It is a joy to welcome fellow author, Joy Margetts, to the blog today to explain her unconventional road to publication. Thank you for your time today Joy, and now I'll hand over to you.
I never set out to be a published author. I’d be lying if I said that it hadn’t been a dream to see a work of mine in print. A dream tucked well to the back of that high shelf of dreams, that perhaps we all have. I wrote for the love of it, because it was a favourite way of communicating my feelings, expressing my heart, connecting with God. And then The Healing happened. My first novel came as a unexpected gift. (You can read more about that on my website www.joymargetts.com)
I wondered, when I had finished The Healing, if it were meant for more people than me to read. Did it have a message that would help people? I gave the manuscript to four people that I loved and trusted. Every one of them came back saying how much they had enjoyed the book. And was I writing any more? And more importantly, how much it had spoken to them. Still undecided as to what to do with it, I sat on my book (Not quite literally, it being still in electronic form, and my laptop too valuable). However, the words in those computer files never quite left my consciousness.
So I prayed, and gave The Healing to God and asked Him what I should do with it? I had looked at ‘how to get a book published’ and had come away from my research deeply disheartened. It was so unlikely that I would find a publisher to take my book; without an agent, or a famous name, or celebrity status. And I knew nothing about the publishing business. It just seemed an insurmountable mountain. But then, through a series of strange connections, God directed me to Instant Apostle. So I summoned my courage, wrote an honest cover letter, and sent off the manuscript, preparing myself to be disappointed.
Sending off your manuscript is scary. It took a great deal of determination to press the send button on that particular email. But then it was gone, and I was left adrift slightly. Wandering around aimlessly for the next few days, wondering what to do with myself. To my astonishment, I received a reply in little over a week. ‘We feel that the manuscript has real potential, and we would be delighted to offer you a contract for publication…’
What? I must have read that email three times, before shouting up to my husband – ‘I think I might have been offered a publishing contract!’ I don’t know what I expected to feel. I thought I would be overjoyed, elated, dance around the room happy. Instead, I felt suddenly overwhelmed and terrified. And then just thankful!
A few phone calls later, with a very patient and understanding editor, and the contract was signed. My dearest friend witnessed my signature. ‘Look,’ she said…’under where you have to sign is the title ‘Author’. You are a real author now!’
The Author
Joy Margetts has loved writing for as long as she can remember. A retired nurse, mother of two, and a new grandparent, she also has a lifelong interest in history. She makes her home on the beautiful North Wales coast.
Her debut novel 'The Healing', a work of historic fiction, was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self published a short novella, 'The Beloved' as both a companion to 'The Healing', and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available on Amazon Kindle.
Her second full - length novel, 'The Pilgrim', is due to be published by Instant Apostle in July 2022 and is now available to pre-order. More information on Joy and her writing, links to purchase her books, and her personal blog, can be found here www.joymargetts.com