dance will be when you get representation. And it’ll be especially pleasing for your friends and family who’ve put up with all your bad moods after reading a rejection letter.
  • Your writing will get better. Yes, rejection is exquisitely painful (tumbler of gin, anyone?). But keep writing and the words you produce will improve.