"We were always waiting, always waiting/ We were always waiting for something to happen!" - "Great Expectations" by The Gaslight Anthem
This weekend I was busy, once again, making my list of agents to send queries to for my first "Willow Ryan" novel, Secrets. I'm ready. More ready than I have ever been, and I'm almost afraid to say this because it has a hint of optimism to it, but I kind of have a good feeling about this round. I have a solid list of a couple of dozen agents who I think may be a good fit for me and my work, and I will be sending out letters to the top six or seven tomorrow. Then I play the waiting game again. I am not good at waiting.
But instead of agonizing and obsessing over these queries like I normally do, wondering if the agent has read my carefully chosen words about the book that I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into, whether I will receive a request, a rejection, or any response at all, I will put myself to work instead. In addition to Who We Thought We Were, my latest work in progress, I am also going to fine-tune some articles I wrote a while back on child development and start submitting those. I am going to make my career happen. I am a writer, and if I have anything to say about it, soon I will be a published writer. :) Now to get some good responses from the agents...
Man, I hate waiting.
Showing posts with label submissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label submissions. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Revised Query Letter
"Here I am, on the road again/ There I am, up on the stage." - "Turn the Page" by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
The road is the submissions process and the stage is my query letter. I am once again getting back into the game, hopefully with better results this time thanks to my newly revised query letter. I have been at this for a while, but I am still growing, still learning, and still working to make the dream come true, so I am posting my query in the hopes of getting some feedback from all of you out there, whether you are writers, working in the literary/publishing field, an avid reader, or just someone who has an opinion to share. I'd love to hear any comments you want to leave me. Thanks for reading, and I hope this letter is a winner. Fingers crossed!
Dear Ms. _______,
I read in Guide to Literary Agents that you specialize in representing new authors, and after looking at your website I feel my 99,000 word novel, Secrets, would be a good match for you. It is women’s fiction geared toward the twenty to thirty-something crowd.
Seventeen, pregnant, and on her own. This is the position that recent high school graduate Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Not wanting to disappoint her family or ruin the father’s life, Willow leaves Indiana for charming Santa Elena, California, determined to raise her child on her own without telling a soul back home. She lands a job working for Peggy Maguire, a former Southern Belle with a knack for finding trouble - and humor - in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes someone she can count on for anything, but could there be more to their relationship than Willow sees? Get ready to laugh out loud and a shed a tear or two as Secrets takes you on a journey that begins with an independent young woman trying her best to hide the truth, and ends with a pivotal event that turns her world upside down, forcing all of Willow’s secrets to come to light.
Although I definitely have my own unique style and voice, Secrets could be described as a combination of Kristin Hannah’s sincere emotion, Meg Cabot’s humor, and the welcoming tone of a Robin Jones Gunn novel, where the characters seem like old friends stopping by with an invitation to a beach party or to offer a much needed hug. I chose to write this book because Willow’s character has a story to tell, and many women will relate to her as she gives all she has to create the best possible life for her child.
This is a simultaneous submission, and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. While Secrets can definitely stand on its own, it is also the first novel in a series. I have completed the next three books and have plans for a fifth Willow Ryan novel as well. I have enclosed the first ten pages of Secrets for you to read as stated on your website. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shannon Higgins
The road is the submissions process and the stage is my query letter. I am once again getting back into the game, hopefully with better results this time thanks to my newly revised query letter. I have been at this for a while, but I am still growing, still learning, and still working to make the dream come true, so I am posting my query in the hopes of getting some feedback from all of you out there, whether you are writers, working in the literary/publishing field, an avid reader, or just someone who has an opinion to share. I'd love to hear any comments you want to leave me. Thanks for reading, and I hope this letter is a winner. Fingers crossed!
Dear Ms. _______,
I read in Guide to Literary Agents that you specialize in representing new authors, and after looking at your website I feel my 99,000 word novel, Secrets, would be a good match for you. It is women’s fiction geared toward the twenty to thirty-something crowd.
Seventeen, pregnant, and on her own. This is the position that recent high school graduate Willow Ryan finds herself in during the summer of 1986. Not wanting to disappoint her family or ruin the father’s life, Willow leaves Indiana for charming Santa Elena, California, determined to raise her child on her own without telling a soul back home. She lands a job working for Peggy Maguire, a former Southern Belle with a knack for finding trouble - and humor - in the most unlikely places. Willow’s new neighbor, a friendly surfer dude named Denny, quickly becomes someone she can count on for anything, but could there be more to their relationship than Willow sees? Get ready to laugh out loud and a shed a tear or two as Secrets takes you on a journey that begins with an independent young woman trying her best to hide the truth, and ends with a pivotal event that turns her world upside down, forcing all of Willow’s secrets to come to light.
Although I definitely have my own unique style and voice, Secrets could be described as a combination of Kristin Hannah’s sincere emotion, Meg Cabot’s humor, and the welcoming tone of a Robin Jones Gunn novel, where the characters seem like old friends stopping by with an invitation to a beach party or to offer a much needed hug. I chose to write this book because Willow’s character has a story to tell, and many women will relate to her as she gives all she has to create the best possible life for her child.
This is a simultaneous submission, and my completed manuscript is ready to be sent at your request. While Secrets can definitely stand on its own, it is also the first novel in a series. I have completed the next three books and have plans for a fifth Willow Ryan novel as well. I have enclosed the first ten pages of Secrets for you to read as stated on your website. Thank you so much for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shannon Higgins
Saturday, June 25, 2011
An Unexpected Email
"I've got to admit it's getting better/ A little better all the time." - "Getting Better" by The Beatles
When I was checking my email Thursday night, I saw a response to a query I had sent an agent that immediately jumped out at me. What was strange was that my old title for Secrets was in the subject line. My first thought was that I had made a mistake was lucky enough to receive a form rejection instead of being ignored. I was wrong. My responses from agents are indeed getting better!
The weirdest part however, was that this query had been sent out in May of 2010 and I was just now getting a response! This is not unheard of, but I was still shocked. So, I opened it up to find a message saying that the agent thought I had "a nice writing style and sense of story". Wow, a compliment! Then she went on to say what I have come to expect, that it is very difficult to sell a first time author to a publisher unless the book is perfect. I get that, honestly I do. Then she said that she could put me in touch with an editor and she feels that I will ultimately see my work in print. That sounds like a pretty positive comment to me!
There is no way I can afford a professional editor on my salary, but I immediately realized something. I have done massive editing in the past year after gaining knowledge on my own and taking the advice of another agent who gave me some amazing editing tips. So, I decided to take a chance and email her back, mentioning the editing I had done and asking if she would be willing to look at the first three chapters again. I am not expecting anything to come of this, but it was a wonderfully unexpected surprise if it did. I just hope I hear back from her sooner than last time!
When I was checking my email Thursday night, I saw a response to a query I had sent an agent that immediately jumped out at me. What was strange was that my old title for Secrets was in the subject line. My first thought was that I had made a mistake was lucky enough to receive a form rejection instead of being ignored. I was wrong. My responses from agents are indeed getting better!
The weirdest part however, was that this query had been sent out in May of 2010 and I was just now getting a response! This is not unheard of, but I was still shocked. So, I opened it up to find a message saying that the agent thought I had "a nice writing style and sense of story". Wow, a compliment! Then she went on to say what I have come to expect, that it is very difficult to sell a first time author to a publisher unless the book is perfect. I get that, honestly I do. Then she said that she could put me in touch with an editor and she feels that I will ultimately see my work in print. That sounds like a pretty positive comment to me!
There is no way I can afford a professional editor on my salary, but I immediately realized something. I have done massive editing in the past year after gaining knowledge on my own and taking the advice of another agent who gave me some amazing editing tips. So, I decided to take a chance and email her back, mentioning the editing I had done and asking if she would be willing to look at the first three chapters again. I am not expecting anything to come of this, but it was a wonderfully unexpected surprise if it did. I just hope I hear back from her sooner than last time!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
I'm a Dreamer
"You may say I'm a dreamer/ But I'm not the only one." - "Imagine" by John Lennon
I love "Imagine". It's my favorite Lennon solo song and I'm in awe every time I hear it, even though I have heard it a thousand times before. It's really a pretty simple song, but so powerful and thought-provoking at the same time. The work of a true genius...
So, I just finished watching the Meryl Streep/Amy Adams movie "Julie and Julia", which just gets better each time I see it. In fact, it was my inspiration for starting this blog almost a year ago.
Whenever I watch that movie, I have to throw my hands up in the air and shake my head in amazement and wonder (and, I'll admit, a little bit of jealousy) when Julie's blog takes off and she ends up getting calls from agents, editors, and even publishers who want to represent her and her writing. What an impossible dream that would be! But still, I'm a dreamer and I do fantisize about how incredible it would be to have someone pursue my writing instead of me sending off my hopes and dreams and waiting with my fingers crossed for a positive response. I know it's stupid to even think like that, and believe me, I know it would never happen in a million years because I do live in the real world (most of the time...), but hey, that did actually happen to Julie Powell. I also take solice knowing that I am not the only hopeful writer out there who shares these dreams, as well as these realities. That being said, I didn't start my blog to get noticed and become rich and famous. I started blogging because I always have something to say and don't always have someone around to listen. Plus, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get the word out about my writing just in case... It's always good to have a platform, right?
Okay. Since I know I have to make this dream of becoming a novelist a reality, I am in the process of compiling my next list of agents to query. I have some time off of work in a few weeks and I am going to use it to write, submit to agents, research, and write some more. What? You think that sounds like work? Well, not to me. To me it sounds like the possibility of getting one step closer to my goal, which is music to my ears.
I love "Imagine". It's my favorite Lennon solo song and I'm in awe every time I hear it, even though I have heard it a thousand times before. It's really a pretty simple song, but so powerful and thought-provoking at the same time. The work of a true genius...
So, I just finished watching the Meryl Streep/Amy Adams movie "Julie and Julia", which just gets better each time I see it. In fact, it was my inspiration for starting this blog almost a year ago.
Whenever I watch that movie, I have to throw my hands up in the air and shake my head in amazement and wonder (and, I'll admit, a little bit of jealousy) when Julie's blog takes off and she ends up getting calls from agents, editors, and even publishers who want to represent her and her writing. What an impossible dream that would be! But still, I'm a dreamer and I do fantisize about how incredible it would be to have someone pursue my writing instead of me sending off my hopes and dreams and waiting with my fingers crossed for a positive response. I know it's stupid to even think like that, and believe me, I know it would never happen in a million years because I do live in the real world (most of the time...), but hey, that did actually happen to Julie Powell. I also take solice knowing that I am not the only hopeful writer out there who shares these dreams, as well as these realities. That being said, I didn't start my blog to get noticed and become rich and famous. I started blogging because I always have something to say and don't always have someone around to listen. Plus, I figured it wouldn't hurt to get the word out about my writing just in case... It's always good to have a platform, right?
Okay. Since I know I have to make this dream of becoming a novelist a reality, I am in the process of compiling my next list of agents to query. I have some time off of work in a few weeks and I am going to use it to write, submit to agents, research, and write some more. What? You think that sounds like work? Well, not to me. To me it sounds like the possibility of getting one step closer to my goal, which is music to my ears.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Silver Lining
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings/ I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold." - "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin
Okay. This song of the day is pretty self-explanitory. There are many, many writers out there whose dreams of publication have become a reality, and I want my dream to be realized too. The rejections I have received as well as the feedback do come with a silver lining, because they have all taught me so much about this business that I didn't know when I began two years ago. As for the pocketful of gold, that would be cool, but I'd settle for a check to pay my credit card bills. Whoa, dream big!
If you couldn't already tell, I'm getting impatient... again. In the past month I have sent out several queries and gotten a few rejections (nothing new, unfortunately), so I took a gamble. Earlier this year, an agent requested three chapters from me and ultimately passed, but I thought that maybe since I had totally reworked the beginning of my first novel, she would be willing to give it a second chance. Low and behold, her intern responded to my query and said that they would be happy to take a second look! Another silver lining perhaps? Maybe my work was rejected the first time around to give me a chance to do some rewriting, leading to a much stronger manuscript. I know I'm grasping at straws, but looking for silver linings is not what I typically do. Normally I would just see something as tarnished, messed up, or a total waste.
Anyway, this agent would be fantastic to work with and I can't wait to hear back. I'm not getting my hopes up at all because I've been burned too many times to be that optimistic now, but the waiting is killing me! It's only been nine days which is a nanosecond in the literary world, but what can I say? Patience has never been a strong point for me. I'm just hoping that her response will be my figurative "pocketful of gold" when it does arrive.
Okay. This song of the day is pretty self-explanitory. There are many, many writers out there whose dreams of publication have become a reality, and I want my dream to be realized too. The rejections I have received as well as the feedback do come with a silver lining, because they have all taught me so much about this business that I didn't know when I began two years ago. As for the pocketful of gold, that would be cool, but I'd settle for a check to pay my credit card bills. Whoa, dream big!
If you couldn't already tell, I'm getting impatient... again. In the past month I have sent out several queries and gotten a few rejections (nothing new, unfortunately), so I took a gamble. Earlier this year, an agent requested three chapters from me and ultimately passed, but I thought that maybe since I had totally reworked the beginning of my first novel, she would be willing to give it a second chance. Low and behold, her intern responded to my query and said that they would be happy to take a second look! Another silver lining perhaps? Maybe my work was rejected the first time around to give me a chance to do some rewriting, leading to a much stronger manuscript. I know I'm grasping at straws, but looking for silver linings is not what I typically do. Normally I would just see something as tarnished, messed up, or a total waste.
Anyway, this agent would be fantastic to work with and I can't wait to hear back. I'm not getting my hopes up at all because I've been burned too many times to be that optimistic now, but the waiting is killing me! It's only been nine days which is a nanosecond in the literary world, but what can I say? Patience has never been a strong point for me. I'm just hoping that her response will be my figurative "pocketful of gold" when it does arrive.
Friday, April 15, 2011
No Negative Words!
"Was a sunny day/ Not a cloud was in the sky/ Not a negative word was heard/ From the peoples passing by." - "Was a Sunny Day" by Paul Simon
Wow, two days in one year that I don't mind the sunshine. Who would've thought? I, the eternal lover of dark, cold, winter days, am actually enjoying the sunny weather and look forward to spending the afternoon outside with the girls. Did I undergo a lobotomy without my knowledge?
I think one reason for my good mood is that I am getting back into the submissions game. I have sent queries to a handful of agents that I think would be a good fit for my newly revised manuscript. It feels good to be doing something proactive! Hopefully this time around I will find the agent who was meant to represent me and my work.
I'm not holding my breath though, because I have been going through this long enough to be jaded by the process. I received two form rejections already (surprise, surprise), but that doesn't mean I won't get a better response tomorrow. I'm hoping I don't hear any negative words though. I can accept that my novel is not for everyone. After all, what book is? No matter what, I'll keep on truckin' though. I know, I know, but I just couldn't resist sneaking in another song reference!
Wow, two days in one year that I don't mind the sunshine. Who would've thought? I, the eternal lover of dark, cold, winter days, am actually enjoying the sunny weather and look forward to spending the afternoon outside with the girls. Did I undergo a lobotomy without my knowledge?
I think one reason for my good mood is that I am getting back into the submissions game. I have sent queries to a handful of agents that I think would be a good fit for my newly revised manuscript. It feels good to be doing something proactive! Hopefully this time around I will find the agent who was meant to represent me and my work.
I'm not holding my breath though, because I have been going through this long enough to be jaded by the process. I received two form rejections already (surprise, surprise), but that doesn't mean I won't get a better response tomorrow. I'm hoping I don't hear any negative words though. I can accept that my novel is not for everyone. After all, what book is? No matter what, I'll keep on truckin' though. I know, I know, but I just couldn't resist sneaking in another song reference!
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