Story so far...
About Me
Update: 9th Dec 2012:
I have a new site - Join-Rebecca.com. I now have a thriving business, coaching aspiring authorpreneurs. I'm still a columnist for Writing Magazine, but I'm now also a columnist for The Small Business Owner Magazine too. I'm about to launch my first info product: The Right to Write, which has done phenomenally well in pre-launch.
Since last year, I've interviewed countless authors and other celebs, including Brendon Burchard and Ray Higdon, I've written the first draft of my first non-fiction book How to Build an Author Platform, and I've spoken on stage, AND on an Expert Publishing Panel. Seriously. If you've read this blog, you'll be stunned by that. Here's the evidence though ... EVIDENCE
Also, Google 'verified' me on Google+, and two other sites verified me as a celebrity so ... I guess I'm a web celeb now. Who'd've thunk it?
Keep dreaming, beautiful dreamers, and keep acting on your dreams!
Update: 7th Dec 2011:
I'm no longer unpublished. My first novel, Palaces & Calluses is one of the top 20 best reviewed on Amazon (UK) and has appeared on best seller lists on Amazon in both the UK and US. I have also been quoted in books published in the UK, Ireland, and the US, and am now a social media columnist for Writing Magazine - the best selling magazine for writers in the UK. My author site is RebeccaWoodhead.com
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I am an unpublished novelist, writing on a tight budget in the Cotswolds in England. Reaching this point has not been unproblematic. Various obstacles (including a coma and learning difficulties; redundancy; financial hardship, and health difficulties) have made for an interesting journey.
At the end of 2008, I began to blog that journey as honestly as I was able. I included not only my triumphs but also my struggles, and something extraordinary happened; I got my own cheerleading squad. Now, it doesn't matter if I'm struggling or having a bad day because, out of the 11,000+ followers I have picked up online over this time, at least one will be strong and resourceful enough to give me a kick in the butt and point me back in the right direction. When I stop being an author-in-waiting and become an author, it will be in large part due to the loyalty and support of my amazing online followers and friends.
The Blog
When I began to blog, agents and publishers were terrifying. My future happiness lay in their hands. What a time to start blogging about writing! The story has changed so much this year. Agents and publishers are most certainly not terrifying to me any more and with each publishing house that goes out of business I become more convinced that we are in this together. The book industry is at a point of amazing historical change. We are all a part of that change. I know many people find change terrifying but I find it exhilarating, and I could not imagine a better time in history to be taking this exciting journey.
My goal is to become a best selling novelist in both the UK and US. Writing books alone won't get me there, so I plan to research as much as I can and find the best way to get words from my brain to the bookshelves - or electronic devices - of my readers.
2009 in Brief
In 2009 I:
- won the Ms Twitter UK title with the slogan the pen is mightier than the pin-up
- was invited to guest blog twice for Booktrust (the people behind the Orange Prize for Fiction)
- appeared on BBC Radio Oxford
- was bigged up by Stephen Fry
- beaten JK Rowling in the Shorty Award for Literature (the Twitter Oscars) in which I came third
- been rated the most influential non-celebrity female on Twitter in the UK by Klout
- set up as a publisher with the intention of making my first book available by the end of September
- raised almost enough money to make this a reality (see smiley face of publication here). Every penny/cent counts so if you feel inspired to help, please do.
- been named one of the top 100 most powerful women in the world on Twitter by Twitter Grader
Although I don't always know how I will get there, I know I will succeed because I am not in this alone. I have total faith in my followers: a really dynamic bunch of book lovers, word nerds and social media experts. If I hand-picked followers I couldn't have chosen a better group. I plan to enjoy the journey and I hope you do too.
Please feel free to contact me - whether you are a reader, writer or industry bod - either via the comments section on this site, or via my other networks or contact form in the 'contact' tab. The support I have from my followers is so important to me and I love to find out more about you.
Thanks for your interest and support.
Rebecca
www.rebeccawoodhead.com
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