Signed

Image via WikipediaJust a quick note to let you know I have signed with London based literary agent Robin Wade of Wade and Doherty. This means Robin will now exclusively manage the sale of my full-length novels - he's been shopping Beirut at the London Book Fair this week.

After something over 200 rejections (it could actually be as high as 250, but I can't be bothered counting) from agents over the years, it's nice that Beirut has broken through. Robin's looking for interested publishers, so the fat lady hasn't sung yet by any means, but it's a huge step forwards in my goal of getting my books into publication.

Many of those rejections were just a case of me flinging myself repeatedly against the same old walls, knowing no better and learning my lessons the hard way. I'm sure someone more competent could have managed the same progression with a tenth of the knock-backs. But you can't keep a deluded nincompoop down (see my earlier post about the wonders of the Dunning Kruger effect!).

I'm in little doubt about the realities of publishing in the modern world, it's not the road to riches people seem to think it is. But as I told The National's Anna Seaman in the charming profile piece she was so kind to do about me, "The biggest challenge for me at the moment is getting a book published. I'm angry about it; it's something I really want to achieve."

I'll let you know what happens...