Lindsey Kelk, 30 // Author
I heart Lindsey Kelk, – do you see what I did there?! Heh. Funny.
As best-selling author of the I Heart series and The Single Girl’s To-Do List, I’m insanely jealous of Kelk’s career path to date: PR turned publisher turned full-time author residing in NYC (AKA Living The Actual Fucking Dream – my dream, anyway). So I couldn’t wait to make detailed notes on how to steal her career quiz Lindsey on precisely how this came about and ‘fess up that: Lindsey Kelk, we’d really very much like your job! Please…
When people ask you what you do for a living, what do you say?
Writer. But it took me ages to be able to say it. And I still laugh hysterically afterwards until everyone is uncomfortable and then I have to cough and say, ‘no, really’.
Did you always want to be an author?
I did. As well as an actress and a rock star. They’re on the backburner for the minute. I was always writing when I was little, my imagination was a bit overactive and it seemed to be a good outlet. Same as now basically.
You’re clearly a beauty junkie. Where did this obsession spring from?
I was always in my mum’s make up drawer when I was little and watching my aunt get ready to go out – it was the eighties, it was a very long and involved process. My mum got me my first No. 7 palette when I was eleven because she was sick of me nicking her stuff and I’ve never looked back.
I truly love beauty stuff, it’s so much fun and one of my favourite things about being a girl. I love being able to change things up depending on my mood. And cover up a hangover. Take that, boys.
How did you make the move from PR to publishing?
It’s not something I’m proud of but I decided I wanted to be in PR because I liked Absolutely Fabulous so much. Unfortunately, AbFab was far too close to reality and so I needed an out. Since I’d always loved writing and seemed to be best at copywriting in the PR biz (as opposed to lying to journos about shit mascara) so I talked to everyone I’d ever met and eventually picked up a freelance writing job from someone in children’s publishing. Then I hounded her until they had an assistant position open up and I interviewed. Then took a eight thousand pound pay cut and tried not to cry. It was worth it.
Did you REALLY ghost write books for the Olsen twins? Really really? Tell us more…
I DID. Not their fiction but a few lifestyle titles, Mary-Kate and Ahsley’s Style Secrets might still be my proudest publishing moment. I got to meet them a couple of times, they were lovely. But wee. Scary wee. And wearing Topshop. I’ve also written Girls Aloud annuals, England football team books and put words into the mouth of one Hello Kitty. Love.
OK. The million dollar question: how the bloody hell did you land your first book deal?
Eurgh, it’s not a million dollars, let me tell you that. To be brief, I wrote I Heart New York and after some persuasion from a friend, I submitted to agents. After millions of rejections (or like, fifty) I finally got to meet with someone who was very established and successful but she hated the book. So after some soul searching, I decided not to work with her and took the manuscript in to someone I’d worked for and asked her for agent advice.
This is where my Cinderella moment kicked in because this never happens. Said colleague was too lazy to read it herself so she gave it to a friend of hers who just so happened to be the commissioning editor at Harper Collins and happily, she loved the book. So my story is a bit weird because I got a deal and then and agent but honestly, don’t do what I did – always get an agent. They’re more important than an iPhone. And I really love my iPhone.
When you penned your first novel, you had a full time job. How did you manage to do both? I can barely commit to writing one blog post a week after staring at a computer screen all day at work…
Basically, I worked myself into the ground for three years. The first book was pretty easy because I had no life. I would get up, go to work, come home and cook dinner for my boyfriend and then write. But then the boyfriend and I broke up and all of a sudden I found out life was actually fun which was a) awesome but b) very tiring. And just after I Heart New York published, I moved to NYC so I was writing I Heart Paris, working twelve hour days in Manhattan as a senior editor and trying to build/keep up with a New York lifestyle. It was insane.
After six months, I was laid up for a week with exhaustion (which we worked out after my doctor roommate insisted it was a parasite. It wasn’t). After another year, I finished up the day job and started writing full time. And it’s twice as hard as it was when I had a job. As soon as you’re working for yourself and doing something you love, you work so much harder than you do in a job you don’t care as much about.
Is dedication what you need if you wanna be a novel writeeeerrrrrr?
Yes, Roy. There’s a lot of rejection, there’s a lot of criticism and it’s a lot of work for potentially little reward but if you love it, you won’t care. Even when you’re sat at home working on copyedits and your friends are out having fun.
Any advice for wannabe writers reading this, like how to approach agents? Do you need to submit a finished book or just a few example chapters? Did your publishing contacts help you? Etc…
It did help but more than it being publishing experience, it was networking that helped. If anything, working in the industry and seeing great books fall flat on their face made it scarier. I was so sure it would never work out. Publishing is so mad and knowing who to talk to is a huge help, agents and publishers get thousands of manuscripts a year so they need a reason to read yours, give them one. Make your submission stand out, make it clear you know who your audience is and tell them why your book is the best.
Always go to agents first, they’re your everything. As soon as you have a finished draft that you’re absolutely sure is perfect, send out your query letter and the first three chapters to relevant agents, don’t just blanket, do your research.
You’re from Oop North in the UK. How did you end up in New York? And was that before or after you wrote I Heart NY?
I am, Yorkshire born and bred. That said, I made it my life’s work to get away from my tiny village as soon as I became aware that was an option. I was working at Harper Collins Children’s Books in London and was sent to NYC for work. And then I fell in love. As soon as I was there, I never wanted to leave. After that, my bosses heard nothing but ‘transfer me, transfer me, transfer me’ on a daily basis, I mean, I loved it so much I wrote I Heart New York when I got back to London because I really didn’t think I’d ever actually get to move there. Eventually, they got sick of listening to me and when a job came up in the NYC office, I grabbed it. It was hard, it was scary but worth it.
Do you get to stay in each city for the ‘I Heart…’ books for, uh, research?
Not reaaaaally. I visited NYC a couple of times before I wrote it, went to LA for two week and popped over to Paris a couple of times. And one of my best friends lives in Toronto so I’ve been up there a lot. Life keeps getting in the way,it’s so annoying…
I do NOT heart Kindle Wankers I spot on the train. Surely nothing can beat having a real, life book in your hand? Discuss…
HA. I’m a total Kindle Wanker. But you’re right. I have a Kindle because I travel so much and I still do a bit of editorial work sometimes so it’s good to have an e-reader for manuscripts. That said, I love books. I can’t go into a bookshop and come out empty handed, it’s just not possible. There’s an ad for a kid’s e-reader on TV here in the US that starts with ‘once there were books, now there’s a v-reader!’ and it gives me out and out rage.
Career highlight so far?
Aside from writing for Mary-Kate and Ashley? Probably doing the Marie Claire How to Get Published tour this summer. Because I moved to NYC just as I Heart New York was published, I don’t really have a frame of reference for anyone really reading my books but there were all these people! And they had read them! And they were awesome! It was a bit weird. Plus the tour was all about women helping women which is brilliant. Well done, Marie Claire.
How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?
Sleeping. I’m a sleep fiend. I also love going to gigs, travelling, dancing, watching The Millionaire Matchmaker, cartoons and WWE. I spend a lot of time emailing to apologise for being late with emails. And I hate yoga and running but I do it. If I don’t, the cat judges me.
Favourite chocolate bar?
I cannot pick one. Hence the running and the yoga. I’d take your arm off for a Twirl right now though.
Song that best describes your life?
Ooh, I want to say Get Up by Sleater-Kinney but probably Better Best Forgotten by Steps.
What would you like to do before you die?
Find a man who isn’t a knob. Too cynical? I don’t know, eat nothing but Twirls until I can’t get off the settee. Dream. Come. True.
For more info and to read Lindsey’s blog (it’s nearly as good as Le Blow…) bob over here.
‘The Single Girl’s To-Do List by Lindsey Kelk is out now, available here.
‘I Heart Vegas’ by Lindsey Kelk is out in December 2011, available to pre-order here.
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