A quick update on my submissions. 5 queries and 4 rejections thus far. There was no helpful advice or any hints in any of these, just form rejections. I didn't really expect any personal comments as this first round primarily involved query letters only. I did send some sample pages to an agent who would be closing to queries soon, but no word yet.
In the meantime, I've been thinking long and hard about my manuscript and have been experimenting with some rewrites. A few months ago, I submitted as part of a contest. The well-respected agent gave me some advice that I've had a hard time getting past. Something along the lines of having too many characters and stories going on at the same time. I've debated and researched and debated this some more.
I really like multi-POV novels. Ones where we get in the head of Joan and Joan's boyfriend, John, as well as Joan's best friend, Jane, and Jane's on-again, off-again lover, James. This is what I enjoy reading most and, thus, what I've been drawn to writing. The problem with this is that there are agents who may like my genre but specifically do NOT like multiple POV's. Another problem with it is how to write the query explaining the multiple POV's. Query Shark gives some advice about this here.
I'm not doing rewrites to eliminate my style of multi POV but rather to trim the fat, so to speak. Narrowing down the chapters of sideline characters and beefing up those of the main characters. I'll try again with those submissions soon and pick agents who request sample chapters.
I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Advice for the First Time Writer
As I'm submitting, I'm going through my typical steps of researching agents and thought I'd share them with you. I've touched on them before but here's a more detailed look.
Agent Query: I love the format of this site. You can opt for the full search. There, you can pick certain things like searching for your genre only, whether the agent takes email submissions, is a member of AAR and is accepting queries. Use this full search tool or you'll be wading through multiple pages of agents not taking your genre. Also, it is important to me to know they're members of AAR. This organization, the Association of Authors' Representatives, has certain standards in place designed to protect writers from reading fees and unscrupulous practices. If I had any complaints about Agent Query, it would be that they can't possibly stay completely up-to-date on whether the agents are currently accepting submissions which leads me to my next point.
Agent websites: There's no better way to know what an agent is looking for than to check their own site. After you find a name on sites such as Agent Query, you can then check out their page. Does he or she just want a query or sample pages too? Check the website. Are they temporarily closed to submissions? Check the agency website.
Publishers Marketplace: I like this site for checking additional information regarding the agent. The best is being able to see what they've sold recently. One caveat here is you have to pay a fee to get complete access to this site's information but I've been able to find a lot by just searching the agent name and "publishers marketplace."
Absolute Write: I didn't provide a link here because I find the best way to search is agent name "absolute write." Why do I love this one? You get to here from people like us. Aspiring writers who've had experience with each agency. Response times, professionalism, reputation, anything goes on this site. It's a forum for talking about personal experiences and if you see a negative trend around one agency, you can proceed with caution.
Preditors and Editors: If you visit no other site on this entry, visit this one. This site is awesome, amazing, fantastic! I can't say enough about it. You can search agents and publishers in the industry and find out if there are any cautions associated with them. Better yet, you can see how they're regarded: highly recommended, recommended, not recommended. Most have none of these beside them but you can do additional research if not sold.
There you have it. I make lists of the agencies of interest and cross reference them on all of the above. It takes some time but in my mind is totally worth the trouble.
Happy researching!
Agent Query: I love the format of this site. You can opt for the full search. There, you can pick certain things like searching for your genre only, whether the agent takes email submissions, is a member of AAR and is accepting queries. Use this full search tool or you'll be wading through multiple pages of agents not taking your genre. Also, it is important to me to know they're members of AAR. This organization, the Association of Authors' Representatives, has certain standards in place designed to protect writers from reading fees and unscrupulous practices. If I had any complaints about Agent Query, it would be that they can't possibly stay completely up-to-date on whether the agents are currently accepting submissions which leads me to my next point.
Agent websites: There's no better way to know what an agent is looking for than to check their own site. After you find a name on sites such as Agent Query, you can then check out their page. Does he or she just want a query or sample pages too? Check the website. Are they temporarily closed to submissions? Check the agency website.
Publishers Marketplace: I like this site for checking additional information regarding the agent. The best is being able to see what they've sold recently. One caveat here is you have to pay a fee to get complete access to this site's information but I've been able to find a lot by just searching the agent name and "publishers marketplace."
Absolute Write: I didn't provide a link here because I find the best way to search is agent name "absolute write." Why do I love this one? You get to here from people like us. Aspiring writers who've had experience with each agency. Response times, professionalism, reputation, anything goes on this site. It's a forum for talking about personal experiences and if you see a negative trend around one agency, you can proceed with caution.
Preditors and Editors: If you visit no other site on this entry, visit this one. This site is awesome, amazing, fantastic! I can't say enough about it. You can search agents and publishers in the industry and find out if there are any cautions associated with them. Better yet, you can see how they're regarded: highly recommended, recommended, not recommended. Most have none of these beside them but you can do additional research if not sold.
There you have it. I make lists of the agencies of interest and cross reference them on all of the above. It takes some time but in my mind is totally worth the trouble.
Happy researching!
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