I made the decision years ago that my motivation for writing a book would be purely to achieve an ambition rather than for monetary reasons. If, however, I could write and make a living whilst being able to spend quality time with my baby Cole then I would indeed have found my dream job that of being a mother first and foremost and an author on the side.

To anyone thinking of writing a book I would say ‘Go for it!’ everyone has a story to tell and who knows yours may well turn out to be the next big thing. Here are my top tips:

• Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t set aside regular times to write. I always try to put being a mummy over being a writer.
• Chose a company you trust to publish your book for you, check testimonials and find out exactly what service you will receive for your money.
• Try not to get carried away spending too much money on buying lots of copies of your book. Most of my sales are through Waterstones and Amazon and I order just enough print-on-demand books as I need for launches, events and reviews.
• Make sure you employ a good editor/proof-reader. As the author you become so attached to your work and it is easy to overlook glaring mistakes. My editor kindly pointed out in my first book that at my wedding I had ‘pink ponies’ on the table rather than ‘pink peonies’ as I had intended!
• Cover’s sell books and an unattractive cover could deter people from even reading your book so make sure you have spent time researching and getting yours to look the best it can.
• Set yourself a realistic goal of contacting relevant parties who may be able to promote your book for you. Post copies to magazine editors, newspapers and local radio stations.
• Getting your book published is one thing, selling it is another! To be successful you need to be very self-motivated, after all who is better qualified to promote your book than you? Perseverance will be rewarded.

With Cole now being an active and adorable toddler it does mean I am often unable to even open the computer till evening when he is tucked up in bed. I wouldn’t change a thing however and am becoming quite an expert at sneakily checking emails and telephoning people while he is playing.  He in turn must be the youngest baby to attend a book signing and is extremely familiar with the lift and staff in Waterstones!

Charlie Plunkett’s books are available now:

The True Diary of a Mum-to-be: A Pregnancy Companion

The True Diary of a Bride To Be