In a month which signals a whole year since the UK first went into lockdown, I have a happier milestone to celebrate because today is the two-year anniversary of receiving an email that completely changed my life.
“Thanks for submitting to us – I really enjoyed Wish I Could Tell You Goodbye. What a gorgeous read! … Would you be free next week for a phone call?”
Eek! I squealed, I shook, I bounced about on my chair like I had ants in my pants! A phone call had to mean an offer, didn’t it?
It did. That phone call turned into a 9-book publishing deal with the amazing Boldwood Books, which later extended to a 12-book deal (and a further 12-book deal beyond that) and that book became The Secret to Happiness published in September 2019.
Since then, I have had ten books published through Boldwood, had five of them enter the UK Kindle Top 100, become an international bestseller, sold over 300k copies and have been able to resign from my day job to become a full-time author. Wow! Dreams come true all over the place!
It feels appropriate that my tenth Boldwood release – out last week – is entitled All You Need Is Love because that’s exactly what I needed; for my manuscript to land in the inbox of someone who loved the story and characters as much as I did and for that publisher to love my writing and believe in me so much that they wanted to offer me a publishing deal. And another.
If you’re struggling to find a home for your writing at the moment, whether at the start or part-way through your career, don’t give up. All you need is love and, just like finding Mr or Mrs Right, it may not happen immediately. There may be tears and disappointments along the way but hang in there because love can be found if you keep looking and keep believing.
Thank you to my amazing editor, Nia, and the fabulous team at Boldwood Books for believing in me. To steal another of my book titles, you unlocked the secret to happiness for me two years ago today and I’m eternally grateful!
Big hugs
Jessica xx
Jessica Redland Author 
300k sales. How absolutely wonderful….and so well deserved. Oh to get that email.
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Thank you Eloise. One day… Keep the faith!
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Fabulous! I’m reading ‘All You Need is Love’ at the moment. What a tearjerker (in a good way) Mr Henthorn is saying ‘why are you humming Beatles songs?’
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It’s a definite ear worm. I was singing it all publication day! Thank you so much for reading it. Sending virtual tissues xx
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Wow, wow and wow, Jessica you’re amazing. You’re so right about rejections I hate them and keep saying I’m going to give up but hubby keeps on encouraging me. I’m adopted so being rejected at a young age hasn’t helped matters. I know my books are good, is that big headed, I’m just trying to positive but it’s so hard. All your books are great I love them all. Lots of love
Sylvia xxx
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Aw, Sylvia, that’s so lovely of you to say. Thank you. Rejection is part of the process, as you know and have experienced, and sometimes I think we’re better equipped for handling it based on what else is going on in our lives, and sometimes it hurts more. It’s not big headed at all to know your books are good. I love my books. If I didn’t think they were good, I’d never dream of putting them out there. So if you believe your books are good, then hang on in there. Publishing is particularly tough at the moment for so many reasons with lots of publishers closed to submissions but hang on in there and keep believing as all it takes is for your MS to land on one right desk at the right time and the deal is yours xx
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