publish a novel - Ally Aldridge

As you know from my self-publishing diary, I wrote a press release for Sky Heart. It took me a while to send it out to news outlets as I felt I ought to take a picture of myself with Sky Heart, my new book releasing on 7th February.

First, I had to wait to receive my copy of Sky Heart from the printers. Then I felt too tired to do it in the evening after work but felt too tired. And, when I finally got around to take some pics, they looked awful. It is so dark at the moment, with the bad stormy weather. All the pictures came out gloomy. I returned to the drawing board and used Canva to update an old picture of myself – the one I use as my author pic – to include Sky Heart.

It wasn’t until 26th January that I finally sent it out. Yesterday, on 31st January, I heard back from good old Felixstowe Magazine to let me know that they were including my Press Release for Sky Heart. I am so thankful to Felixstowe Magazine, who always encourage and support me in my author journey.

The article is live and can be viewed here: New Book Release “Sky Heart” by local Gal, Ally Aldridge

Sky Heart can be bought from all good bookstores. Check out the Sky Heart page for up-to-date details on all the places you can buy Sky Heart.

Signed copies will be available to buy from Stillwater Books in Felixstowe, on Saturday, 8th February from 10:45am.

Or buy direct from my Redfae PayHip store.

…

As always, this Pitch Wars event isn’t simply about grabbing the attention of your dream agent or publisher. It is also about connecting with the writing community.

Taking part, I gained more followers. People retweeted my pitch to show support and help it get noticed and some even commented to let me know they liked my idea which is really encouraging. Further down you will find a collection Tweets that sum out the event for me.

The Manuscript Wishlist

One Tweet that was incredibly useful was by @RebeccaFKenney1 who told me about #MSWL. I never knew that agents tweet about the manuscripts they are wishing for. A quick search for “#MSWL Mermaid” sorted by most recent, brought up the two agents she had sign posted me to.

I have now discovered that on 24 September 2019 is #MSWL Day when agents will tweet their wish list to help authors find their match. I shall be adding that to my Literary Calendar which you can access to discover useful literary dates.

How successful was I?

Tinsel Tiger (picture book) – 4 likes (none were agents or publishers)
Jewel of the Sea (YA fiction) – 5 likes (three by publishers)

I will research these publishers to see if I feel they are a good fit for me before submitting. On initial inspection, one of them really appeals to me due to their ethical values.

⚡️ “#PitMad September 2019”

#PitMad September 2019

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