I wonder if many writers feel like I do.
Finally finished the WIP, ten revisions later, got the query package ready and sent it out to my 6 top agents, including first 50 pages, query letter, synopsis and author bio where requested. (partial queries are standard in the UK).
Anyway, I messed up. The prologue has a couple of comma errors, and doesn't read as smoothly as the rest of the book. The worst thing is that the first chapter is actually pretty damn good. To compound the problem, my genre is literary, which is apparently all about "voice," and again my voice asserts itself so strongly in the first chapter. Now I'm sitting here wishing I hadn't sent the damn prologue. It's necessary to tie the story together ultimately, but not if you are only reading the first three chapters. My leg and butt are sore from repeated self-kicking and there is no hair left to tear out.
How could I be so stupid? I should have waited an extra day or two before mailing the query, or posted the prologue over in SYW for assistance since I was struggling with it all along. Those agents or their assistants are going to read the first two pages and chuck the submission long before they get to the goodness of the first chapter. Stupid 4 page prologue!!!!! Argghgh.
Anyone else felt like this before?
Finally finished the WIP, ten revisions later, got the query package ready and sent it out to my 6 top agents, including first 50 pages, query letter, synopsis and author bio where requested. (partial queries are standard in the UK).
Anyway, I messed up. The prologue has a couple of comma errors, and doesn't read as smoothly as the rest of the book. The worst thing is that the first chapter is actually pretty damn good. To compound the problem, my genre is literary, which is apparently all about "voice," and again my voice asserts itself so strongly in the first chapter. Now I'm sitting here wishing I hadn't sent the damn prologue. It's necessary to tie the story together ultimately, but not if you are only reading the first three chapters. My leg and butt are sore from repeated self-kicking and there is no hair left to tear out.
How could I be so stupid? I should have waited an extra day or two before mailing the query, or posted the prologue over in SYW for assistance since I was struggling with it all along. Those agents or their assistants are going to read the first two pages and chuck the submission long before they get to the goodness of the first chapter. Stupid 4 page prologue!!!!! Argghgh.
Anyone else felt like this before?
