Helen Jones

For Q1: It depends on how long it's been since you told them 1 agent requested a full. If it's been more than a few weeks, then it's okay to nudge.
For Q2: If you're genuinely interested in them repping you, yes. Give them the same chance as the others.
Good luck!

Another recharge weekend well spent. My husband bought this for our anniversary last week, and we built it yesterday. Love a bit of '80s nostalgia, and Gizmo in particular!

Once more for the evening folks... ⬇️

Assessing Publishing Offers How to decide which editor and publisher is right for you

The path to publication can be long, winding and highly variable. But what do you do when you get a publishing offer? And how do you assess whether it's right for you?

Read my latest substack to find out what I did, why, and whether it worked!

arsenicandcoldcase.substack.com/p/assessing-...

Once more for the evening crowd...

'A Lens Unclouded' is changing. For a sneak peek of what's coming next, take a look at my latest blog ⬇️

Rebranding Creating my brand, changing my handles and updating my blog

This is the last edition of A Lens Unclouded... before I rebrand my blog, and everything else in my writing life.

But what is rebranding, why am I doing it, and is it really going to make a difference?

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/rebranding

#blogpost #substack #rebranding

Here's my September reads!

My favourite was "The Killer Question" by Janice Hallett - which narrowly beat out the latest offerings from Osman and Herron by having just a few extra twists that kept me guessing right until the end.

#amreading #septemberreads

Once more for the evening crowd... If you'd like to have your say on what I write about in 2026, take a look at my latest blog ⬇️

Two(ish) years of Substack Or, what I should have learned by now (but probably haven't)

It’s my fiftieth substack today, so please join me for a little retrospective over the last two years: what I’ve learned, what I (still) haven’t, and what is coming next…

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/twoish-yea...

#amwri̇ti̇ng #substack #blogpost

Doing the final readthrough before I return my MS to my editor. It's really easy to see which bits I wrote while hungry... Anyone for a cinnamon roll? 🤣

#amediting #hungrywriter

Once more for the evening crowd...

Going on Submission was a wild ride! ⬇️

Going on Submission How to keep your head when publishers are reading your book

In my latest blog...

What it's really like to go on submission, how what actually happens compares to your plan, and how to stay sane when everything is outside of your control.

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/going-on-s...

#pathtopublication #submission

Here's my August reads!

My favourite was "The Half Burnt House" by Alex North. Deliciously twisty, I lost sleep when I stayed up to finish it. Totally worth feeling knackered the following day.

I also did some beta reading, which is always a joy.

#amreading #augustreads

Am I editing my book like I should be? No
Am I writing 'white papers' in the voices of my characters about funny topics because I thought it was a good idea? Absolutely yes.
Good lord, this is fun 😂

#amwriting #crimefiction #sidequest

Once more for the evening crowd... if you're unsure about whether to read, there are many pictures of puppies included!

Two Beers and a Puppy How to think about people differently, in life and in fiction

In this week's substack I'm talking about characterisation hacks, specifically the 'Two Beers and a Puppy' questions.
Take a look to see how this premise may help with your writing (and your friends!)...

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/two-beers-...

#amwri̇ti̇ng #characterisation #twobeersandapuppy

Once more for the evening crowd...

You send more than just your manuscript and it pays to get your timing right. Here's what I learned when submitting my novel to publishers ⬇️

Preparation is the key to success Or, what you need to do before submitting your novel to publishers

In the next instalment of my path to publication...

What really happens when you go on submission to publishers and why it’s more complicated than you might think.

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/preparatio...

#pathtopublication #submission

Fabulous, thank you! x

Hi Sarah, will the online sessions be made available after the event? Unfortunately I have a clash that weekend so happy to buy an online ticket if I can watch them later. Thanks x

Background is mint green with a navy blue border and a navy hardbook book in the bottom right corner. Title is 'July Reads'. Six book covers are in the middle of the page: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Into the Uncanny by Danny Robins (read as an audiobook), Sepulchre Street by Martin Edwards, Belsay by LJ Ross, Babelicious by Heide Goody and Iain Grant, and The Devil's Peak by Greig Beck.

Here's my July reads! My favourite was "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley. It's a brilliant book and I loved every minute. Also really enjoyed Ruth Ware's short stories.

Looking forward to August which will be TBR reads only...

#amreading #julyreads

Thank you :)

Hi Claire, could you please add me to your ADCI starter pack? Many thanks 😄

An encore for the evening crowd... if you're unsure about audiobooks, or have never tried them, have a read of my blog ⬇️

#amreading #audiobooks

It's still reading if it's listening Learning to love audiobooks in a world of printed prose

Most people predominantly read paperbacks or ebooks over hardbacks or audiobooks.
So what happens if you just listen to audiobooks for a few months instead?
That's what I did, and what I found was genuinely surprising...

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/its-still-...

#amreading #audiobooks

Running through structural edits of my #CrimeFiction novel today. Editor thinks there's too many references to tea/coffee.
Decided to count them... 63!
There's only 54 chapters 😂
#amediting #lessteaplease

Image shows an incomplete jigsaw puzzle of the sky in various shades of blue. There is a single piece missing in the middle. Overlaid is white text that says: Writing fictional cold cases, why I love writing about histories and mysteries.

It's easy to think about which writers inspire me, but sometimes I forget about the TV series, movies and life events that lead me to write crime fiction and cold cases in particular...

alensunclouded.substack.com/p/writing-fi...

#amwriting #CrimeFiction #coldcases

* "The Frozen People" by Elly Griffiths
* "Superspy Science" by Kathryn Harkup
* "Badlands" by Doug Preston & Lincoln Child (ebook)
* "The Kellerby Code" by Jonny Sweet

I loved them all but "V is for Venom" was my favourite June read!

#amreading #crimefiction #nonfiction #junereads

Somehow we're half way through the year and I can't quite believe I'm posting one of these again.

I slowed down a bit in June due to a lot of uncertainty and a bereavement, but here's the five books I read...

(cont...)