Weeding Out

When I first started this blog, I promised myself that I would be 100% honest with everything that I put up here. That is why I have posted my rejection letters, that is why I have vented my frustrations or shared on the days that I am feeling more optimistic...and I will continue to do that.

So, in the spirit of honesty, I haven't written anything in almost two days. That goes for this blog, which I'm sure many of you have noticed, as well as my writing outside of the blog (my novels, poetry, memoir, etc.). I had a lot of thoughts swirling inside of my head with things I wanted to write, but I just didn't feel like writing, which is extremely unusual for me.

It's not that I don't know why, either.

Writing is a tough gig. I'm going to be honest about that, too. Sure there are some people who know the right people or who possibly get lucky...not that they're not good writers, but in this business, it seems that getting your stuff in front of the right people is 90% of the battle and writing is only the other 10%. For the rest of us, though, we have to keep writing new stuff and keep whoring ourselves out to any media outlet or literary connection we can find with the hope that the right pair of eyes will see it and like it. It isn't always fun...in fact, it never really is. The only fun part is the writing...the 10%...so in all truthfulness, 90% of being a writer really isn't very fun at all.

I suppose it's just about loving the other 10% THAT much where you are fulfilled enough by it to push through the rest-- the part that is the demeaning, ego-destroying, hope and dream-crushing process that is trying to get your writing recognized. In the end, I've realized that the ones who endure are those who are writing for the love of writing...and that like most other things, this might all just be a weeding out process.

That being the case, I'm in it for the long-haul...I write because I love to write...even if I have to do something on the side...even if it's another ten years before I get published or if my writing never gets recognized, I'm never going to stop writing because that will mean I've clamped the valve that flows from my soul.

What is the take-away from this blog? I'm not sure if I was convincing myself that it is ok to keep pushing through for what you love when the going gets tough or if I was writing it for someone else out there who might be in the same position and feeling the same way...or perhaps both.

So, to that person...if you're out there...Let's make a deal...Do what you love, and so will I :)

It's That Time Again...

With new query letters, of course, come new rejection letters.

Now, in all fairness, most agents have a pretty decent form letter (see my previous blog about those if you're wondering what they are). There are also the select few agents (or their assistants) who actually take the time to write nice, personalized letters and believe it or not, there is something gratifying about receiving those letters. I got two today...and yes, I know...they are still rejections, but at least I know the agent actually took the time to read my letter and really felt my book wasn't a fit for them instead of...well, the one I'm posting today.

First of all, some of these (fiction-so we're talking finished novels here) agents write back and say they receive hundreds of query letters a day. The irony of the one I posted below is that this particular agent wrote back in thirteen minutes and said the very same thing--so maybe she didn't get quite so many on that day :) Really, though? I mean, how many people have written complete novels and are querying these agents? Sometimes in the same letter, they will say that the industry is in the worst state its ever been (great thing to tell an aspiring author) and things are extremely slow, yet they're absolutely incapacitated because of the amount of query letters they are receiving. Which is it? Are you riding the 2005/2006 housing bubble where everyone wants a piece of the action or did it already burst and you can't give away your foreclosure? It can't be both ways...

The other thing is that aside from the people who I've been introduced to BECAUSE I'm a writer, I've only organically met one other writer (who happens to be my friend's son and I hope the agents pay attention when they get his letter because his book is the needle in their supposed haystack). So if all of these hundreds of thousands of writers with finished novels are out there and they're writing query letters and bombarding the agents with them every day, who are these people and more importantly, where are they? I want to meet them.

In fact, I might have just single-handedly solved this whole debacle! The finished books are out there, the agents are just so overwhelmed by query letters, they don't have time to actually read any of them--ergo everyone gets a form rejection and the publishing industry is tanking. Hmm...maybe I should be a literary agent instead...just kidding!

Anyway, that basically covers the form rejection letters, but this one is a special "gem" and I felt the need to share it. It is probably the best I've received so far.

So, without further adieu, here it is...My comments are in red. Enjoy!

Note: While I do have a sense of humor, I'm not a mean person, so I did block out their name and email address (and mine, too, while I was at it) for the sake of privacy. I apologize for the small writing, that was as big as I could make it since I just did a screenshot with my comments on it.

Writing Conference

Since I'm literally trying everything this time around, I signed up for a writer's conference. I'm not sure what to think of it being as I've never been to one, but I've heard good things...especially about this particular conference.

I'm going to go all out at this thing. I'm buying all of the extra one-on-one time with the agents that I can get my hands on, I'm going to network like crazy and I'm going to tell anyone who will listen about my blog and more importantly, my book.

As the conference gets closer, I will post more about it and I will definitely post during and after it, but as of right now, I just signed up and I'm still not sure whether I made a wise investment or not (because it was definitely an investment--those things aren't cheap!)

I was going to go to one last year and that is actually one of the main reasons that I didn't...I didn't see the need to spend the money, so maybe I was a penny wise and a pound foolish, who knows? Maybe I would have been a famous author by now if I would have just spent the money at this time last year. Just kidding :)

But NOT going certainly didn't do anything to launch my writing career into the stratosphere, so this year is a new opportunity.

I'm actually glad that I didn't go last year, though (closet optimist strikes again). I am much more confident this year. A lot has happened between then and now. First things first, I edited the HELL out of my book. Five major edits/rewrites that included over 15,000 changes (I didn't count, but Microsoft word kept track and since I'm a computer nerd, I thought it was fun to constantly compare the documents), I added chapters, I took chapters out, I even changed the title. So at this point, I am very comfortable handing it to an agent, editor, publisher, whoever and walking away knowing I gave them my absolute best work. I have also grown a lot as an individual and as a writer and I actually feel READY for this one. So...whatever... I'm going and hopefully I'll get something out of it.

Ironically, one writer I talked to landed his agent in the airport shuttle on the way home from his conference--and he's doing very well now...so that still counts as a conference success story....kind of :)

If nothing else, I just bought the most expensive "Hi! My name is..." badge that I'll ever purchase...

Busy Sending Queries

So...the last few days have been filled with sending out query letters (which, as I've mentioned, I absolutely LOVE...or....not so much). 

I definitely realized that sending out a blast to every agent I could find the first time around was probably a mistake. This time, I'm really researching the agents I want to send to and making sure they seem like a good fit for my book. Whether they agree or not is a different story, but at least I know I'm targeting a more specific audience this time around. I think the first time, I just thought the more people who see it, the better chances I have...and what I realized is that this isn't American Idol where someone is just going to fall in love with what you're doing and say that you're not exactly what they're looking for, but they'll give you a chance anyway because they like you. If they say they're looking for young adult fiction and you send them commercial fiction, you can pretty much expect the Simon Cowell response.

Oh well, I tried. You live and you learn.

So, this time, if I get any Simon Cowells, maybe they're just having a bad day because I sent them what they said they were looking for :)