Andrea Semple has been hailed as the new Marian Keyes. Quite what's wrong with the old Marian Keyes isn't clear, unless it's now neccessary to actually be under 30 to write contemporary chick-lit heroines from experience.

If that's the case, then Andrea fits the profile. The 28-year old novelist and mild-mannered reporter has a former life as an Ibiza nightclub manager, where the basis for dozens of characters must have vomited forth regularly. She followed this up wtih a successful stint in PR and journalism, before taking the gamble to leave work and concentrate on writing full-time.

Now Andrea lives with fellow novelist Matt Haig in the city centre of Leeds which, within the context of West Yorkshire, is a throbbing metrosexual wonderland. There's even a Harvey Nicks.

Andrea's defiantly unabashed about adding to a genre awash with literary Babycham, and well she should be. Her debut, The Ex-Factor launched in 2003 to gushing praise: "Funniest and most original chick-lit debut of the year", "a bright and sunny read", "painfully funny", "made me laugh out loud", and the aforementioned "new Marian Keyes" thing. The year after she made good on her two-book deal with The Make-Up Girl, another comic romp, dubbed "easy and enjoyable", "funny and sweet", and even some other stuff of actual substance.

This August brings book three, The Man from Perfect. While its fantastic retro pulp pastiche cover marks a stark contrast from the previous outings, the strapline "What happens when the man in your head becomes the man in your bed?" suggests that genre-wise, we haven't fallen too far from the tree.

Sexploits aside, Andrea's other output is one that should appeal to fans of all genres. She regularly publishes a writing tips newsletter, featuring writing and market advice drawn from her own experience and that of other 'name' authors. It's a noble effort to give something back to writers attempting to break through in a market that she believes is tougher than ever.

We asked Andrea about her writing, getting published, and even life after chick-lit. She's not half as pink and fluffy as her website design suggests.

Great Writing: Is there truth in chick-lit writing?

Andrea Semple: There has to be a degree of truth in all writing for it to work. With my novels I play with the stereotypes of chick-lit, and then try and look at the often opposing truths behind them. For instance, in The Man from Perfect, I depict a girl who goes to a high-tech dating agency and finds that the clichéd image of the perfect man that she thought she always wanted leaves her completely unsatisfied.

GW: Do you think we're starting to see real feminine roles recast as a result of the chick-lit phenomenon and subsequent media follow-through?

AS: I think chick-lit has given feminism a sense of humour and a better dress sense, and has helped women face the various roles they are expected to fill with a degree of irony.

GW: In publicising your work, is there a pressure to conform to a certain chick-litty persona?

AS: Yes. There is. But then again, every novelist is expected to fit into a certain identity. For instance, literary authors feel under terrible pressure to quote Milan Kundera every five seconds.

GW: What's it like to live with another novelist? Are you influenced by each others' work?

AS: It's not recommended, to be honest! Especially as he outsells me now. I have to call him 'bestselling author Matt Haig' now instead of just 'Matt'. 'Bestselling author Matt Haig could you do the washing up?' No. Only joking. He doesn't make me do that really. In fact, it's good generally, as we can help each other edit our work and say which bits we think are crap. We don't influence each other that much though, as our books are so different. He writes about Labradors and I write about speed dating. There's not much crossover.

GW: What's your writing routine these days?

AS: To get a novel finished, I write like a maniac for 3 months - eating rubbish and living like a cavewoman (but with worse personal hygiene) - and then go on holiday and get pampered.

GW: How did you go about getting your first book published? Did your journalism track record help in 'legitimising' you any?

AS: I got a two-book deal and my track-record in journalism - along with a handful of author endorsements I'd managed to secure - definitely helped. You have to try and be business like and not take rejections too personally. I had a whole forest of rejection letters at the start, but kept going until someone said yes.

GW: Did the contractual requirement of the second book make it harder to write?

AS: Faster. Basically The Ex-Factor was written at a more relaxed pace - taking about nine months in total - while The Make-Up Girl was written in a more frenzied three month period.

GW: What's the market really like out there for new novelists right now?

AS: In many ways the market is an absolute nightmare right now, as publishers are increasingly drawn towards celebrities, broadsheet columnists, wives/husbands of celebrities, above good old-fashioned story-tellers. But I still have faith. Readers ensure things stay reasonably meritocratic, as books generally sell via word-of-mouth. So if you write a book a lot of readers could enjoy, there are still agents out there who will recognise its potential.

GW: Is yours a steady living? Would you advise others to jump ship from work and take the gamble you did?

AS: Err, good question. Writers NEVER make as much money as you think they do. On average, an author makes about 35p for every book sold. An average novel sells around 10,000 copies. You do the maths. Even bestsellers don't necessarily make you rich, as you only need to sell 6,000 copies in one week to make the Top 50. You can make good money, but the unpredictable nature of your earnings means its never going to be a truly 'steady' living. But that said, the gamble has paid off for me, and I have no intentions of going back to the day job. If you want to take the risk, go for it, but make sure you make the jump with your eyes wide open.

GW: Beyond writing well, what things can a novelist do to increase their success?

AS: Get a good website, target the right agents, try and get feedback from other novelists, read industry publications like The Bookseller for market research, marry Zadie Smith . . .

GW: What drives you to help aspiring writers with your tips newsletter?

AS: When I was first starting out I noticed a lot of advice given on author websites was so dry and vague and impractical that after I got my book deal, I wanted to tell people how it really is. I try and make the newsletters as honest as possible, and don't fill them with false hope.

GW: Of all your tips, what's rule number 1 for new writers, and why?

AS: Rule number 1 is BE TRUTHFUL. You might be writing fiction, but it still has to reflect some kind of emotional truth. Writing is a kind of striptease, and you must be prepared to make yourself feel slightly vulnerable. If you don't give much away, you won't get much in return. The best writers aren't the cleverest, they're the bravest. Whether you're writing about sex, relationships, war, politics, families or death you have to be as truthful as you can. Don't censor your characters. Don't think about what your mum will say when she reads it. Don't think about what reviewers or publishers might think about is - all that must come later, when you promote yourself. When you write, all you must think about it how to make your characters and situations as honest as possible.

GW:  If the whole chick-lit thing one day implodes, what then? Is there a dark, brooding, Great British Novel inside Andrea Semple?

AS: Hey, my chick-lit is dark and brooding! In places. But seriously, yes, I am planning to write about human relationships from a darker perspective. Whether it will be a Great British Novel I don't know - I always get too tempted to try and be funny. My novels are always like the naughty girl at school who couldn't keep a straight face in assembly. I just hope they'll never get expelled!

Andrea Semple's novels, The Ex-Factor, The Make-Up Girl, and the forthcoming The Man from Perfect are available in lots of shops and websites and stuff. And if you buy them from Amazon via the advert above, you get to help out Great Writing a bit too. Not that we'd want to eat into Andrea's 35p, since a bag of Kettle Chips is at least twice that. For more Sempleousnesss, visit Andrea's website where you can also sign-up to her writing tips newsletter.