Purgatory's Pit of Doom

(((Cat)))

ETA: *sniff sniff* full rejection. Oh well, it was a long shot. I'm just not feeling it anymore anyway. There's something there everyone likes, but it's just not THERE there.

(((kellion)))

(((Hester)))

(((Cat)))

(((Teri)))

(((Kellion)))

*flops on couch* Had to run but made the early bus home. That was seven hours of my life for 15 minutes with the doc. But I've been felt up by him and his PA, and pronounced good for another three months. Blergh.

ink wench said:

*flops on couch* Had to run but made the early bus home. That was seven hours of my life for 15 minutes with the doc. But I've been felt up by him and his PA, and pronounced good for another three months. Blergh.

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Sounds like that time The Today Show flew me to NYC to see my husband...

{{{Kell}}}

Muted yay, DVI!

Great news, Ink, but it came in a really inconvenient and time-wasting way, so it's still Pittish.

Once again, Red teases us with a tantalizing peek at her mysterious life. I'm guessing this was a touching reunion story that involved a lot of touching, and certainly didn't have a happily ever after attached.

Also, it involved a javelin.

Uh, so Red, do you really have no interest in memoir writing? I couldn't make up stuff as mind-blowing as all the weird juxtapositions and reversals in your life.

kellion92 said:

Uh, so Red, do you really have no interest in memoir writing? I couldn't make up stuff as mind-blowing as all the weird juxtapositions and reversals in your life.

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Maybe if I outlive everybody who would be in the book. There's a fair chance of that. My Aunt Gladys is 98.

Oh and if you're really curious, I'm quite sure is you google 'photographer' and 'javelin' together, my ex's story will pop up as the first hit. Maybe the first hundred hits.

RedScylla said:

Sounds like that time The Today Show flew me to NYC to see my husband...

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I wanted to comment on this, but then I was afraid I would yet again be believing something that everyone else knew was made up, like the time Haupe said she had a finger blown off in an accident.


(((Kell)))

OK, I just declared all my aging queries for one project dead and sent an exclusive to a small press that insists on them. The only way this could be a problem would be if one of my old queries comes back to life and then the small press offers. This is not a problem I'm overly concerned about. If it actually happens, I will be even less concerned.

kellion92 said:

OK, I just declared all my aging queries for one project dead and sent an exclusive to a small press that insists on them. The only way this could be a problem would be if one of my old queries comes back to life and then the small press offers. This is not a problem I'm overly concerned about. If it actually happens, I will be even less concerned.

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Seriously, as worst case scenarios go, I think you should hope for it.

Kell, that is a good plan

LOL, Red. That's crazy (yes, I Gl'd it)

kellion92 said:

OK, I just declared all my aging queries for one project dead and sent an exclusive to a small press that insists on them. The only way this could be a problem would be if one of my old queries comes back to life and then the small press offers. This is not a problem I'm overly concerned about. If it actually happens, I will be even less concerned.

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I don't consider outstanding queries to be submissions.

This won't surprise you, but I tend not to pay much attention to these sort of instructions anyway. When someone says, "Only exclusive submissions," I understand them to be saying: "If I want this, I don't want to have to compete for it. If I want this, I don't want the author using my offer to leverage a better offer. If I want this, I want to be able to get it without having wasted my time taking something to acquisitions but not signing it."

If you break a rule, but nobody knows you've broken the rule and you haven't hurt anyone, have you really broken the rule?

I can think of lots of defenses.

The problem with demanding exclusivity is you are probably either going to be queried first (before other subs are out) or last (when all the other non-exclusive choices have expired). With all the no- and slow-responses, it can take years to work through a list to be "clear" for an exclusive. Thus, if your press or agency is not likely to the first choice, don't ask for exclusivity.

But no, I'm not worried. If they make me an offer, they can have the book. No problem there.

RedScylla said:

Oh and if you're really curious, I'm quite sure is you google 'photographer' and 'javelin' together, my ex's story will pop up as the first hit. Maybe the first hundred hits.

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"It wasn't real painful..." he says. Seriously???? lol

{{kelli}}

*boggles* I want to read about Red's real life. I want to listen to her on This American Life. Make it happen!

ink wench said:

Flyby posting. Off to Boston and the oncologist this morning. Alone. *sobs* No Mr. Wench to keep me company, and I have a lot of time to kill between when my bus gets in and the appointment. I have to enjoy the beautiful weather by myself. Will check in later.

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{{{Ink}}} Saw your secondary post--so glad it went well, even though it took a lot of time and you got felt up, by two people. A clean bill for 3 month makes it worth it, yes?

alias octavia said:

May the force be with you, Ink.

(((hester))) I really love your entry, I think it is a great concept. Sorry you aren't getting more agent interest over there.

Also, I'm sorry I missed Cricket's bitter post. I've moved beyond bitter to a level of indifference (it is a very sad place).

My new freelance gig is great, but I have zero time for writing now. I need to find a babysitter soon. I'm drowning in work and have no time to waste online. It is either one or the other, isn't it? When I have lots of free time to write the words won't come, but when I have no time the ideas are spilling out of my brain.

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{{{AO}}} but on indifferent. It's always that way---when you have time to write, nothing comes to you. When you don't have time, the floodgates open. What's your freelance gig? Congrats on that!

Teri, basically my post alluded to the fact that most of these conferences are very expensive and for the poor among us, we're left to querying because what other choice do we have?

{{{Cat}}} How Pittish is that? Ugh. You and your son can come to Hawaii. Not sure about the Diva, though.

{{{Teri}}} Ugh, that is so Pittish.

{{{Kell}}} Boo on the full rejection. So unfair! Yay for sending to the small press! I wouldn't sweat the exclusive either.

Red, that was mentioned once before because I remember Googling it.

And Amarie, the fun with Red is that her stories are bizarro and true at the same time. Two mints in one!

Welp, I have four small words to say: Tax season is OVER!!!!!

Yay for Cricket's tax season being over! And yay for her birthday, because in some parts of the world it's already here! You better celebrate, girl, because you deserve it.

kellion92 said:

Yay for Cricket's tax season being over! And yay for her birthday, because in some parts of the world it's already here! You better celebrate, girl, because you deserve it.

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Heh, well, in true Pittish fashion, when I was at the doctor's office yesterday she said, "Do you know you have 100.3 fever?" This was in addition to my insane blood pressure. Not feeling great today--my temp clocked in at 99.0. *sigh*

{{{Kellion}}}

{{{{Pit}}}}}

Yay for the end of tax season - for those of us low down in the getting money back bracket, it's been bittersweet. And feel better, those who are sick {(Cricket)} {(Ink)}

Very pittish day at work, especially at the end - hey, then you can take the hate home and to the supermarket and infect everyone! Because they say "Don't let one person ruin your day." (In this case it was two vicious assholes ganging up on me, but the argument remains valid) But they're so good at it...

(((Cricket))) feel better today -- or take it easy if you don't.

(((Mario))) it can be really, really hard to let things go. If you have a couple things in a row, anger can build up faster than you can resolve it. Sorry for the bad day.

Well, yesterday was one of those days for me. I got my full rejection, and then I got turned down as a chaperone for a field trip! And the chaperone part made me really mad. The teacher wants to spread out the volunteer opportunities among parents, and mine is being homeroom parent. But it's not the same! I got stuck doing it when no one else volunteered after two calls, and I've spent countless hours planning dumb parties, shopping, cooking, and spending my own money on food and craft supplies. It's WORK and it's exactly the kind of work I don't like. Chaperoning kids to a play or nature center is not work. I don't see why I should be penalized for helping out with the hard stuff by being excluded from the easy stuff.

OK, maybe I'm still mad. Let it go, Kellion. *breathes deep*

Count me in among the people who would totally read Red's memoir.

Kellion, sounds like a you'd win for losing scenario, which are all too rare. Good luck!

Cricket, yay for tax season being over! Hope you feel better soon. And seriously, your insane blood pressure is mine on a very, very, very good day. You don't want to know what it was when they took it at the doc's yesterday. (Ink doesn't have to worry about cancer killing her, sheesh.)

(((Mario)))

ETA: (((Kellion))) That sounds like a sucky arrangement. I would so not make a good mom.

kellion92 said:

(((Cricket))) feel better today -- or take it easy if you don't.

(((Mario))) it can be really, really hard to let things go. If you have a couple things in a row, anger can build up faster than you can resolve it. Sorry for the bad day.

Well, yesterday was one of those days for me. I got my full rejection, and then I got turned down as a chaperone for a field trip! And the chaperone part made me really mad. The teacher wants to spread out the volunteer opportunities among parents, and mine is being homeroom parent. But it's not the same! I got stuck doing it when no one else volunteered after two calls, and I've spent countless hours planning dumb parties, shopping, cooking, and spending my own money on food and craft supplies. It's WORK and it's exactly the kind of work I don't like. Chaperoning kids to a play or nature center is not work. I don't see why I should be penalized for helping out with the hard stuff by being excluded from the easy stuff.

OK, maybe I'm still mad. Let it go, Kellion. *breathes deep*

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ARG. Sorry, K. The whole volunteering at school thing drives me nuts. I know they do it to prevent "helicopter parenting" but what they also forget is that a lot of parents work full-time and they make a lot of the KIDS neurotic because their parents CAN'T do field trips, etc.

BTDT, can you tell?