Nicola Vincent-Abnett

Nicola Vincent-Abnett
"Savant" for Solaris, Wild's End, Further Associates of Sherlock Holms, more Wild's End

Wednesday 28 March 2012

A Little Success Goes a Very Long Way!


Well, that's a start to the week I could NOT have foretold 3 months ago. My new agent has just sent my novel out to fifteen publishers. Fifteen. Good gawky lawky. - Rosie Garland
I was thrilled when I read this yesterday. Look at those two lovely pieces of information: a) New agent and b) Fifteen publishers!
Rosie Garland won the Mslexia novel-writing competition. Her novel “The Beast in all Her Loveliness” (I do hope they keep the title) beat my novel “Naming Names” into a runner-up slot. Rosie beat ten other shortlisted writers to the prize, and, what’s more, she was shortlisted for two of her novels. 
You all know how long it’s been since the shortlist for the Mslexia was announced, because that’s when I began this blog, 55 days ago. Clearly, an awful lot can happen in a couple of months. Rosie got her new agent, and, presumably worked with said agent to produce a polished manuscript, and that is now being sent to fifteen (count them: 15) publishers. One... two... three... four... I spy a bidding war!
I’m pleased for Rosie, because I’m sure her book is good, and because, from the little contact I’ve had with her, she’s already proven to be a smart, funny, generous woman. 
I’m not just pleased for Rosie, though. I’m also pleased for myself and Rebecca Alexander, who were runners-up to the prize, and for the other eight women writers, who were shortlisted too. Rosie has set us an example, which we can all follow. Success, like most things, is catching, and I hope that some of it will rub off on some of us.
Mslexia brought a certain pedigree to its inaugural novel-writing competition, and Rosie Garland has taken up the baton, and is well on the way to giving the Mslexia Prize a very good name. I hope the same will be true of me, one day.

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