Novelists tell us what they wish they’d known right at the start of their careers.
‘At eighteen, I sent out my first novel to a children’s fiction publisher and made every possible mistake. It was the wrong length, I illustrated it myself and, although children seemed to enjoy reading it, the humour and satirical edge were more suited to adults. The covering letter was a masterpiece of vagueness, making it clear I had no idea what I was writing.