It was in early January 2014 that I decided to enter the Kelpies Prize and it was definitely a life-changing decision!  I am so glad that I decided to ‘chunk the challenge’ and wasn’t overwhelmed by the prospect of writing 40K words in six weeks. The first draft of The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean was sent off with only a couple of days to go before the end of February closing date. Then all I had to do was cross my fingers and hope. You can see by my expression how thrilled I was when the golden envelope was opened and I was told The Mixed-Up Summer was going to be published.

So, after ten years of writing children’s novels, has being a published author been all that I imagined?  The answer is probably no! Some aspects have been beyond my wildest dreams; being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and signing 200 free books for pupils at the Edinburgh Festival School Gala Day both spring to mind. But when I stood on that tiny stage clutching my giant comedy cheque, I had no idea that publication didn’t mean I’d won the race. I was at the starting line – and I’d entered one of those Tough Mudder endurance runs by mistake.

To be honest, I was  totally clueless when my debut novel came out.  I’d no idea that 10,000 children’s novels are published in the UK every year and that it’s not a level playing field. The world of children’s publishing is dominated by celebrities and frankly, my cat gets more likes on social media than I do.

My books have not flown magically into the hands of delighted readers. A LOT of hard work has been required to get noticed at all and sometimes, the constant effort can feel overwhelming. I am so grateful for the support I have received from my local Waterstones branches and from independent bookshops, particularly The Ginger Cat in Bridge of Weir and The Book Nook in Stewarton. Last year, I loved doing creative writing workshops at the Ginger Cat and have enjoyed some fab school events with The Book Nook.

Ten years ago, I was also naive about author income. At the beginning, I fondly imagined that I might one day be able to live on my royalties but soon realised that was never going to be a possibility. If I was going to make a living as a writer, my income would need to come from school, festival and library visits. But over the last ten years, school budgets have come under increasing strain and now I am often asked to do free visits. Unless there’s a particular reason, I say no, partly because I don’t want to undermine other authors and partly because my bills need to be paid!

Luckily, I’ve got my priorities worked out now and try and play to my strengths. As an ex-primary teacher , I really want to encourage reading for pleasure, so I’ve sent hundreds of letters to schools this year, in an effort to inspire young readers. I’m also keen to support teachers, so I create  comprehensive teachers resources for all of my novels and it’s an amazing buzz to know that my books, The Titanic Detective Agency in particular, are being read in schools all over the UK.

Ten years later, fame and riches have not materialised and there are daily frustrations (often the banging head against a wall sort) but I have no regrets about becoming a children’s author. Every time I get a lovely message from a parent telling me I’ve inspired their child or from a young reader saying they love my books, I feel I’ve won that Tough Mudder race after all.