Maureen and her cats
April 28, 2017
The hemp house with heart
April 28, 2017
Not DEAD IN THE WATER
Crime novelist Irna van Zyl’s seven-year journey to getting published was not an easy one. After countless rewrites, several rejection letters from publishers, and taking a sabbatical in between, she released her debut novel, which is not so dead in the water.
Why a crime novel?
I believe good stories and suspense will keep people reading novels. I am also an avid reader and supporter of crime fiction, so I guess it was logical that I would try my hand at this very difficult and complicated genre.
Why did you go the traditional publishing route versus self-publishing?
I believe that traditional publishing offers you the experience, professionalism and especially the distribution and marketing structure that would be very difficult to generate on the same level if you are an inexperienced self-publisher. This does not mean self-publishing can’t be done very successfully. There are many good stories that were recognised once self-published.
I, however, felt very lucky when Penguin decided to publish my book and have it translated from Afrikaans to English.
