Poppy Does Paris (Girls On Tour 1) (Girls On Tour Book) by Nicola Doherty Page A

nervous when attending the editorial meeting, but today I do. There’s a book that I’m really passionate about and today I’m going to find out whether anyone else agrees with me.
    ‘Let’s make a start,’ says Ellen, our publishing director and my boss. ‘Ooh, what are those?’
    ‘They’re
pasteis de nata
– Portugese custard tarts,’ I say, putting down the box in the middle of the table along with some paper napkins. ‘Help yourselves.’
    ‘Don’t let me have one,’ says Ellen. I know how she feels – I probably shouldn’t have bought them either, but it was in a good cause.
    ‘Oh yum. Thanks, Poppy,’ says Melanie, the sales director, who’s rake-thin. ‘Can I take two? Where did you get them?’
    ‘Bar San Marco. You know the little snack bar down the road?’
    My reason for bringing these in today was twofold. One, I think everyone will be more into my book if they’re high on sugar; and two, a bit of product placement. The San Marco is a little gem, but it’s struggling to compete against all the huge coffee shops, and the owner has told me he’s not sure how much longer he can keep paying the rent.
    ‘Is that the dingy little caff by the Tube?’ asks Charlie, one of the marketing guys. ‘I had a terrible coffee there once. Never been back.’ He takes a slug from his PretaCostaBucks paper cup.
    I just smile. Charlie is nice enough, but he’s a bit of a lad. If it’s not in the
Metro
or sponsored by Nike, he doesn’t want to know.
    ‘OK, let’s begin,’ says Ellen. ‘Any new business? Poppy?’
    I go over to the hot seat and as the room goes quiet I sit up straight and make sure I sound poised, enthusiastic and – above all – confident.
    ‘Last week I circulated to a few of you a very, very exciting debut novel. It’s a coming-of-age story set in London and Lagos . . .’ I recap my pitch for those who haven’t read the book, and wrap up with, ‘So what did people think?’
    There’s an awkward pause while they all look at each other; it’s as if I’ve put a dead frog in the middle of the table. Melanie speaks first. ‘I thought the writing was beautiful, but . . . it felt like a difficult sell.’
    Ellen nods. ‘Same here. I did like the voice, but I wasn’t one hundred per cent convinced either.’
    I nod, trying to swallow my disappointment; if Ellen and Melanie don’t like it, it’s probably a lost cause.
    ‘Anyone else read it?’ Ellen asks.
    ‘I read it,’ says Charlie, to my surprise. I didn’t even send it to him.
    ‘And?’
    ‘I thought it was really well written,’ he says, making me even more surprised. ‘I could see it getting great reviews, good publicity, maybe even winning prizes . . .’
    I’m leaning forward, amazed. I wouldn’t have thought the book was up his street at all. Have I completely misjudged him?
    ‘. . . and selling about ten copies.’
    Everyone laughs; he pretends to look regretful but he obviously thinks he’s been funny – idiot.
    ‘Well, that sounds like a pass,’ I say, as lightly as I can. ‘Thanks for reading, everyone.’
    ‘Who’s next?’ Ellen asks.
    ‘Me,’ says Camilla, one of the non-fiction editors. ‘I have a lead on a book by Katie Chipping.’
    Katie Chipshop, as she’s known, is a singer having her fifteen seconds of fame.
    ‘Fabulous! Yes please!’ says Melanie, and they start discussing it enthusiastically.
    I do understand how important these books are to the business, but it’s depressing all the same. I look at Charlie, who’s now talking about Katie’s Twitter followers, and doing a partnership with a clothing brand, and think how unfair it is that we’re turning down a really talented writer for someone like Katie Chipping.
    ‘All other business,’ says Ellen. ‘Poppy, anything?’
    ‘Yes. I’m very excited to say that we have made an offer for a new novel by Jonathan Wilder.’
    I’m pleased that the reaction is at least as positive as it was for Katie bloody