- Joined
- Sep 21, 2009
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I've been writing the great urban fantasy novel since June. 100K words, and in one of my first rejection emails, the agent said she was sure that I would find an agent. I was on cloud nine until I read that someone else on the net got the same line in his rejection.
If she's so sure I was going to land someone, where in the heck are they?
I went back to the drawing board, did some research on submittals and this time, after I sent them out, I came up with a request for a partial from an agent and about three form letter rejections. I would much rather receive a personal rejection than one that basically starts with, "Dear author."
I was trying to come up with a new gimmick that would separate my novel from the rest of the slush pile rejections. I read about a writer who put the query in a brochure format and had a good response. Since I'm a wiz on computer graphics, I put together a brochure and created a picture of my dream book cover and put it on the brochure. (see my avatar) I also put in it a brief synopsis and one scene when the main characters meet.
When I started this process over 20 years ago, I read a magazine for writers that had excellent suggestions on novel writing from successful authors such as Clive Cussler.
If she's so sure I was going to land someone, where in the heck are they?
I went back to the drawing board, did some research on submittals and this time, after I sent them out, I came up with a request for a partial from an agent and about three form letter rejections. I would much rather receive a personal rejection than one that basically starts with, "Dear author."
I was trying to come up with a new gimmick that would separate my novel from the rest of the slush pile rejections. I read about a writer who put the query in a brochure format and had a good response. Since I'm a wiz on computer graphics, I put together a brochure and created a picture of my dream book cover and put it on the brochure. (see my avatar) I also put in it a brief synopsis and one scene when the main characters meet.
When I started this process over 20 years ago, I read a magazine for writers that had excellent suggestions on novel writing from successful authors such as Clive Cussler.
- Make them laugh, make them cry, make them wait.
- End each chapter with a bang.
- Don't tell anyone outside your home about your novel until you finish it, otherwise you'll get discouraged when your beloved family and friends say a noncommital, "sounds neato" or "I like anything you write sweetheart. Even the kinky scene on the piano."
- Plot character plot character plot character.
- The hardest part of writing is selling it. (my own observation)
