Liz Hurley is signed up by Hera Books
Thrilled to announce I have signed a contract with the publisher Hera Books for a two book deal featuring the Wiverton Sisters.
https://www.herabooks.com/news/hera-sign-two-womens-fiction-novels-debut-author-liz-hurley/
They have taken on the rights for Under Flint Skies which will be re-released in February with a new cover and possibly a new title. The second book will then be released in autumn and will feature Paddy’s story. After that we will see how well it’s all going.
I have a smashing contract with lots of flexibility and I can’t tell you how happy I am. In a traditional market where authors have to give up the rights to their creations for decades or even for ever, I will receive my rights back over a shorter term if it doesn’t work out. Modern contracts like this are reflective of an actual partnership rather than a sweatshop.
We both want to make money so we both want to make this successful, it will be done to both sides to give it their all. And if either side doesn’t then we can both walk away with little loss.
Traditional or Self Published?
As you probably know I am a huge fan of self publishing having now successfully published eight Cornish related titles. One of the reasons I have been successful is that I know my limitations and have brought in professionals at every stage. Proof readers, editors, typesetters and cover designers. My concerns about fiction though were that I was utterly out of my depth. I’ve never written fiction before. Was it even any good?
Like millions of authors before me I need validation and I needed support. Sure I could hire editors, but I was paying them. Could I trust them to tell me the truth? And was it the right truth? As each editing stage was passed, developmental edit, copy edit, beta read, everyone said it was good and I became more and more worried. Surely I hadn’t actually written something decent on my first attempt? I sent it out to agents and publishers. Polite rejections came my way.
I despaired but continued. I would have to do this myself. So I did and as it turned out people liked it. I was thrilled (and amazed) as Under Flint Skies started selling. To strangers. For money! And then Hera Books, who I had contacted earlier, got in touch. They had finally caught up on their backlog and wanted the book.
Now, it would be easy at this stage to wonder why I didn’t politely thank them and carry on with my self publishing journey? After all, I had launched successfully and all sense of impostor syndrome had disappeared. But what I was desperate for was a mentor. One fluke does not a bookshelf make and I want to make a career out of this. I want help and support and I want someone to believe that they can make money out of me. I need a great editor that helps me to improve my writing style and I want a team that will help me with promotion and brand awareness. Finally, I also want a sense of ownership. I get all of this with Hera Books.
A New Breed
Keshini Naidoo and Lindsey Mooney are an amazing team of highly influential and talented women in the publishing industry and their new publishing house is ready to make waves, harnessing the power of the new digital platforms. It’s a wave that I am looking forward to surf!
So I am now officially a hybrid author. Traditionally published for fiction and self-published for my non-fiction. Let’s see how it goes but I am excited and looking forward to it.
Liz Hurley as well as being the owner of this blog, runs a bookshop in Cornwall, right by the sea and writes books. You can buy them in her shop (of course), Waterstones and other outlets, as well as Amazon.
When she’s not reading, she’s writing and when she’s not writing, she’s walking. And when she’s not doing any of that she’s binging on box sets and sleeping.
This website is for her fictional works. Her Cornish non-fiction titles and walking guides can be found at https://www.cornishwalks.com
