A DREAM COME TRUE.

Dear Toni,

 I am really, truly very happy to be able to send you a letter of offer for RAINING FISH – it is attached and I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it.

 I should also flag that we may wish to change the title – this is going to be an epic book and we think it needs an epic title! But obviously that is something to discuss, not a dictum.

Best wishes, Sophie Hamley – Non Fiction Publisher – Hachette Australia.

Dear Toni,

On behalf of my colleagues at Hachette Australia, I am absolutely delighted to make an offer to publish your memoir, Raining Fish. We would be proud to release your book under the Hachette Australia imprint and would all be thrilled to work with you to create and publish the book.

If we are lucky enough to become your publisher we would collaborate with you every step of the way through the editing and production of the book. Our aim would be to achieve the best possible results for you and your book, publishing it with flair and enthusiasm to help it reach the broadest possible audience.

Since meeting you in Darwin last year, I’ve thought that your story is destined for a wider audience and I am so pleased that the rest of the company agrees with me. Our publishing director, Fiona Hazard, also remembers you well and is very hopeful that your book will join our list. If our offer is accepted, the team looking after you and your book would be:

• Louise Sherwin-Stark, Joint Managing Director and Head of Sales, Product and New Zealand;
• Justin Ractliffe, Joint Managing Director and Head of Marketing, Publicity and Australian Publishing;
• Fiona Hazard, Publishing Director;
• Naomi Gaskell, Head of Digital Sales;
• Airlie Lawson, Consultant – Licensing and Content Development;
• an in-house editor in the Australian Publishing department. 
• And, as your publisher, I would be your central point of contact throughout the whole publishing process. You would also have a publicity manager, a marketing manager and a national accounts manager, together with our colleagues in the Sydney office and the account managers who work around the country, all of whom would be focused on your book.

It has been nine months since I first met Sophie Hamley at the NT Writers Festival ‘Wordstorm’ in May 2014 and she showed an interest in my Memoir ‘Raining Fish’.  Whilst I knew she was keen about the MS and told me that she thought it had legs, it didn’t alter the fact that I thought I could not be that lucky, that one of the largest publishing houses in Australia will pick up your manuscript first time around.  When I got her phone call I was so excited and just kept babbling as she told me that her proposal to the acquisition team was accepted unanimously!

So – now nervously awaiting the contract and Sophie’s editing!  I am excited to be able to, not only master my book in to a great read with the help of Hachette and having a fabulous team behind me,  I am looking forward to the process and learning all about the Publishing industry and becoming, a REAL AUTHOR!

I will keep you in the loop!