Spotlight on Members' News - Permanently Published

WM subscriber Lauren Milner-Howells talks about her path to publication

‘I’ve recently published my first novel, Permanently Temping, on Amazon Kindle,’ writes subscriber Lauren Milner-Howells.
‘After sending off the first few chapters to a few agents and getting similar replies saying they found it really funny but chick lit just wasn’t selling, I decided to go it alone. The whole process, including writing, editing and making my novel ready for going online has taken about two years – half of which was taken up with the editing and getting the file formatting and cover design right. It’s been a long slog but seeing it up online has definitely made it worth it. The thrill of seeing my work up online is indescribable!
‘I’ve also just been given a five star review by book blogger, Me, my books and I, which was such an amazing feeling that someone actually enjoyed it. I think when you are reading and editing and making sure you catch every little typo and spelling mistake you start thinking that your book maybe isn’t as good an idea as you first thought – but all I can say is, keep going. You need to push past all those niggling doubts. It will be worth it in the end, I promise.
‘My favourite thing about Permanently Temping is that it’s not just a normal romance – it deals with someone struggling to understand the sometimes quite frankly ridiculous situations us office workers are put in. It’s funny because it’s what a lot of people deal with on a daily basis – I’m sure many people can relate to the situations Hollie finds herself in!
‘I first started thinking about writing my book when I was working as a temp in London after I finished university. I would carry a little notebook around with me everywhere I went and would jot down any interesting thing that happened or a snippet of a conversation I overheard. Although my book is purely fictional, these little titbits really inspired me when it came to sitting down and writing.
I am now just starting to write my second book and can’t wait to start the process all over again.’

Read other subscribers' success stories each month in Members' News in Writing Magazine. And if you're a subscriber and you'd like to share the story of your path to publication, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected].