When we received The Grace of A Nightingale by Mary Anne Willow, her flawless writing impressed us, and we enjoyed reading through her submission. The author uses free-flowing prose, and it was easy to get absorbed into the story. As an independent publisher, we have come across quite a lot of great manuscripts, but Mary Anne’s adept use of language is second to none. Our work at the acquisition/editorial department entails reading hundreds of manuscripts, but sometimes one can stumble on a masterpiece, and that was the experience we had when we acquired The Grace of A Nightingale. From her submission to the well-presented manuscript, it was clear; she is intelligent, articulate, and eager to encourage people.
Although we accept unsolicited manuscripts from authors, however, our editorial requirements are stringent and fastidious. We look at several aspects before we acquire a manuscript. Such factors like the target audience, will the book appeal to the public or specific readers? We also discuss the author’s previous publishing history, has the author had success in earlier publications? Or is the author a new writer? We also have to consider the author’s writing if it is in a niche category.
The author‘s platform is also vital, is the author visible online? Then we also make a Profit and Loss statement (P and L), which is the financial aspect of the publishing process, from printing to warehousing to sales. We will check if the book will make economic sense for our imprint. The acquisition/editorial department considers all these things. We also evaluate the impact of the book and how relevant the subject is in society. However, sometimes, most of the reasons listed might not apply if the central message in a creative work will impact society. After several meetings, we concluded that The Grace of A Nightingale would touch the lives of millions of people around the world.
The Grace of A Nightingale was an easy read. We flew through the pages because of the author’s mastery of language, and her flawless descriptive power is distinctive. Readers will ease into the story within a few pages. Even though the plot is an accurate reflection of her life, her writing will enthral readers. Mary Anne Willow dealt with several stressful events in this memoir, and as we deliberated the importance of this book in the present time, especially with the ‘Surgical Mesh’ scandal in the NHS, it was an easy decision because Mary Anne still lives with the complications of the procedure.
We believe Mary Anne’s book is relevant. The core messages in her memoir will resonate with people who had gone through similar problems the author went through. Her story of courage in the face of obdurate adversity will touch lives and infuse hope in everyone faced with family suicide, depression, loss, diseases, and medical negligence, but amid these arduous circumstances, her narrative is still awash with faith, joy, hope, laughter, nature, beauty and the miracle of life itself. Enjoying little things and appreciating the beauty of nature.
As a publishing house, we believe writers can change the world positively through their works. We represent people whose talent will benefit society at large, and we publish writers whose work and lives drive positive social changes, and Mary Anne is one of such writers.
It was an easy decision to represent Mary Anne Willow and publish her book, The Grace of A Nightingale. We look forward to releasing this life- changing book in 2019.
Christy Nelson
Acquisition Editor
Acquisition Department, Arrow Gate Publishing.
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