AVERIL ROBERTSON

I’m one of those readers who has a tremor of trepidation every time I pick up a book by an author I haven’t read before. It feels risky, like I’m taking a leap of faith based on someone else’s opinion, or a cover quote, or a passing reference. And let’s be honest, whether someone likes a book is deeply subjective. It’s human that we don’t all like the same things. So, on the occasions (which are many) that I pick up a book by an unfamiliar author, I’m relying on other readers, on publishers, on editors, on an entire industry that says this is the book you must read. 

The first page, I’m a little scared. What style is it written in? Has the author used punctuation? If they haven’t, can I push through? As I read on through the first chapter, do I feel like the author is taking my hand and saying, ‘come with me, let me show (don’t tell) you a story’. Jumping into bed with a new author is a trust exercise that they will hold you in their arms to the very last page, even as they might shock, delight, upset and amuse you along the way. 

So once I’m holding hands with this author, and following them blindly into every red herring, every twist and turn, every lyrical sentence, every insight into humanity, and I’m feeling safe, I might start googling. What else have they written? Where are they from? It’s actually not unusual for me to flip to the acknowledgements and read those quite early on, so desperate am I to know what makes the author tick.

If I find a backlist, I’m over the moon. Lots of additions to my books-to-read spreadsheet (because of course there is a spreadsheet; do you not know me at all?). If there’s no backlist and I have actually happened upon an amazing debut author, I’m looking for the pub date for their next book. I’m reading interviews, reviews, anything to give me hope that this author is still working and I won’t have to wait too long for another walk along the beach with them.

Which brings me to an interesting piece of advice I keep hearing from authors. Once you’ve written your first book (which I have) and you’re sending it out to agents and publishers, get writing with your second. Then your third. Don’t stop. When (I’m going to say ‘when’ and not ‘if’ because I have hope, y’all) you get into talks with an agent or publisher, and they like your work, they will be delighted to find you have umpteen manuscripts ready for them to line up for release at a steady pace like a tennis ball machine relentlessly pounding the reader as they try to keep up with their ready-to-topple TBR.

A published writer with a published backlist is a thing of beauty; a new writer with a backlist of unpublished manuscripts is even more beautiful. Finding a great new author comes with the same hopes and dreams of a new relationship – now ask me out for dinner again.