Authors TalesThe story about how I got a publishing deal for film director and script writer, Gerry O’Hara, within less than a month would make a good story in itself.
I was at a wedding in June 2012 and was lucky enough to sit on a table next to Gerry. It turned out he’d written three books already virtually in entirety and had assumed, like many writers, that no publisher would be interested (he’d approached a few speculatively already). We got chatting and said we ought to be in touch. You know how it goes, you are at a party, a few drinks have passed your lips and promises like that never seem to happen.
We arranged to meet, however, and Gerry showed me a manuscript he’d written called Sherlock Holmes and the Affair in Transylvania. I knew a publisher really well who specialises in exactly that genre. The problem was that Gerry had typed everything the old fashioned way on a typewriter and the publisher only took email submissions. I told Gerry not to worry, that I’d work some magic and sort it out.
So I introduced Gerry to a virtual angel coincidentally called Gerry (but a lady) who not only transcribes manuscripts but has turned out to be a fabulous proof reader. She calls herself a Virtual Assistant but I think she’s a Virtual Angel.
I then took the transcription of a single chapter, added a few of the wonderful paintings and sent it off to the publisher – called MX Publishing – and blow me down again, a publishing contract turns up !!!
We signed contracts and finished the edit in August. The first proofs of the books turned up in September and it’s now available worldwide.
Then next year, the other books will be published too !!!
Find out more about Gerry, his illustrious, previous career and his new career on his new blog site – www.gerryohara.com
You will also find him on Twitter and Facebook too (but not Google+, Empire Avenue etc – that would be too much for an octogenarian !!)
