The Tenth Circle

Scribe! So many congrats.

I finished the latest iteration of my book proposal. We're getting close...at least I hope. It's been nearly a year in the making due to my slowness and my agent's slow response times! Fingers crossed...

erinbee said:

Scribe! So many congrats.

I finished the latest iteration of my book proposal. We're getting close...at least I hope. It's been nearly a year in the making due to my slowness and my agent's slow response times! Fingers crossed...

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Thank you, erinbee. And congratulations on your own progress--fingers definitely crossed for you!

By the way, I have a question for any of you who've done a "virtual tour" to promote your books. Have you ever had a blog owner not post your column/interview on the scheduled day, without any explanation or communication at all? Because that's what happened to me today. I emailed my publicist about it, but haven't heard back yet.

It's enough to give an anxious debut author a complex. I'd been having an up-and-down 48 hours as it was--a five-star online review that had me walking on air, followed within a day by a below-average rating on another romance website that brought me crashing down to earth. I'm trying to roll with the punches, but well . . . ouch. Our business is nothing if not schizophrenic.

Sooo... Book reviewers are reading my book.

THAT IS HAPPENING.

I'm not sure whether to jump up and down or ask someone to hold me.

That's just asking for someone to lose an eye.

HA! Thanks, Calla

Tas, you may be ri--Ooh, popcorn!

moonfairee said:

Sooo... Book reviewers are reading my book.

THAT IS HAPPENING.

I'm not sure whether to jump up and down or ask someone to hold me.

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Oh, I feel you right now. I really do. *breathes into paper bag*

*Holds Mr Flibble's hand* We can do it!

callalily61 said:

Tas, only if it's cold out.

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!!!!!

I have my second novel coming out next week - shall we all hold hands together?

YES!! *Holds Anne's hand*

Also, my first Goodreads rating came in from an advanced reviewer....

FIVE STARS!!

moonfairee said:

Also, my first Goodreads rating came in from an advanced reviewer....

FIVE STARS!!

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Awesome!

I have to say, most of my advance reviews were good - a lot of bloggers only review books that they finished, and they don't finish the bad ones. Not trying to burst your bubble, just preparing you for the inevitable bonkers "reviews" that will eventually turn up on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/469545719

So...one book in, why doesn't the waiting get any easier? My agent has had the latest iteration of my proposal for two weeks and it's like every additional day is full of DREAD.

I don't think any of it gets any easier! Not the writing, not the waiting...

I have one book out this week (will it do as well as the first?), one to finish (if Book 2 goes well, will 3 continue the trend?) and a new project to start next year (will my agent like it?).

No wonder we're all nervous wrecks!

So, I've just joined this forum after lurking all night (and reading a good hundred or so pages of this thread - scaring myself silly in the process!)

I've just signed with a lovely agent for my first novel (debut literary fiction) and he's sent it out on submission to the first few places a couple of weeks ago - and I find myself absolutely overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Joy, excitement, nerves, TERROR that this is when it'll all go wrong and he'll drop me (though apparently he's got a reputation for persistence - one of the novels he represented back in the 70's went through a record-breaking number of rejections before finding a home, then promptly got shortlisted for a Pulitzer).

So it's lovely to read all of you and find I'm less alone than I thought...Congratulations to all of you with good news, and best of luck to those of you still waiting.

Hi QuoVadis - welcome to our little circle, and good luck with the submissions!

Hi quovadis! YAY for being on sub!! And yes, isn't it TERRIFYING? But it can be exciting too. Your agent sounds like a keeper!

You are definitely not alone

Thanks - he certainly seems to be so far (and from all the research I've done, seems to have built up a fairly industry-wide reputation (ie, on "Miss Snark" , blogs, the "acknowledgments" pages of his previous authors) of being not merely good at that whole selling-thing, but a "gentleman" and honorable as well!) I've corresponded briefly with another author he's repp'd and he had nothing but good things to say!

That said - as I don't want to be That Annoying Writer who calls all the time - what's the standard etiquette about corresponding with my agent from this point forth? His co-agent (who happened to be in the office the day I rang to check in) said he'd forward all - gulp! - rejections to me as they came in, but otherwise? Do I ring? Ask questions? Follow-up? Or do I just sit tight and try not to spill my drink all over myself every time the phone rings?

Hi Quovadis, welcome to the club of terror and joy

That depends on you and your agent. I talk to my agent as and when one of us has news/something to talk about (or occasional checkins every six weeks or so). Others might talk/email much more often, especially if there is stuff to talk about!

Personally, I'd not prod unless I had something I needed to talk about, or perhaps a 'Any news?' once a month or something, but whatever is comfortable for you both really. Maybe you could ask? ('I'd feel happy if I could check in with you every X-time, is that OK for you?)

When I was on sub, my agent said 'Don't expect to hear anything from publishers in less than 8 weeks' so when he emailed me early it was a nice surprise!

Quovadis,

I agree with Mr Fibble. At this point (it's been about a year and a half since I signed with her) I only email if I have something specific to say, like, for example, if I'm hosting a contest on my blog or something. Otherwise I wait to get rejections/hear from her. And definitely email, don't call.

Of course, in the beginning, you'll have questions, but definitely research publishing stuff online so you're not emailing anytime you have a question.

And have fun, ha! As stressful as this time can be, it's also a really exciting thing to have an agent and be on sub!

@Moonfairie - thanks so much! No news yet, and it's killing me (not sure if there SHOULD be news - I know that the MS got sent out, but not the day on which it was sent out, so it could have gone out anytime between early November and mid-December, and of course the Christmas holidays threw everything off...). I try not to bother my agent too much - maybe a monthly update if/when I have something career-related to report - but OH THE WAITING IS SO HARD.

::hyperventilates::

Does anyone else still not have the whole thing feel...real? I'm on my agent's website; I've listed him on my professional website - and still deep down I'm convinced that he's taken me on as a sick joke, and that my novel couldn't POSSIBLY be under consideration "for real", because that would be ridiculous!

Thank goodness I've discovered AbsoluteWrite - it's so nice to know I'm not the only bonkers one out there! Now, back to Duotrope tracking and the Rejectomancy forums...

quovadis said:

Does anyone else still not have the whole thing feel...real?

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All. The. Time.

Perfectly normal...for writers.