Clare Gallagher Releases Debut Novel

WIB member Clare Gallagher has indeed ticked off a major bucket list moment as she has just become a published author with her debut Novel ‘Birds of a Feather Flock Together’ hitting the Amazon online publishing shelves!

Clare describes how the idea for the story came about and the journey from typing on her old laptop to a published manuscript…. 

Many people have asked me, Clare how did you do it? I have to say it really wasn’t very hard to start to put pen to paper or should I say get the laptop out and start typing. I always had a story in my head which went back to a time that I cherished when I went to study at a college in America for a year. I had an unbelievable experience and met friends that I have for life and would call family now. It really began to take shape over lockdown when we were all finding something to do to fill our time. Many people started baking, many took to gardening, I took to writing my book! I came up with a coming-of-age story of friendship and the bonds that are shared when friends from college meet and all the drama that goes with it.

So, having written my draft manuscript I thought to myself what do I do now? I had a story to tell but how do I get this into a published book? Well, I have to say I just called on my network. I searched LinkedIn to find anyone who might be able to help in the publishing world. 
Luckily, I was put in touch with a local publishing company who having read the manuscript agreed to work with me. I was delighted to hear this. At my first Zoom meeting, as many of us do, my first words to the publisher were…. I’m really not a writer! To which she quickly reminded me that I had just written a novel. All be it there was a bit of work to do to get it to the published format. The process took many months of draft after draft to get to the final format and I really was ecstatic when I had finally finished my novel. So, I thought this was it I’m finished but little did I realise this was only the beginning!

As my publisher started to inform me it was now time to start promoting myself, that meant getting my social media platforms set up and posting updates and information about the book to gain interest, organise a Clare Gallagher Author website set up, databases for marketing and event information along with book launch events! This is where I have to say my network answered my call. I have said many times, your network is your worth, and as a member of the Women In Business network, this really is where I was overwhelmed with support. I needed a book cover design which I had the pleasure of working with a dear friend who is a graphic designer by trade. My social media platforms were set up with the help of a digital marketing agency who I know very well, down to the PR for my book launch event again undertaken by a great friend who runs her own PR company. All of this I would never have had the know-how to do by myself. Reaching out to my network of professional friends really was so valuable to getting my book to market. 

I have been told recently on numerous occasions, Clare I have a story that I would love to tell, how did you do it? Or you really have inspired me to start writing a book also. I can honestly say we all have a story to tell, and it really is so easy when you have that story in you to just start writing. My advice to anyone who is thinking of writing a book, be it a fiction novel, a self help book or a professional development career book, just start writing. The words will come, trust me! 

You can follow Clare on:
- Facebook 
-Instagram 
- or go to www.claregallagherauthor.com