DEBUT JOURNEYS Alex Atkinson
For this month's Debut Journeys Robynn Hyde talks to Alex Atkinson whose book Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman was published on October 10, 2024 by Usborne.
Where are you now and where did you write your book?
I’m lucky enough to have my own room and desk at home. My desk is covered in Post-it notes, things I’ve collected like stones and bits of wood, old maps, different inks for the fountain pen I doodle with, books, candles and dust. It’s where I’m sitting now. I’m incredibly messy so the rest of the family don’t invade my space. The mess might be deliberate.
What’s it all about? (Your book, that is!)
Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman is a spooky and funny book featuring bickering siblings, Indigo and Rusty Smith. They live with their parents in a funeral parlour and the only thing they agree on is that they don’t believe in ghosts… until Indigo accidentally releases an evil ghost called the Cinderman. He smothers their hometown in a ghostly ash cloud and turns everyone into zombies apart from Indigo and Rusty. It turns out that they aren’t just plain old Smiths; they are Spooksmiths, who are destined to battle the monstrous dead. If only they can figure out how to get along with each other.
 |
| Cover of Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman |
Tell us about your route to publication.
It’s taken me about ten years to get traditionally published. I joined SCBWI British Isles and other writing organisations, took various courses and entered every competition going. It turns out I had a lot to learn.
The book I wrote before Spooksmiths was called "The Lord of the Hat". It was shortlisted for the WriteMentor Novel Award 2021 and then it was selected for the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices 2022 Anthology. I thought that I’d finally made it, but no agent took me on. I did meet my now agent, Lina Langlee, with that manuscript though. I pitched the idea for Spooksmiths to her and she said go away and write that and then send it to her. So I did, and a year later I signed with her and The North Literary Agency.
We went on submission in July 2023 and by September I had a two-book deal with Usborne which was just magical. I couldn’t imagine a better home for my story.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I love taking my dogs for long walks or browsing second hand shops for unusual objects. I’m also a sucker for buying more books and adding to my already giant TBR pile. In the evening, I like nothing more than settling down with a good book.
What was the biggest bump in the road when it came to getting your book out into the world and how did you overcome it?
Definitely the constant rejection before I got my agent. You have to grow a pretty thick skin, but not so thick that you can’t take on board advice. Sometimes change is good and you and your story will be all the better for it.
Any tips for budding writers hoping to follow in your footsteps?
Make writer friends. The SCBWI UV 2022 group still keep in touch and I’m also part of a lovely 2024 debut writers’ group. I have some amazing pals through WriteMentor too. No one understands the highs and lows like another writer. They will cheer you on when you succeed and pick you up when things aren’t going your way.
What surprised you most about your launch?
I was surprised by how tired I was at the end of October, but I'm not complaining. It might have had something to do with having two launch parties. I've waited a long time for this to happen, so I was determined to milk every minute. I also did lots of travelling to get to school author talks and to visit bookshops. I went to London, Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh to visit stores and sign copies. The booksellers couldn't have been lovelier, and it was so special to see my book on shelves and in a couple of windows too.
What’s next for you?
I’m glad you asked! The second book in the series is due out in October 2025 and I’ve just finished the second draft. It’s called Spooksmiths Investigate: The Circus of Shadows.
* Header image: Ell Rose and Tita Berredo
* Other images courtesy of Alex Atkinson
*
Alex Atkinson loves scary books filled with oddball characters. She blames her idyllic North Yorkshire childhood spent playing murder-in-the-dark and listening to her dad’s blood-curdling bedtime stories.
After studying English and Politics at Newcastle University, she worked as a website content editor. She lives in a busy village in Hertfordshire with her husband, kids and dogs, but dreams of deserted towns, abandoned houses, ghosts and zombies.
*
Ell Rose is the Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures.
Find their work at fourfooteleven.com.
Contact them at: illustrators@britishscbwi.org
*
Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles and the Art Director of Words & Pictures.
Contact her at: illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org
*
No comments:
We love comments and really appreciate the time it takes to leave one.
Interesting and pithy reactions to a post are brilliant but we also LOVE it when people just say they've read and enjoyed.
We've made it easy to comment by losing the 'are you human?' test, which means we get a lot of spam. Fortunately, Blogger recognises these, so most, if not all, anonymous comments are deleted without reading.