Finished my MS! Now what?

kimb68 · Nov 17, 2008

Okay, I'm basically finished. I have a draft query letter, I'm working on a synopsis. I'm planning on taking part in the December Beta Project.

I assume I'll have to make some changes based on the beta critiques, plus I still need to proofread and do last tweaks on the prose.

Is it too soon to start querying? I figure I could have this thing ship-shape by late January. The first 50 pages are probably clean enough to send out right now. Realistically, I have to expect I'll get mostly rejections, so I've got nothing to lose, right?

Jersey Chick · Nov 17, 2008

You want to make sure the entire thing is shipshape - just in case. There are those who get a request for a full witing 24 hours of the original query/partial. It happened to me. If you query now, and it happens, waiting two months to be able to submit a full is taking a chance - IMHO. Someone else might come along and suggest otherwise but if it was me, I'd wait until it's all ready to go out the door this minute.

Lainey Bancroft · Nov 17, 2008

Congrats on finishing, kimb68! And if you have a query letter and synopsis good to go, all the better. BUT, I have to go with Jersey Chick on this one. Having done this to myself twice now (one query JUST on proposal and one on a 'finished' but unpolished ms) it adds pressure you don't need.

If you queried an agent/editor tomorrow morning and they said send by dinner, what would your gut say?

Plus, at this time of year, I don't really think you lose that much by waiting. Year end wrap, holidays...HIT them with your best shot in the New Year IMHO!

Deb Kinnard · Nov 17, 2008

Yeah, it's too soon. Compose your soul in patience and spend these next few weeks (when I'm told nothing happens in PublishVille anyway) tweaking, buffing and polishing. If you're tempted to send the puppy out now, think instead of how proud you will be when they request the full and you can say to yourself, "Oh yes! It's ready!"

Kudos to you on finishing. Do you know how many writer-wannabes write "Chapter One" but never make it to "The End"?

kimb68 · Nov 17, 2008

Thanks for the advice. I'm impatient by nature, so I'll try to rein that in. Actually, I can tell the synopsis is going to be very difficult.

This is the second book I've finished, so I knew I could do it. The first one is mothballed, but I have high hopes for the second. "High hopes" meaning, it might be salable.

shameless · Nov 17, 2008

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a newbie was starting the query process before I was truly ready.

Patience isn't one of my virtues either, but it is a necessity to survive in this business. Good luck!

MissLadyRae · Nov 17, 2008

Agreed! I'm not much of a patient person myself but you definitely want to check it over to make sure you're happy with everything and to make sure it's your best presentation. Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression and you want your manuscript looking shiny and spiffy before it lands on any other desks. You may get a manuscript request you want to be good to go.

If you have an itchy query finger, you can always round up your list of potentials and write out your queries and synopses but DON'T send them out yet. Just write them down to get it out of your system for now while you're tweaking your manuscript.

Best wishes to you!

Erin · Nov 18, 2008

Congrats on finishing! As others have said, wait until you've polished it to the nth degree. I'm currently in Agent Query Hell and I got a full request within 48 hours after sending my query (and that was 48 hours of weekend time). It happens quickly sometimes, and you don't want to be caught unawares.

Deb Kinnard · Nov 18, 2008

Good on ya, for the request for the full, Erin. Keep us posted-?

Lainey Bancroft · Nov 18, 2008

MissLadyRae said:
If you have an itchy query finger, you can always round up your list of potentials and write out your queries and synopses but DON'T send them out yet. Just write them down to get it out of your system for now while you're tweaking your manuscript.

I LOVE this MissLadyRae! A practice letter you can let rest and then 'practice' reading it as a stranger. Great advice.

MissLadyRae · Nov 18, 2008

Thanks Lainey!

I can attest it does help to calm those jittery 'send' nerves until the manuscript is reading for the world. That and chocolate, hehe.

MKL1025 · Nov 19, 2008

Ditto what everyone else said. Just focus your efforts on building your "Agents to Query" spreadsheet and perfecting that query letter as you revise.

Also, keep in mind that you might end up revising based on feedback you get during the query process. I received invaluable feedback from partial and full requests that really made my MS much stronger.

Good luck! I know the waiting sucks, but it's unfortunately a necessary evil at every stage of the publishing game!

Stacia Kane · Nov 19, 2008

Oh, yes, definitely wait. My agent requested my full within three hours. And he wasn't the only one; I had a couple of full requests by the end of the business day I queried on.

You may be able to fudge it by a few hours or a day, even, if you want to give it one last look-over, but no more. When agents have that much interest and enthusiasm, you don't want to do anything to make them lose it.

kimb68 · Nov 20, 2008

Thanks, guys.

By the way, I'm officially co-opting "itchy query finger."

Finished my MS! Now what?

kimb68

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

Lainey Bancroft

Cover Me!

Deb Kinnard

kimb68

shameless

Superlative Type A

MissLadyRae

I vaahnt to suck your blaahd

Erin

Listening to my other selves

Deb Kinnard

Lainey Bancroft

Cover Me!

MissLadyRae

I vaahnt to suck your blaahd

MKL1025

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective

kimb68