Roxie key tells us all about her experience publishing her debut novel The Deadly Spark.
How I wrote my debut novel.
If I’ve learned anything on my debut journey to publication, it’s that every author’s story is different (and it never seems to be what you expect, either). Take my story, for example. I’m your classic writer – talks for years and years (decades, even) about that book I’m definitely going to write, but actually getting around to doing it is another story entirely. I always found that I’d get an idea and be really excited by it, start writing it, then fizzle out at circa 7,000 words. That was my pattern for years…
Then I discovered crime fiction, and eventually, my killer idea. It was based around a plot twist I really wanted to write, set in my favourite place in the UK (Brighton), blending my two favourite genres (police procedural and psychological suspense) and centred on one of my biggest fears: fire. I also wanted to feature strong female leads (hello, DC Eve Starling!), a diverse cast of characters, and heaps of emotion.
So, once I returned home from my honeymoon in 2019, I wrote like my life depended on it. I wrote every lunchtime (Scrivener being my weapon of choice), every evening, even at disgusting times of the day when people really, really shouldn’t be awake. If I remember correctly, it took around 6 months to complete the manuscript for The Deadly Spark (which, back then, was titled Burn Again).
How I landed my (wonderful!) literary agent.
Once I’d enlisted the help of several friends and family members as beta readers, I was ready to fire off my manuscript to literary agents. Brimming with optimism, I loaded up my rucksack and took printed (!) copies of my submission package to the Capital Crime Writing Festival. Looking back at my spreadsheet tracker, I was rejected by around 50 agents during the time I was on submission (which is pretty standard, I understand, although heartbreaking at the time) and I was just about ready to throw in the towel and write something else, when a promising message landed in my DMs from Maddalena Cavaciuti, agent (read: dream agent) at David Higham Associates. She’d seen my pinned tweet, which was a screengrab of the prologue for The Deadly Spark, and wanted to know more (there’s a tip for you!). I signed with her a couple of weeks later, and we got to work on getting the manuscript ready for submission.
How I got my debut novel published.
Once The Deadly Spark was as polished as possible, off it went to no less than 27 editors. It was a nail-biting few weeks with a couple of dangled carrots that didn’t end up going anywhere, and again, I started to feel like my hope was fading away. Then finally I got *that* email. The one that said HQ were offering me a book deal. To say I was giddy with shock is an understatement.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how long it takes to publish a book (even if you take out the parts about me delaying things by having a baby, and ending up with 3 different
editors due to job changes and maternity leave!). There are so many parts to the process once you’ve signed that contract — and I’m talking beyond the structural edits, line edits, copy edits and proofreading:
· deciding on the book’s name
· brainstorming cover ideas
· selecting an audiobook narrator
· pitching to bookshops and supermarkets
· pitching to the press
· sending copies to authors and bloggers for early reviews and endorsements
· marketing campaign planning
It really opened my eyes to how many people are involved and how hard they work to try and make each and every book a success.
So, what happened after publication?
We launched The Deadly Spark with a bang at Waterstone’s Milton Keynes on 21st May, 2024, which was over 5 years after I first wrote ‘chapter one.’ The book then launched officially on 23rd May with copies available in Waterstone’s stores across the country, as well as the big A. Day by day, the 4 and 5-star reviews grew, with many calling for a sequel (no pressure!). A huge highlight for me was seeing it in Heat Magazine, Fabulous Magazine and The Sun online, as was being on stage alongside some truly amazing authors at both Crime Central in Manchester and Capital Crime Writing Festival in London (plus, more events to come!).
The marketing and PR teams do such a great job, but I also wanted to see what coverage I could generate myself (I do like a challenge). After writing my own press release, I managed to secure coverage in some local publications, arrange some events at local libraries, and even land an interview at BBC Radio Northampton!
I don’t think anyone can appreciate what a team effort publishing a book is until you’re out the other side and look back at everything you’ve achieved together. Yes, my name is on the cover, but I could never have made this journey alone.
And what’s happening next?
I’ve almost finished writing the sequel, featuring the same detective team (plus a newbie!) and in the process of plotting book 3. After that? I hope to write more books featuring Eve Starling of course, but I also have grand ideas of writing queer rom coms… watch this space!
The Deadly Spark by Roxie Key is out now.
