The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Nova Odyssey said:

thanks guys! Gosh, an introduction? I write adult literary, with magical realism elements (comic book especially), and also historical. 2 books written in ten years, six years of sporadic (and sometimes intense) querying for an agent. I landed two offers from agents. One offer came from my first full request for book 2 and one of my first queries for that book from 2 YEARS ago (it took that long to make its way through slush....) and the offer I accepted came in 2 days after my (now agent!) heard I had an offer. So here I am. Revising before going on sub. And thus far, I'm very excited about the revisions. too excited. so I'll mostly be checking in here and there to tell you how much I love, then hate my revisions, and cheering everyone else on. until it's my turn for the next phase... yikes.

and now, arkady 7 ....

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Oh gosh, hi! Another writer of adult literary with magic realism elements. Me too! We're like jackalopes around these parts. I hear you on the long-haul writing and agent search. I'm STILL rewriting my novel after getting my agent 1.5 years ago. But, I really am making progress. For reals. Good luck on your revisions!

Arkady, any new news? (How long does an auction take anyway?)

Quickbread, usually an agent will set up a time/day where the publishing house will e-mail the agent and give facts (i.e. sales estimate, marketing plan, editorial ideas) and then the author will speak to each editor and hear their vision. Then, the author will pick the house they like the most. It usually is done with $$$ but sometimes the author will go with a lower $ because the editorial vision matches theirs better. Usually, the agent will give the publishers a few days (2-3?) to get it all together. (this is all courtesy of a publishing class I took lol. I have NO experience in this)

*flops around the forum like one of those inflatable tube people outside gas stations*

NOPE THE WAITING IS NOT BOTHERING ME AT ALL.

(Good luck to those of you with good news, and hang in there, everybody else!)

tuesday- word count is 160k, but I think we're going to add a couple thousand words! Several editors wanted to see more worldbuilding, which I was just too excited about since I'd been worried about running over the limit for a debut.

Quickbread- the deadline for the first round is tomorrow. Not sure how many rounds we're going for- it'll depend on the bids that we get. Based on the offers that we've seen already, it'll be...quite nice.

Apparently we've had offers from the UK and for audio too, but all this talk about international rights and audio rights are making my head spin so I'm trying not to think about that too much. When it starts happening it happens FAST, guys; it was four weeks of nothing and then BOOM ALL THE NEWS ALL AT ONCE.

For now, I just get to sit back and work on the sequels. I've been mentally blocked up from working on them but now the words are just flowing–I suppose it's like having a project greenlit!

The support is hugely appreciated, guys. I've mostly been walking around in a daze. I've had so many conference calls in the last two days. Editors have been super super nice, and it's so cool to hear about various visions for the project! It'll be terribly difficult to choose; I loved everyone I spoke with. Feeling incredibly lucky but also like I've been hit by a thunderbolt.

krashnburn said:

Hi Nova!

Tree, it's nice to see you writing for you and remembering why you loved it, but don't give up on traditional publishing--the more I read and watch everyone (and take my own journey) the more I see it can often take a few books to get there.

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Thanks man.

I finally heard back this morning (funny huh?) and there were so many corrections I'm basically scrapping the story and starting again. The manuscript was a steaming pile of do-do! I couldn't look at it without loathing. Honestly, if it were published tomorrow I wouldn't put my name to it!!

LOL, back to the start!

Wow, what a couple of days around here.

Arkady, you must be a writing machine. 160k words and you only started in late 2015, that is productivity.

Nova appears, Treehouseman gets a call, and Niicola checks in to report that she's in the right place -- HELL.

Happy Hump Day, all!

Hell over here, too. Not a peep from the eight editors who have my MS and agent says she can't read my new MS for a few weeks. I really really need to start #3 but I need a little motivational push.

I am also in hell. I heard back from my agent this week and we are now on sub in the US as well quite heavily, as YA thrillers are much better received over the water. Not sure how I feel about possibly debuting not in my own country? Does anyone have any experience etc on this?
Still got 10 subs out in the UK too but all the feedback is pointing the same way so far: great book, risky genre. At least the feedback I've got from editors has been lengthy and full of praise haha I must say I am enjoying rejections in the next level of hell a lot more!

I'm also in the hell camp. Yet another week slipping away with nothing but crickets to show for it, and next week is already June.

It's hard not to feel sad about it all the freakin' time. I'm just so confused. I've had no problem landing agents. I just can't seem to get beyond that step. And I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.

Sorry to be such a downer, folks.

Hell over here also. Next week it will be 4 months since we went on sub with two small batches. I still think I have a pretty good book, with a unique take on a fairy tale that hasn't been rehashed to death. My writing has been praised quite a bit by 3 out of 5 rejecting editors... No one seems to agree on what's not working for them. It's all so disconcerting and discouraging.

LGG - I'm in Canada and my agent is in NY, subbing to US publishers at the moment. I have no problem with being published there. Or here. Or in the UK. I'm fine any which way, really. As long as, you know, I do get published, location doesn't matter to me.

I'm from the UK and all our subs are in the US. I also don't care what country it is as long as I get a deal!

Earthling said:

I'm from the UK and all our subs are in the US. I also don't care what country it is as long as I get a deal!

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Ooh yay! US sub buddies! *high-fives*

Cricket hell here until memorial day. I, too, have never had a problem getting an agent. It's from there on that the roadblocks have been thrown up. Not agent's fault. Real tough and tight out there right now.

Yep. Hell and high water here, too. Summer--the waiting season-- is setting in. I'm waiting on a pub to price out mechanicals for a novelty book. They love the book and are working hard to meet the price point needed for publication...this has been going on for 15 months now. Don't think any other ms will go out until the season is past.

And Helleeeew to the magical realism folks! Me, too!

And, on a completely different note--why are first chapters so reeking hard? Yes, yes, I know. They have to establish character and setting, hint at adventure, tease and tempt. In short, shimmer like an irresistible inter-dimensional portal that sucks readers in against their will or better judgement....

Yeah. Building those portals is hard.

Hi guys. I'm in hell too. Been on submission for over a month with two passes and otherwise crickets. Honestly this is one of the hardest things any of us will ever have to go through. I'm glad we're not doing this completely alone. I feel for you guys and I've barely been on sub.

So I got a R&R from a literary agent friend on my picture book. I feel conflicted because I'm not 100% sure how to interpret her notes, but maybe that means I need a picture book CP.

Quickbread said:

Oh gosh, hi! Another writer of adult literary with magic realism elements. Me too! We're like jackalopes around these parts. I hear you on the long-haul writing and agent search. I'm STILL rewriting my novel after getting my agent 1.5 years ago. But, I really am making progress. For reals. Good luck on your revisions!

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well, I can't say I've met many around here too, so nice to virtually-meet you! WOW on revising that long and for pushing through it. thanks and good luck too!

Lonegungrrly said:

I am also in hell. I heard back from my agent this week and we are now on sub in the US as well quite heavily, as YA thrillers are much better received over the water. Not sure how I feel about possibly debuting not in my own country? Does anyone have any experience etc on this?
Still got 10 subs out in the UK too but all the feedback is pointing the same way so far: great book, risky genre. At least the feedback I've got from editors has been lengthy and full of praise haha I must say I am enjoying rejections in the next level of hell a lot more!

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so no experience, but just saying that my first book I was looking for a UK agent as a US writer b/c I knew (and was told) that's where the market was for that book. and was totally ok with that! sounds like others are ok with debuting in another country too.

ok, so I went from rejection and dejection to a I AM IN HELL thread? Yeash. Why do we do this?
revising. Mid-way first draft revisions.

Deep, dark, flaming hell here, too. No word from agent it's Friday AGAIN. Ugh, I have got to get my WIP polished so agent has something new to flog. Off to work on dreaded synopsis. Anybody know the current expectation for length? It's my understanding it should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, with one space between each paragraph. Correct?

ChocolateChipCookie said:

Anybody know the current expectation for length? It's my understanding it should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, with one space between each paragraph. Correct?

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I've had to keep my last 2 to 1pg, but otherwise, yep.

I did two versions for my latest:
- 1 pg, single spaced, indented rather than spaces between paragraphs
- 2 pg, double spaced, indented

Agent might have altered the format before she sent them on to the editor, but if she did, she didn't say anything.

Moonchild, pinkbow, Bunny, Diana, Tri.

hester said:

Moonchild, pinkbow, Bunny, Diana, Tri.

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*wonders what she did wrong*

Gah, Earthling, I'm so sorry! Extra for you!! (And for anyone else I missed).

ChocolateChipCookie said:

Deep, dark, flaming hell here, too. No word from agent it's Friday AGAIN. Ugh, I have got to get my WIP polished so agent has something new to flog. Off to work on dreaded synopsis. Anybody know the current expectation for length? It's my understanding it should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, with one space between each paragraph. Correct?

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Yep, you're right in there. My query, which is my short synopses and and intro, is one half pages long, while my synopses is 1.5 pages. Single space, drop down for each paragraph. But I go left flush with with all text--no indents (Don't know why I do that).

Earthling, I'm sure your agent picked the one that worked and didn't think twice! My agent revised my pitch to make it more snappy/exciting for editors.

My agent prefers a one-page synopsis, but I try to keep it 700-800 words. She hasn't complained when it runs beyond one page.