The BookTrust Represents Community archive

In September, debut picture book author, Lucy Tandon-Copp, took us behind the scenes of her journey to publication and the BTR spotlight was on illustrator Suhayla Ibrahim. 

By Lucy Tandon Copp 

Timing is everything. It’s a saying that every writer, at some point in their publishing journey, has likely found themselves nodding their heads along to, while contemplating what exactly that means and how, if at all, it can help us move closer to achieving our writing dreams. 

Whether we’re in the querying trenches, trying to land that first (or second, or third!) deal, or banging our heads against our desks, figuring out what story to write next, timing can sometimes feel like the most powerful, yet least understood, presence in the room. One that leaves us asking ourselves: is now really, actually, the right moment for me or this story? 

As a debut author, journalist and mum of two, one thing I’ve learned about right moments is that they aren’t very obvious! More often than not, we only come to know about them after we see the results of our efforts or once we’ve taken the plunge. And without crystal balls to guide us, that can make jumping in pretty scary! 

Back in early 2021, I was cuddling my three-month old newborn on the sofa, watching my toddler rub slime into the carpet (word of warning, slime never comes out of carpets), when I started thinking again about writing creatively. I’d been a journalist for ten years but the idea of creative writing is something I’d always felt drawn to, with a number of unfinished manuscripts on the go at any one time. However, since having children and re-engaging with kid’s books, it really did feel like the right time to do something about it. I was ready to give this my best shot. 

I’d written something I was relatively pleased with. So, what now? 

Around the same time, I saw an opportunity on a journalism jobs newsletter to submit stories to a Big 5 publisher. That publisher turned out to be Penguin. At that point in my writing journey, I was a total newcomer to the industry, but the freedom that allowed me led me to think, well, why not? All I had to do was upload the story, answer a few questions and hit send, so I did just that. I waved my orangutan goodbye for now and wished him all the best. 

I was excited to discover that the competition brought opportunities straight away. Everyone that applied was given the chance to attend a free online workshop on how to get published, while several of us decided to set up a group to build connections and support each other through the process. Some of these incredible writers I’m still in touch with today. Those shortlisted were given the chance to submit two more picture books, and were offered one-to-one feedback from an Editor, before eight writers were selected to be mentored over a year-long period. I couldn’t believe it when I found out I was one of them. 

Since WriteNow began in 2016, 28 writers have been offered book deals, 21 of those with Penguin. In 2022, after working on a second manuscript with my brilliant Editor, Annie Gnoan, and finding a wonderful agent in Lydia Silver at Darley Anderson, my debut children’s book, A Love as Full as the Moon, was acquired by Puffin and, I’m delighted to say that last month, it was published! Illustrated by the hugely talented Sienna Youngsun Kim, it tells the story of Luna, a little girl from a mixed-race background, who struggles to understand how she belongs when she starts school. While primarily, it’s a story about identity, acceptance and the love of a family, it is also about timing and growth and being open to possibility. For Luna, her journey to loving who she is happens when she least expects it, but when the timing is absolutely, undeniably right for her. 

As for my orangutan, he’s been hanging out in his jungle tree for a while now, but I’m still hopeful that maybe, one day, his moment will come too. If writing teaches us anything it’s to expect the unexpected and to embrace opportunities when they arise. Timing may well be everything, but equally opportunities are there to be taken if we’re open to them. I know I wouldn’t be the writer that I am today without this one.