How should I play my cards right?

Undercover · Jan 1, 2011

I am still waiting for my fulls to come back.

(rated by favorite)
Publisher #1 has had it 4 weeks.
Publisher #2 has had it 8 weeks.
Publisher #3 has had it 8 weeks.
Publisher #4 has had it 6 weeks.

Should I contact the least favorite first? If I do and maybe (hopefully) get a contract I can bump the best one? Or should I just ask the best one on the list first? Or should I keep waiting or I will ruin it all?

I want to play my cards right here and don't know what to do. I don't want them all declining me cause I was too anxious. Or worse, remind them they didn't like it after all.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 1, 2011

None of them have had it long enough to start worrying about time.

Karen Junker · Jan 1, 2011

I don't think you've given it enough time. Especially with the holidays being in there. Hang in there!

Cyia · Jan 1, 2011

Don't even think about checking in until you've passed the 3 month mark (maybe even 4 since the holidays just passed)

Undercover · Jan 1, 2011

Yeah, you're probably right. I keep thinking the holidays are over and here it is New Years Day. It feels like just another plain day to me. But it's the weekend which I never hear anything. I was thinking of emailing Monday morning, but think it's best to keep waiting.

My first novel was accepted in a week, that's why this one is killin' me. Thanks again for the responses.

brainstorm77 · Jan 1, 2011

A week is very quick and certainly not the norm.

san_remo_ave · Jan 1, 2011

Oh, yes, a week is certainly not typical.

I waited to hear from my publisher 10 mos after submitting through slush. I understand it's typical 3-6 mos turnaround for a requested submission. I second the recommendation to wait 3-4 months given the holidays are in the mix.

Best to focus your time and attention on your next ms right now.

James D. Macdonald · Jan 1, 2011

How should you play your cards right?

1) Always split aces and eights.
2) Never split tens.
3) Start sending your queries to agents rather than to publishers.

jallenecs · Jan 1, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
How should you play your cards right?

1) Always split aces and eights.
2) Never split tens.
3) Start sending your queries to agents rather than to publishers.

Uncle Jim, you completely forgot, "NEVER attempt to draw to an inside straight. It's a sucker bet."

jaksen · Jan 2, 2011

And do you have an agent?

I think I assumed you had.

Undercover · Jan 2, 2011

Nope. Tried the agent thing and they all folded on me.

Stijn Hommes · Jan 2, 2011

Once you have hit the mark all the others mentioned, I would recommend contacting your most favorite publisher first. You don't want to get an acceptance from one of the others and keep them waiting because you really want to work with someone else. If you make them wait, it is to consider the contract.

shaldna · Jan 2, 2011

Cyia said:
Don't even think about checking in until you've passed the 3 month mark (maybe even 4 since the holidays just passed)

this is what I was going to say.

Wayne K · Jan 2, 2011

I'd say leave them alone for a few months and write the next book. Following up isn't going to help you right now. These people are loaded with stuff from the past month

Anne Lyle · Jan 2, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
Nope. Tried the agent thing and they all folded on me.

Not saying you have to have an agent, but...

Did you query agents before trying publishers? If so, you might find you get a LOT more interest if you query now and mention you have four fulls out there. I recently emailed a query letter that was basically "Publisher X has requested an R&R - here's my pitch" and nothing else, and got a request for partial within 90 minutes

A request for full is proof positive that your writing is good enough to catch a publisher's eye - and therefore at least as powerful a selling tool as a well-written query letter.

Karen Junker · Jan 2, 2011

Are the publishers NY print publishers or epublishers? Sometimes epubs are quicker to respond (as in your 1-week response) but you may not need an agent to work with them.

Undercover · Jan 2, 2011

No, I never mention that to them. Actually I go an offer on this particular piece. I declined because it would only be an E-book. I should also mention it is a novella (30K words). I noticed the agents don't really want that. They rather full-length novels instead.

Is there agents that take novellas? IF so, who? Any recommendations? It is a paranormal romance and the MC is 22, which MAY or MAY NO consistute for a YA too. I can always adjust the age for a bit younger.

Anyways, if anyone could answer my questions, I would appreciate that. Thanks all for the advice.

Undercover · Jan 2, 2011

Karen, these publishers are both an e-book and print publisher that does both for novellas. One of the publishers is for my first novel which becomes available March. I am sweatin' that out too. I have gone through two rounds of edits and they are still having issues with the formatting. (another issue of mine)

Anne Lyle · Jan 2, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
No, I never mention that to them. Actually I go an offer on this particular piece. I declined because it would only be an E-book. I should also mention it is a novella (30K words). I noticed the agents don't really want that. They rather full-length novels instead.

Is there agents that take novellas? IF so, who? Any recommendations? It is a paranormal romance and the MC is 22, which MAY or MAY NO consistute for a YA too. I can always adjust the age for a bit younger.

Anyways, if anyone could answer my questions, I would appreciate that. Thanks all for the advice.

Ah. AFAIK, agents aren't interested in novellas, any more than short stories - there just isn't the money in it for them.

My understanding of YA is that the protagonist must be a teenager, so you would have to drop the age to 18 maximum, I think. But I could be wrong...

Undercover · Jan 2, 2011

Anne Lyle said:
Ah. AFAIK, agents aren't interested in novellas, any more than short stories - there just isn't the money in it for them.

My understanding of YA is that the protagonist must be a teenager, so you would have to drop the age to 18 maximum, I think. But I could be wrong...

See, that's what I thought. I'm better off with the publishers that are interested in it.

As for the YA age, it ranges from publisher to publisher. Some say 18 and up...and others say to 21 and I've even seem it go up to 24 (but that was the highest) I've looked on that too. But I could be wrong on that too. Just seems like there is no set rule on that age.

Terie · Jan 2, 2011

Lmc71775 said:
See, that's what I thought. I'm better off with the publishers that are interested in it.

As for the YA age, it ranges from publisher to publisher. Some say 18 and up...and others say to 21 and I've even seem it go up to 24 (but that was the highest) I've looked on that too. But I could be wrong on that too. Just seems like there is no set rule on that age.

YA isn't simply about the age of the MC. It's about the themes of the book, too. An MC can be 14 and the book can be for adults (She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb leaps to mind). You'd have to make sure your themes are appropriate to teenager readers if you want to target the YA market. Also, I'm not sure if there's much market for YA novellas. I think you might be better off keeping it targeted for adults if it's a novella.

thelastwordsmith · Jan 2, 2011

HEY LIS. You can change your MC's age to 19 (max) hehe...Anything above that and your MC will probably have married friends with kids. Not very Young Adult to me.

And happy (late) New Year. Damn, can't find the smiley face.

Undercover · Jan 2, 2011

HEY C!!! Good to see you again! Yeah, I'm not too worried about the age issue for the MC. I'm more worried on connecting in the first place, ya know?

And Happy New Year to you too.

thelastwordsmith · Jan 2, 2011

Found it.

Also don't worry about the publishers. They're probably still on vacation. Getting one should be easy...cuz your writing is solid. Easy to feel strong connections with your characters. But you already knew that.

Anne Lyle · Jan 3, 2011

Terie said:
YA isn't simply about the age of the MC. It's about the themes of the book, too. An MC can be 14 and the book can be for adults (She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb leaps to mind). You'd have to make sure your themes are appropriate to teenager readers if you want to target the YA market.

I've seen similar advice - the themes/conflicts should be ones that teens can relate to, e.g. conflicts with parents/siblings/peers, first romance, coming-of-age. And I guess that the overall tone of YA tends to be more positive, more "this character has problems but see, he overcomes them", than adult fiction, which has more leeway to be downbeat and nihilistic.

Of course teenagers will read books with adult protagonists and/or adult themes, but you can't market these books as YA because then you'll miss out on a lot of adult readers who never enter that part of the bookstore.

It all comes down to which side of the age divide will win you more readers and more sales - that's where the publishers will want to put it.

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