‘It’s been a bumpy road,’ says Sheryl Browne, author of The Wife Before, ‘but I continue to be inspired by those people who support me.’
I’m Sheryl Browne. I write twisty psychological thriller and my eighteenth book with Bookouture is soon to be published. I’m now going to be brave. Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing readers and reviewers for sharing their enthusiasm for my previous book My Loving Husband. As that book hit publication, I received a cancer diagnosis – all is good, my prognosis is excellent I’m relieved to say. It really is thanks to reader support and the fabulous Bookouture team, though, that I have been able to keep writing and keep focussed on getting well. I experienced an overwhelming mixture of emotions when my new book The Wife Before went up for pre order, joy, appreciation and … shock, I think, that I actually did it while going through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It’s been a bumpy road, but I continue to be inspired by those people who support me.
So Many Rejections
I think most authors would agree that the road to publication can also be a very bumpy one. I had so many rejections in my early days, each one like a gut-punch when I’d poured my whole self into a book, while juggling family and day job, as many of us do. I landed an agent who raved about one of my submissions, said it had bestseller written all over it. It didn’t sell. As in, at all. The bidding war didn’t happen. I had two agents, in fact. Write, submit, wait, repeat. And still the rejections trickled in. I had books published with smaller publishers that didn’t do very well. Also some bad publishing experiences best left in the past. I thought that maybe I just wasn’t good enough and I should stop torturing myself. But I couldn’t. My writing was as important to me then as it is now. Writing is my passion. It’s also my therapy. It’s what I do when life throws brickbats as it tends to, whether they be rejections or those sometimes almost unbearable life events we all might find ourselves having to deal with, such as caring for a sick or elderly parent or bereavement and all the emotional pain that comes with it. Somehow, you get through it, take a humongous breath, and forge on.
Through all of the above, I never gave up. I simply got powered up. I got angry. Not with the agents or publishers, but with myself for beating myself up. Why do we do that? We need to be our own champion and stop judging ourselves.
Focus on your Writing
So how did I channel my anger?
Firstly, I stopped judging myself. It’s a waste of energy better focussed on your writing.
I read, and still read, voraciously, learning from every book. Yes, sometimes I feel a bit deflated, thinking why can’t I write like that, but more often a book fuels my inspiration and I go back to my keyboard fired up.
That passion I spoke of, I realised it shows in your writing. If you don’t live and breathe your characters, feel the story passionately, how will the reader?
I learned never to give up. A book sometimes just doesn’t fit. Maybe you can rework it, but better to step away from it for a while. Get on with that next project and go back to it with fresh eyes.
I learned to write what the reader wants.
I learned that editing is a must. I’m no longer too precious about my work. I want my characters to reach out to people, my stories to stir emotions in people. I want my editor to tell me if a story is not working. I don’t mind anymore because the words are mine and I have the power to change them.
I learned to ditch the guilt and protect my writing space. It’s what I do. It’s who I am.
Finding Your People
After too many years to recall, I’m finally able to write full time. I’ve gone from reading rejections with a sinking heart to seeing bestseller flags on my books. Many people have told me I should be proud of my achievements. Imposter syndrome is something I think a lot of authors identify with and, even with twenty-odd books under my belt, it’s definitely something I struggled with for a long time. It really is thanks to reader support that I can finally say I am proud.
One other thing I’ve learned is that though you can see the worst of people on social media, you can also see the very best in people. I am so grateful for that.
To anyone who’s received such a devastating diagnosis and is daunted by the journey ahead, it’s not easy, but it is doable, I promise, and you will be supported by some amazingly dedicated people. Also those members of the wonderful reading and writing community who genuinely wish you well.
Fire up that passion and keep writing. It’s who you are.
(c) Sheryl Browne
Check out Sheryl’s website: https://sherylbrowne.com/
Follow Sheryl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheryl.browne/
About The Wife Before:
She says your new boyfriend killed his ex. He says it’s all lies. Who do you believe?
When I first met Jack, he broke down in tears as he told me about the tragic death of his wife, Natalia, on a family holiday. As our relationship blossomed and we started planning a future together, I would lie awake worrying about filling Natalia’s perfect shoes. But everything changes when her mother turns up at my door…
‘Your boyfriend killed my daughter,’ she says.
Jack swears she’s lying, and I want to believe him but something isn’t right. Why doesn’t he have a single picture of her? And why do I feel afraid when I confront him about the night Natalia died? What if it wasn’t grief after all, but guilt?
As I stroke my baby bump, I wonder if I can really trust the man I love. If he killed Natalia, could I be next?
Fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl on the Train will be absolutely hooked on this nail-biting psychological thriller. Prepare to be gripped!
Order your copy online here.
And read more from Sheryl Browne on Writing.ie here.
