Cannock club hears author’s journey to publication

The importance of patience and perseverance was at the heart of a talk given to Cannock and District Ladies Probus Club by author Sally Jenkins.

The West Midlands writer shared her experiences of trying to get her work published, explaining the challenges she faced in an industry she described as demanding and sometimes dismissive.

Sally told members that “words are her lifeblood”, a passion which has taken her from writing short stories and articles for magazines to becoming a published novelist.

She also spoke about the inspiration behind one of her novels, Little Museum of Hope, taking members on an emotional journey through a story about people letting go of possessions and memories as they try to heal from heartbreak and move forward.

Sally began writing in the 1990s while at home with her children, initially earning small payments for her work. In 2007, an article published in Yours Annual earned her £50.

Seeing her first story in print sparked her determination to pursue writing further, but she explained that finding a literary agent proved a lengthy and challenging process.

She eventually parted company with one agent after feeling that the reviews of her work were damaging her confidence and passion for writing.

Writing competitions provided encouragement along the way, while the arrival of Amazon Kindle and paperback publishing later gave Sally the opportunity to publish several novels.

There was also a connection with television personality and author Richard Osman, who Sally discovered shared her publisher and the same eye condition.

She joked that one of their other common denominators was that she was “not as tall as him”.

Sally said she hoped that, like Osman, she might one day sell 100,000 copies of her books.

Meanwhile, Cannock and District Ladies Probus Club will celebrate its 33rd birthday on October 1 with an afternoon of party games and cake.

The club meets on the first Thursday of each month at Chase Golf Club, where retired and semi-retired professional and businesswomen enjoy lunch, speakers, outings and other activities.

New members are welcome. Annual membership costs £16, while a two-course lunch is £23.

For more information, contact membership secretary Barbara on 07801 370935 or chairman Chris on 01543 879324.