Here’s one of those inspirational stories of a writer discovered from the slush pile: Cumbrain Police Constable Matt Hilton has signed an £800,000 contract for five novels. The first one is “Dead Man’s Dust,” to be published in June 2009, with more featuring his character, Joe Hunter, to be issued every six months.
Agent Luigi Bonomi brokered the deal and revealed that the manuscript was actually discovered and championed by his thriller-loving wife.
Now, in reality, these big multi-book contracts often depend on the success of the first segment of the deal, so if his first book tanks, it’s not likely he’ll see that £800,000. But with that much money at stake, the publishers will do everything within their power to make a big success of the first novel.
(There are tips on writing scripts at www.yourwritingcoach.com and of course in the YOUR WRITING COACH book, published by Nicholas Brealey. You can also get a free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin just by sending an email request to [email protected].)
