Galway-based author John Hearne’s first children’s book ‘The Very Dangerous Sisters of Indigo McCloud’ has just landed in bookshops. Published by Little Island in Dublin, it’s a laugh-out-loud adventure story for 9 to 12 year olds.
‘It’s a thrill to finally get something into print after years of trying,’ says John. ‘I wrote my first draft of the book about six years ago, then spent a lot of time getting feedback, revising and getting rejected before Little Island finally said “yes”.’
In the book, Indigo McCloud’s four evil sisters rule over the children of the town of Blunt with an iron fist. No child dares do anything to displease them. But one day, their brother Indigo decides to be brave and begins to stand up to them.
The story has already garnered considerable praise. Writing blog, Read & Review said: ‘Missing Roald Dahl? John has written a fabulously funny, dark, clever novel. The characters are brilliant and I love the humour!’
The road to publication for would-be authors is tougher than ever these days. There are so many things competing for children’s time. Books struggle to succeed against video games and the explosion in TV entertainment. Moreover, middle grade books – which are books aimed at those between 9 and 12 – have become dominated by a small number of high profile authors.
‘The advice I’d give anyone with an interest in writing is this: Keep at it only if you love it. And always read in the genre in which you’re writing. You need to know what works with today’s audiences. If you haven’t read a children’s book since Enid Blyton, your writing will tend to reflect that and won’t cut it with publishers.’
‘Getting feedback from people who know what they’re talking about is also vital. Taking criticism is never easy, but the truth is that it’s a shortcut to becoming a better writer.’
The ease with which you can buy online these days has also made life tougher for independent bookshops. Successive lockdowns, during which we had limited access to bookshops, drove even more people online.
‘It’s great to see the likes of Charlie Byrnes and Dubray open again. You can lose yourself in the aisles and come out with something you’d never have thought of going in. We need to support these wonderful places now, and make sure their doors stay open.
‘The Very Dangerous Sisters of Indigo McCloud’ is available from all good bookshops, and from the usual websites.
