Tuesday, March 15, 2011

An Update on Submissions

So, Linda S's blog had a breakdown of how many agents she queried, how many responded versus rejected her, how many asked for her manuscript. etc., before she was accepted. Her limit was 100 and she reached 83. I'm practically a virgin then! Whoo-hoo!

This discussion also came up at a workshop I recently attended, especially the amount of work that goes into each query letter - the research on the agency and agent, tracking their books (the hardest part!), making certain the letter is specific to that ONE agent, fiddling with the synopsis and bio every time, and so on.

Have I learned anything?

Yes.

1. The art of editing is certainly alive and well - which I knew already since I edit my manuscripts to death, I edit other writers' work, I edit the newspaper while I'm reading it because they can't afford editors anymore (really?) so basic spelling and grammar is now on the endangered list.

2. Though sometimes the query letters get longer rather than shorter, per an agent's request for information to include, it always needs to be tweaked. It's amazing how, after looking at the same basic information so many times, one can find a new twist on it.

3. Rejections with Comments - these are my favorite and are too few and far between. My latest rejection letter actually told me it was a "strong project" but that she won't be able to find a fit among her editorial contacts. (I reiterate - really?) (Please look back to previous blog and see my friend's retort!)

"Strong project" - Assumptions

1. The story line is strong - meaning it's well constructed, not the same-old-same-old, good setting, good plot, it has surprises
2. The characters are well developed - no skeletons, but actual muscle and flesh and skin
3. The writing is well crafted - the writing style is appropriate for the genre and the story

Could she get all these from the writing brief synopsis and sample pages? So some feedback is great but it seems to open up to more questions than answers.

Anything else I've learned?

Well, I've changed the novel's title from "We Wore White" to "The Scale of Souls".

What do you think?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Musings on Rejection Letters

Emailing my best friend, I wrote her this note answering to another rejection letter from a literary agent.

My rejection pile is growing. Since I am under 50 rejections, I'm really just a newbie, aren't I?


Option 1: I totally suck at writing and am living in some sort of delusion others are helping propel.
Option 2: I'm writing in a genre and/or style no one on earth wants to publish anymore.
Option 3: I've entered a parallel world in which I'm not allowed to get published.
Option 4: I'm brilliant and, because I'm in the third parallel world, no one will notice.
Option 5: I have nothing to lose [and will keep submitting].