Sunday, September 15, 2013

Agents, Here I Come!




Hello on this Sunday morning here in Missouri—a morning that reminds me of autumn in Minnesota. The hot-tempered weather has cooled off: a good day for writing.
         Many of you wished me abundant sales at the fair last Sunday. So you may be as disappointed as I was to have sold only two books. But that fact has a flip side: I met several vendors who gave me ideas for other local fairs, like those held in hospitals and schools. So now I have some research to do.
         In 2011, the trade paperback publisher of A Cat’s Life: Dulcy’s Story sent me the final 600 copies of the out-of-print book for the price of shipping. I still have 400 copies in the garage. That’s a lot of fairs, folks!
         Now to the present.
         I spent the past week critiquing a manuscript for a first-time novelist. Back in July, I’d done the same. After that reading I encouraged her “to situate” her scenes by providing details so that readers could visualize where something was happening. I also recommended the use of detail when writing dialogue so that “talking heads” would not confuse readers.
         The author sent the manuscript back to me for review in early September. As often happens, in an attempt to show facial expressions and body language, she had added too many details. Moreover, the timeline was confusing, and in at least one crucial scene she missed the opportunity to create drama.
         I completed my reading, critiquing, and slight copyediting on Thursday. The next day, she and I went through the manuscript on the phone for 3 ½ hours. I explained what still needed to be done—most of which could be accomplished by the deletion of words and the condensing of some scenes. Having words to cut is always easier than having to add words.
         Because this is a young adult novel, it is supposed to be only about 75,000 words. The present manuscript has over 100,000. So the author welcomed the cutting I suggested.
         As we’ve worked together in July and again this month, I’ve come to admire her dedication and maturity as a writer. She’s committed, open to advice, and professional enough to take those recommendations that work for her and to discard the rest.
         She also has a reserve of fortitude and tenacity—necessary virtues when seeking publication. In recent weeks, she’s persevered and sent out eighty-five query letters to agents. Yes—85. Two have asked to see her manuscript.
         I don’t know how you are responding to that ratio, but I’m impressed. Getting an agent is so difficult today and two of those eighty-five intermediaries between author and editor have asked to see her completed novel. That’s great news.
         She plans to do the cutting and have the manuscript ready to send out by early October. I’m so hoping that one of those two agents will want to represent her writing.
         Having completed that project, I’m now going to return to my own query letters to agents. The book 2013 Guide to Literary Agents lists 104 agents who represent historical novels. I have my query letter ready; I’ve visited agent websites; I’ve selected the first few to whom to send a query. Now the journey begins.
         This week I hope to contact several agents to seek their representation of The Reluctant Spy. Start visualizing!
         Peace. 

20 comments:

  1. Eyes closed, visualization in progress. Fingers crossed just for added impetus. :-)

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    1. Dear DJan, just keep sending that impetus! Peace.

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  2. I'm with DJan, Dee. I also admire your generosity in spending so long to help another aspiring writer. May you both have the success you deserve.

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    1. Dear Perpetua, I'm sorry to disillusion you but I wasn't generous in helping the other writer. She hired me to work with her and so I was getting paid. I was able to teach a little and to suggest some books that ended up helping her.

      And as with all teaching, I learned so much as I spoke with her. Often I do not know what I know until I find myself explaining something to someone. Do you have that same experience? Peace.

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  3. What you sow, you reap, and what you are sowing into this new writer will come back to you fruitfully in so many different ways. Your query letter will do its job. And I believe success will be one of the fruits you will reap!

    (And I want to let you know that your constant, encouraging, affirming words to me about my writing have finally taken hold. I am beginning on a draft this week of the longest piece I've ever attempted. Thank you, a thousand times over, for your kindness!)

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    1. Dear Shelly, I'm so glad to learn that you are going to work on a longer piece. That's the best news I've had in a while. Please let me know if I can help in any way. Peace.

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  4. Closing my eyes to visualize makes it difficult to type this comment!!

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    1. Dear Fishducky, but you are such a multifaceted and multitalented woman that I'm sure you can type with your eyes closed! Peace.

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  5. Yes! Go for it! Visualizing here, too.
    When I first sent out a short story to literary magazines I send it out to 30 of them and it got published twice. Takes a lot of time and energy, but sending it to a lot of places sometimes does work. Worked for your young author and for me, too. Best of good fortune!! Once you mail them out, then the waiting begins. Can take months to hear back and some never even bother to send you a rejection slip. But then--you might get that call or letter in the mail or email...whoohoo! ;) Positive thoughts!!

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    1. Dear Rita, you are so right about sending out queries. In today's publishing world, most of the agents prefer e-queries and even then they don't respond, usually, if they aren't interested. It's truly a waiting game. But oh, if I get a positive respond by mail or e-mail, I'll be on cloud nine! Peace.

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  6. It's so kind of you to help another writer. I know you've already helped many others.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Dear Janie, you know I really wasn't being kind. She hired me and I gave her my best reading and suggestions. As to helping others, my belief, and yours also I bet, is that we "pay it forward." Many friends have helped me in publishing and editing and writing and I'm now paying that help forward. Peace.

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    2. I don't care if she hired you. I know you did the job with as much kindness and care as you could.

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    3. Dear Janie, thank you. And I'm sure you do the same. Peace.

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  7. I think it's wonderful that you have been able to find work helping another writer -- that should do so much for your own confidence and really help to cement what you already know. I am convinced you will have success with The Reluctant Spy -- I can see it all now! I can't wait to read it!

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    1. Dear Broad, so nice to hear from you. Thanks for stooping by on this misty Monday morning here in Missouri, USA. I wonder what the weather's like there in England.
      And thanks also for the vote of confidence. I like the idea of picturing, visualizing people and friend like you reading and enjoying the book. The characters seem so real to me after all these years of working on the ms. Peace.

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  8. Hi Dee, I'd like to invite you to join CeleryTree.com as an author. It could be a helpful venue for you to sell autographed copies of A Cat's Life. I would have much preferred purchasing my copy from you brand new and autographed from CeleryTree than from Amazon.

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    1. Dear Karen, I'll look at the Celery Tree to see what joining means and what the process is. Thanks for the tip. I'm a true novice with regard to the internet and book selling. Peace.

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