Andrea Semple


Journalist-turned author Andrea Semple, has written three novels - The Ex-Factor, The Make-Up Girl and The Man from Perfect and lives in Leeds with the novelist Matt Haig and their new baby!

Envisage yourself as an animal, which one would it be?
A giraffe - I've got an exceptionally long neck. Everyone thinks I'm stupid when I say this but trust me it's very very long.

Describe your writing style in one sentence
Bitchy, naughty, and very immature!

Without the rude bits, describe your typical writing day
At the moment I'm in novel mode so it's pretty much writing all day long. I'm normally woken up by the phone - more often than not it's my mum checking I'm up or some robot telling me I've won a holiday! I'll then do a quick workout so I feel a little refreshed for the day and I'll get on with the task of answering all my emails and messages. After that I'll get started on the writing. I'll probably write until midday and then have lunch and a little break round the shops. After that I'll get writing again until dinner time. I do try and put my pen down around seven but I have to say if the words are flowing I can still be working until two in the morning.

Reality T.V. or a good documentary?
Reality TV (but followed by a long cold shower).

What did you do to get published in the first place?I wrote three chapters and asked some chick-lit novelists if they wouldn't mind reading them. Some extremely lovely authors such as Faith Bleasdale and Deborah Wright
said they really liked my stuff and they spurred me on to send the novel off to an agent. So I sent off my three chapters and a synopsis to a few agents in the Writers and Artists Handbook and my agent phoned the day he received it and asked if I'd like to meet in London the following week. Naturally I jumped at the chance and he offered to represent there and then!

How long did it take to get a publishing deal after you bagged an agent?It was probably about three months. I honestly thought that nothing was going to come of the novel so I'd pretty much given up hope and was concentrating on the day job.

Fried Chicken or steamed Broccoli?
As I'm a veggie it'll have to be steamed broccoli.

And the best thing about being a published writer is…?
Hearing from happy readers - it really does make it all worthwhile.

Visit Andrea's brilliant website!!!

© Lola Jaye