Yes, you read that right — I wonder if I will now have a HUGE surge in followers?

This is actually a novel which a writer-friend asked me to read for a cover quote.  To be honest, if it wasn’t for the friendship I may never have picked up this book, and what a shame that would have been.  I would have missed out on a lot of fun, some wonderfully memorable characters, and some thought provoking ideas.
    …we easily believe what we ardently desire to be true
is the catch line for this novel about magic, mind-reading, sexuality and illusion.  But it could also describe the eventful and sometimes traumatic history of the book itself.  And that’s what I wanted to talk to the author, Alice Turing, all about.
Sue: Dance Your Way to Psychic Sex is a fun story full of twists and turns, difficulties and hard-earned resolutions. As I understand it, the story of the book’s publication is just as intriguing. But first, maybe you could set the scene for us. This is not your first published novel, correct?
Alice: That’s right. My first novel was published in 2004. I got the phone call ten months after I submitted the manuscript (to 30 publishers and 15 agents), and had given up hope of success. It was the most exciting thing that ever happened to me. Sadly the publisher ceased trading two years after the book was published, but it had reached the end of its life by then.
Sue: How long did it take you to write “Psychic Sex” and what were your first steps towards getting it published?
Alice: I started writing in 2004. I spent eighteen months (which was too long) planning structure, character and plot, then another year writing and rewriting. After that I spent four months looking for an agent (I approached around 40). Several were interested but only one made the final commitment, at which I point I did another rewrite.  There have been two more drafts since then; I’m an inveterate
tinkerer.
Sue: Why did you decide to self-publish?
Alice: My agent spent two years showing the book to hundreds of publishers worldwide, while I tried to make a living as a writer. Random House published Psychic Sex in Germany, but as for everyone else: They liked the book and loved the writing, but didn’t think it was commercial enough. My agent and I parted company due to an unrelated matter, and I gave up altogether. I retrained in a new career. I felt very negative about everything writing-related. To put so much work into persuading people you are a commercial prospect and still to have no luck… it can be humiliating. The German deal was exciting at first, but then just frustrating: My book was available to read, but not by anyone I knew. It felt like it hadn’t happened. A year after giving up, I still thought of myself as a Failed Writer. This made me sad. Somebody suggested self-publishing, which I rejected at first. It is the death knell for most books, and marks you out as self-indulgent. But the book was good enough for Germany, and would never otherwise be published in English. And I no longer wanted or was able to be a “successful” writer. The pressures of publicity and marketing, not to mention the lack of control over finished products and the fact that you are never guaranteed success or even publication for each successive book… these all combine to make the industry a depressing and stressful place to exist within.
     But what if I moved the goalposts, and made my own satisfaction the primary goal? What if my aim was to produce something beautiful, of a high standard which could be enjoyed by people I knew? What if I stopped jumping through hoops to sell books to readers I would never meet or hear from? What if I didn’t have to make money from writing? What if I could just BE self-indulgent? Wouldn’t that be lovely?
     It is. It’s lovely.
Sue: Alice Turing is a pseudonym, isn’t it? Why did you decide to do that and how did you come up with the name?
Alice: My new career is not compatible with being a published novelist. I sometimes wonder if this was a subconscious act of self-sabotage, but there you go. As for how I chose Alice Turing… I
started with the name of my imaginary childhood friend… but I’d used that elsewhere. So I kept the first name, but borrowed the surname of somebody interesting that I admired (Alan Turing). It
wasn’t until later that I spotted the similarity between Alice and Alan – I hadn’t intended to end up with a name so very close to his.
Sue: This is a remarkable and important tale that anyone hoping to be in this business should know about. Any last minute lessons you can offer?
Alice: Try to do writing for its own sake. Don’t make publication your primary aim. Be aware that whatever your dreams are, the reality is unlikely to match up. Remember that every aspect of being a writer is incredibly hard – tears will probably be shed. And please yourself, not others. My own decision has been to make writing a hobby, not a career. There are many full-time writers who have made it work for them. But as soon as money becomes an important factor, compromises may have to be made and joy may well be lost.

Alice’s story of publication is different than most you might read about, and so I really did want to share it with you.  I think she is brave and wise and, clearly, now happy with her choices.  Plus, she has her wonderful book which you can have, too, by ordering it here.