Self-Publishing Spotlight: A MIDLIFE HOLIDAY by Cary J. Hansson
Welcome to our new blog series, Self-Publishing Spotlight! The last in our launch run, but certainly not least, Cary J. Hansson talks to us about her book, A MIDLIFE HOLIDAY. After completing a round of mentoring and graduating from our Edit Your Novel the Professional Way course, Cary published her novel in May of this year. Early reviews have been fantastic on Netgalley, Waterstones, and Amazon (a difficult feat!) – so do keep reading to find out what Cary has to say about her self-publishing journey.
What is your story about and where did you get the inspiration to write it from?
A MIDLIFE HOLIDAY is the first part of THE MIDLIFE trilogy. It follows three women – Helen, Kay and Caro – who have been friends since university. Now they're fifty and life hasn't turned out how they had once imagined. Helen is unhappy in her marriage, Kay is sandwiched between elderly parents and a grown son, and Caro has made choices she's learned to regret. An impromptu holiday to Cyprus brings all of this to a head.
I’m a huge fan of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels (MY BRILLIANT FRIEND ). Ferrante's books take a female friendship and follow it from childhood through to middle age. Mine start where Ferrante left off, middle age, which I see as a wonderfully liberating time in a woman's life: an intoxicating mix of financial and personal freedom, plus confidence, plus experience. I wanted to explore this within the context of long-standing friendship, which for many women is a life-raft through life.
How close was the experience of being published to what you expected? Were there any big surprises?
I'd have to say there were no surprises, and it was what I expected. Having seen several friends go through the process, my eyes were open to the fact that no one is an overnight sensation, and that building a readership is a marathon, not a sprint.
What advice would you give other people who are thinking of self-publishing?
You can't go far wrong if you start with ALLI (the Alliance of Self-Published Authors). It's a fantastic resource, with an active Facebook group. My self-publishing journey would have been so much more difficult without them.
What was the most important piece of advice you received while collaborating with Cornerstones?
That collaboration, in and of itself, is essential. You have to show your work to others and you have to learn not to take it personally!
What stage in your writing career are you at now? Are you working on anything new?
A MIDLIFE HOLIDAY published in May. Book 2 will publish on November 1st, and can be pre-ordered now. I'll start writing Book 3 later this summer and after that I have four more books to release. Obviously, I'm at the beginning of my career, but I'm relieved to have so much material to work with and I'm really excited to be self-publishing. It has given me a degree of control over my work that simply wouldn't be possible otherwise.
If you could go back and talk to yourself just before you started writing your first manuscript, what would you say to yourself?
Find out how it ends! In other words, take the Cornerstones Edit Your Novel course!
Cary J. Hansson is the author of six books and several short stories. Her work has been shortlisted in national and international competitions. She lives in Stockholm where she enjoys a glass of wine and a cold water swim daily, but not in that order. To learn more, you can visit her website or blog, 5 Minute Reads From a 50something Woman, and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Thank you to Cary for her wonderful answers and for being great under the self-publishing spotlight! Do look into the Edit Your Novel course, and if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with the Cornerstones team for more information.
