Dear Agent

Dear Agent,

This is not a query nor is it directed to any literary representative in particular. This is to all agents in general, from an unpublished and un-agented author.

I have queried again and again, on various projects. At times you are encouraging; at other times you are downright insulting. Sometimes you are enthusiastic about my projects, to the point that I begin to think I am on the right path. Then I receive that e-mail, the one that says, “I enjoyed reading --------, it’s a lovely story but…” And then you give whatever reason that you deem suitable for your rejection. On the whole it is not even reason, it is that you don’t think we will be a good fit. Or that you are not in love with my story. But couldn’t you tell it wasn’t a good fit or that you weren’t falling “in love” with it after the first fifty pages? Why then request the whole manuscript? And then keep me waiting for a whole month?

And please, after I send you a query that I have spent days constructing, please do not reply “No thanks” and end the e-mail there. I know you’re busy, but it’s insulting and dismissive. If I must be professional, then you ought to be too.  Send me one of those “form rejections.” They are far more preferable than a two word rejection.

You say not to take it personally and maybe I shouldn’t. But guess what? I do. My novels are my beloved children. And like any obsessed mother, I will do whatever in my power to see them blossom. By taking it personally, it only increases my determination to write something truly spectacular.

You may think that I am just another wannabe writer and nothing I will ever write will ever measure up. But someday, I will show you and the rest of the world what I am capable of.

Just you wait.

Sincerely,

The Authoress

Pity-Party Post

Disclaimer: As the title implies, this is a pity-party post, so you might want to skip this if you would rather not listen to whining, complaints and lamentations. But then what is a blog for if not that? Anyway, here it goes.

Last July I sent my current WIP to an agent and received what I thought was constructive criticism and encouragement. Agent told me that my work needed polishing/revisions but that it was lovely, it had potential and it could be unique and that after I did some more, to feel free and resubmit it to her. I was really appreciative and bursting with excitement. Therefore I spent the last six months laboring over my WIP and I have to say, it is much improved. It still may not be ready, but it is far better than it was. I decided to take Agent up on her word and resubmitted it. She replied that she did not remember me and did I possibly send it to one of her co-workers? She said that she would be willing to look over three chapters and a synopsis. My feelings were a little hurt, but I reminded myself that Agent probably receives thousands of queries a year and doesn’t recall all of them. I sent her the chapters and synopsis and her response was that there is now too much “telling” for her and that nothing really happens until page six and then it is a little later until there is more action. Ah, but there is good news, she continues. There are several publishers out there that do not require an agent and she mentions a few and offers her best wishes…blah, blah, blah.

As I have said, I can accept criticism and actually embrace it. If the first six pages of my chapter one are dull, I can improve it and rearrange it. What irks me is how she just brushed me off. I mean, what she said to me in July, was that just a generic reply that she sends to all aspiring authors that she is not interested in? If she really wasn’t interested, then she didn’t have to lead me on. I’m the kind of writer (and person) that when someone throws me crumbs, I pick up each and every crumb and gobble them down as fast as possible.

So now I feel like I’m back at square one. I’ll probably do a little more revising and then maybe by February I’ll have worked up the courage to send if off to some agents. We’ll see. I guess what depresses me most about this was that I thought that this was it. That maybe I really found someone else out there that likes my work too. I just feel like I can’t catch a break. I take two steps forward and get knocked five steps back.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I ought to update this blog more often. I have been busy, but not so much so that I can’t take ten minutes to write a blog entry.

I have submitted a query to an agent that I have yet to hear back from. I suppose that no news is good news. Had she not been interested, she would have sent a rejection right away. Either that or the e-mail was lost or disregarded altogether. Anyway, I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The wait is excruciating and has me imagining all kinds of things, both good and bad. I don’t want to set my hopes too high for fear they will come crashing down around me. I should send out some more queries, but I would really like to hear from this particular agent first. She is…unconventional. And I rather like unconventional.

While I am trying to market my finished novella, I am beginning on a new novel. This one is to be a drama, set in my beloved Indiana, primarily in 1840. I am excited. It was inspired by a subplot and two secondary characters in a novel that has already been published. Sometimes when I read a novel, I find the secondary characters far more appealing than the actual hero and heroine.