Visiting my agent and publisher in NYC!

So apart from getting to write and read all day, I get to visit my USA publisher and agent. Who wouldn't want to be an author?

It's been two days of meetings, first with the editor and marketing manager and Publicity manager at Skyhorse Publishing, then With the team at Jill Grinberg Literary Management, followed by lunch with my agent and editor. What a whirlwind. And such a pleasant one.

The publisher is located near 42nd Street in Manhattan behind an oh-so-Manhattan looking entrance. Everyone there was so pleasant and emphasised bespoke marketing and publicity plans for each book. Wow! Afterwards I went for dinner before seeing Phantom of the Opera and I sat in the restaurant pinching myself and grinning like a fool.

The literary agent is based in Brooklyn and housed in a gorgeous

brownstone. I met the whole team and you'd be hard pressed to find a nicer bunch of people to work with. I'm even more honoured now, to be on their list, than I was beforehand!

Lunch with my editor and agent afterwards was back in Manhattan and it was 150 minutes of constant chat about books - of course - movies, politics, travel, school days...

Ultimately this is a people business and it proved making that personal contact is important. Now when I'm 9000km's away and we are editing or talking marketing etc by phone and email I can picture them all and where they're at and understand their humor or email tone - and hopefully they can picture me so I'm not a faceless writer a million miles away.

Can't wait to return for the USA book tour/launch next year in May. I kinda ❤️ New York