I’ve got some news that I can finally share! I have a book deal! I mentioned earlier this year that I’d signed to an agent – Jacinta di Mase. She and her team worked their magic, and within two months of sending my book proposal to her, I had five publication offers and from those, I chose Harper Collins. The pitch process was amazing – to get such individualised feedback from publishers was lovely – something I hadn’t yet experienced as a writer.
My book’s working title is Say Hello: How I Became The Hero Of My Story.
I’m so excited to be working with Harper Collins to publish my first book. Many of my favourite writers – some who now friends – are published with Harper Collins, so it’s a delight to be a new member of the family!
I started writing this blog seven years ago, to change the way people with facial differences and disability were represented in the media. We need more diverse writers and books. I’ve gone from blogging to writing for the mainstream media and now a book.
I didn’t see myself in the media or in books when I was young. Characters with facial differences are often representations of evil. There are very few stories where the character that looks different is the hero of the story, and when they are, they’ve had to change their appearance.
There was no one in media or books who looked like me, or to tell me it’s ok to not want to change my appearance, and I didn’t know whether I’d find love – love with another or love for myself. It’s time to write that book. To be the person Little Carly needed.
I want to add my voice to the literary world – changing the way readers perceive disability. People with disability and facial difference are often portrayed as burdens, tragedies or super heroes, and I want to show that life with a disability is not a tragedy (or exceptional). I also want to show parents who have a child with disability and facial difference that there is no need to grieve a life lost – because their child is alive and can live a great life with love and support.
I hope my book will help readers find the courage to look the world in the eye when the world sometimes looks away, or looks too much. I hope readers finish the book with new perspective about people with facial differences and disability, and the realisation that disability pride is a wonderful thing.
Thank you to everyone who has believed in me on my writing journey so far – especially to Jacinta, Danielle and Natasha from Jacinta di Mase Management, Writers Victoria, my editors in the media, Catherine Milne from Harper Collins, my parents and husband, and of course my readers – without you, there wouldn’t be a book.
My book will be published by Harper Collins in late 2018.
(Here I am with Danielle, Jacinta and Natasha from Jacinta di Mase Management last week – we were glamorously in the kitchen!)
Carly, it’s an absolute honour being one of your agents – I’m so happy for you, and I can’t wait for everyone to read ‘Say Hello’!
Next round of hot chocolates are on me 😉
Congratulations Carly! How wonderful this writing gig of yours has been and look at where it’s taking you. Your voice and words will always be helpful for so many. Well-done!
I’m so excited to read your book. Make sure it’s available in the United States!
I can’t wait to get your book in my hands! Congratulations on the book deal and I know it will help so many people with ichthyosis and their family and friends. You are a true blessing!
Hi Carly!
Congratulations on your book deal. I’m an editor at Today’s Parent, and I invite you to contact me about pitching a first-person story or an excerpt that would speak to parents.
Thanks,
Valerie
Well done Carly. I’m sure it will be a great read. When it comes to people living with a disability, the ‘brave heroine’ archetype is as annoying to me as the ‘helpless victim’ one In the real world, people living with a disability are as diverse as anyone else in society: generous, pains-in-the-arse, selfish, saintlike, intelligent or dim-witted – there’s nothing particularly unique to any group defined by their abilities, medical conditions or appearance. The labelling and stereotyping that goes on is ridiculous, and whether positive or negative, simply re-inforces differences, rather than similarities: we’re all humans and come with a whole universe of attributes, some good and some bad. Having said this, I do get rather upset reading about some of the treatment you’ve received in your travels. In my experience, the most primitive views come from those with a third world background, where idiocy and ignorance pervade their view of people with a disability. At the other end of the spectrum, the subtle, passive-aggressive and just-as-cruel treatment and off-hand comments from some westerners with a traditional European background is equally as cutting, nasty and ignorant. We have a long way to go – let’s hope your book takes us further along that road!
Regarding your trolls, I was sorry (but not surprised) to hear you were passed from pillar to post by duck shoving cops and government bodies. While there’s an element of laziness in their (non-)responses, I think the real problem is that there are unclear guidelines and procedures for authorities on what to do in threatening trolling situations. I’m not sure what the answer is here, but the odd incident of public-shaming is at least part of the right response, at least until the law catches up with the activities of these sad people.
Well done, Carly! I am looking forward to reading your book in late 2018. I hope it will be available in the US.