If you're in with the times then you're probably heard of her.
Beth Reekles is the author, who at only 17 obtained a three book deal with Random House for her book The Kissing Booth which obtained an amazing 19 million reads on the writing site Wattpad. When she isn't at university studying for her physics course, she enjoys reading, blogging and hanging out with her friends. In many ways, Beth is an ordinary teenager, but her story is extraordinary.
In this interview, Beth will talk about her writing journey, how she managed to get a deal with Random House and about what inspired her to write The Kissing Booth.
It's been quite
widely publicised (for those of Wattpad at least) that you got a three book
deal from Random House while you were still in school. How did you feel when
your agent/editor got into contact with you to tell you that they wanted to
publish your book?
I remember sitting looking through some private
messages on Wattpad one evening and then seeing one that didn’t start ‘OMG I
love your book!’ – and as it turned out, it was from a commissioning editor at
Random House wanting to publish The Kissing Booth. I skimmed the message a
dozen times before letting out a weird shriek and running to my parents to tell
them. I couldn't believe it. It was like a wild dream, only it was real!
What lead you to
start writing the Kissing Booth and uploading it to Wattpad?
 |
| Beth: pictured above, probably didn't expect to open that message telling her they wanted to publish The Kissing Booth. |
I’d been looking for a regular high school romance
to read, but every YA romance had vampires or werewolves or something, or the
protagonist fell for her (possibly gay?) guy best friend. It wasn't what I
wanted to read so I thought, ‘I’ll write my own’ – and I did. That’s how I came
up with The Kissing Booth, and figured I may as well upload it to Wattpad,
since I didn't have anything to lose by it. I’d never expected it to become as
popular as it did!
After being offered
the initial deal. Was there a time frame for editing the novel before actual
publication?
I’d already edited the book ruthlessly a few months
after finishing it, and Random House were hoping for a Boxing Day ebook release
(it actually came out December 13th) so it would have to be a quick
turnaround since I’d signed the contract at the start of November. The editing
was actually minimal and done within about three weeks, with a proof-edit done
about a week later.
If you could give
an aspiring author any advice, say if perhaps they're struggling with
confidence issues, particularly after being knocked back by publishers or
receiving harsh criticism. What advice would you give them?
Write because you want to. Write a book you feel
passionate about and write because it makes you happy. Remember that. If you
can get published, then it may well be the best feeling in the world, but try
not to be to put-down by rejections. Try publishing online – I never had
confidence in my work until Wattpad. Even just seeing people read my stories
was a huge encouragement, and rejuvenated my enthusiasm for writing, so I’d
definitely recommend putting your work up online!
You're also taking
a physics degree at university. How do you juggle this with writing?
It can get quite difficult at times, but I've been
lucky that my university have been supportive in letting me take days out for
book events (like awards ceremonies) and I've had to work hard to catch up on
anything I've missed. Sometimes I have to tell my friends I can’t go meet up
with them, tell my flatmates I can’t go out, and put off watching the latest episode
of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!
when everyone else is watching it. It’s a lot of self-discipline and to-do
lists and time management, but since I love writing so much and enjoy
interacting with my fans online, it doesn't always feel too much like hard
work!
You talk a lot
about Wattpad when you speak of your novels being published. Do you think that
Wattpad has played a big part in gaining confidence in, and improving your
writing ability?
Definitely! I had zero confidence in my writing but
when I found Wattpad, I thought, ‘why not?’ Everyone else seemed to be posting
their work, and it was the first time I’d found a community where writing at a
young age, instead of being on Facebook or something, was accepted and
celebrated. Without the support of my fans, I likely wouldn't have had the
opportunity to be published so young.
 |
| Beth with her first two books |
The Kissing Booth
has just got a script writer (Am I correct), which actors/actresses would you
prefer to see play your characters?
Yes that’s right, we have a scriptwriter for the
movie now (which is really exciting!) – but I'm really not sure which actors
I’d pick. It’s really difficult, and I only have one actor in mind - maybe
Dylan O’Brien for Lee!
What was your
reaction when you saw that you'd made it onto the Times most influential teens
list alongside Justin Bieber and Malala?
I was in total disbelief for a minute, before
sending out a Tweet, texting my parents, and running to wake up some of my
flatmates to tell them. I was so excited to be on a list with so many
well-known teenagers and to be recognised for my writing!
How long have you
been writing?
It might sound cheesy, but for as long as I can
remember. When I was little, if we wrote short stories in school, I’d often go
home and carry on writing them. Then when I started comprehensive school at 12
my parents gave me an old laptop to do homework on, but I used it mostly to
write – and I haven’t stopped!
Can you remember
the very first thing that you wrote?
I remember waiting for the fifth Harry Potter book
to come out, and wondering what might happen next, and how Harry would leave
the Dursleys this next time. I remember writing the start of that story (Fred
and George stopped by Privet Drive with a Portkey) – but at the time, I had no
idea that fanfiction was really a thing.
Do you think
writing talent is a natural ability, or can anyone learn it?
I think writing is mostly the perseverance and the
effort you're willing to put in. I've had messages from people who say their
spelling and grammar isn't great, but they really love to write – so they
write. It’s something I think anyone can do, as long as they have the drive,
passion and imagination for it.
Ebooks or Paper
books?
Paper books!
Finally, do you
have any websites that you'd wish to share?
I do my best to reply to all my fans on Twitter (I’m @Reekles) but I
mostly use my blog (http://authorbethreekles.tumblr.com) to share info about So there you have it! As you can tell, Beth is an all round amazing person, I'm sure we can agree and an inspiration to writers everywhere. Below are her three books and the purchase links if you're interested in reading her works, all of which have been released
Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular - and never been kissed.
Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile - and a total player.
When Elle decides to run a kissing booth at the school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer - this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. But will Elle get her happily ever after?
Rolling Dice
Rolling Dice
They say that the higher you climb, the harder you fall - and Madison Clarke will do anything to keep her new life from crumbling to pieces. Moving from a small town in Maine to Florida, Madison grasps the opportunity to reinvent herself, to forget about those days of being a lonely, loser outcast, and jumps at the chance when the popular kids decide to take her under their wing. A hot boyfriend, parties, friends... If only there wasn't the slight problem by the name of Dwight, a cute, funny and totally nerdy guy in Madison's physics class who she can't help but enjoy spending time with. Running from her past and stumbling through the present, who knows what lies ahead in this new life in Florida?
Ashley Bennett is a straight-A student in her junior year of high school, and life is looking good: she's got a boyfriend whom she loves, a group of friends who love to party... But really, Ashley loves to curl up at home with a good book, and she can't wait to go to college. When junior year starts, the life Ashley's settled into is turned upside down - the empty house next door has finally been sold, and moving in is Todd O'Connor...
When Ashley first meets Todd, he seems aloof and cocky, and she's reluctant to share a ride to school with him as her mom tells her to. As the two get to know each other, though, Ashley comes to realise that the mysterious, brooding Todd O'Connor, who all the girls are swooning over, is actually bookish and shy, and a little bit lonely. His parents split up and he has moved away from his mother to live with his father, and since then Todd has mostly kept to himself, his books, and his guitar.
And as Todd gets to know Ashley, he forces her to realise that her relationship with her boyfriend, Josh, isn't really making her happy - Josh is selfish, arrogant, and domineering. Will Ashley find the courage to forge her own path?
