The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Howdy everyone! Had to keep off AW for a while, as Pesach and my day-job have kept me busy lately.

Martina: Congrats on finishing your revision!!! Even better that your agent likes it thus far!

VEH: I hear you loud and clear. 3 out of the 4 rejections I received were very, very kind and encouraging, but it's like: Well, if I'm really a "brilliant talent," for instance, why won't you buy my book? Sigh... But congrats on getting the new thing to your agent!

Polish: Good luck with the edits!!!

PBV: Hoping your block clears soon. It's been slow going these last few days with my WIP as well. Frustrating too, because I'm so close to finishing it I can almost taste the finished-a-first-draft cigar.

Puttputt: Yikes. Looks like you've got a tough decision to make. Good luck!

Spikeman: Hooray for the good news! Let's hope we hear some more soon!

Diana: The pace of the publishing industry is glacially slow and occasionally erratic. My first R came a week after going out on sub, and then I got radio silence for another month and a half. The responses will come back eventually, but patience is a virtue. Good luck!!! ... And yes, I get what you're saying, perhaps more than I'd like to.

Jeneral: 3k in one weekend sounds quite productive to me! Starting fresh is difficult, but you'll get there! You got this!

Castle: Welcome!

Elsie: Gosh, am I familiar with going away and hoping to get some writing done only to come back with nada. It happens to most of us, I'd imagine. Here's hoping for good news soon!

Moonchild: *hugs*. Like I said to VEH, that kind of rejection can get frustrating after a while. Let's hope there's better news on the horizon.

Krashburn: Good luck!!!

As for me, like I said, I'm trudging along towards the finish line with MS2. When I first started it, I had a clear ending in mind, but as things have progressed I've found about two other ways the novel could end that I think might be better. I think I've got about 10k left to go, and it's looking more and more like I'm going to have to write all three endings and choose one. So, I'm getting closer but still have my work cut out for me.

E-mailed agent for an update on MS1 yesterday. One editor we subbed to is going to read the full MS. This was somebody I personally requested my agent sub to, so I've got my fingers crossed extra-tight.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, folks!

This place keeps me sane. Well, sane-ish, anyway.

MC - HUGS. I'm so sorry, that's SO frustrating!

Bloody R&Rs!

And even bloodier Rs.

Anyone need a cocktail? I'll be bartender. I specialise in Long Island Iced Teas and I can't guarantee that your drinks will be free of cat hair, since there's one headbutting my arm right now.

I've been on sub about six weeks and haven't had any replies, Rs or otherwise. My agent doesn't nudge until 12 weeks.

I'm still outta steam for writing and have been doing a lot of beta reading, which has been refreshing. And I joined Goodreads which is proving to be an excellent procrastination tool... my favourite procrastination tools are ones vaguely writing-related, so I can feel like I'm not really procrastinating. This is me if anybody wants to add me.

Oh gosh, Earthling, Goodreads is AMAZING, especially if you're looking to procrastinate. Lord knows I spend an inordinate amount of time on that website.

cmi0616 said:

Oh gosh, Earthling, Goodreads is AMAZING, especially if you're looking to procrastinate. Lord knows I spend an inordinate amount of time on that website.

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Your tastes are 87% similar for the books you both rated.

High five!

Let me know how it is if you read THE DINNER before me, won't you? I've been interested in that one for a while but prioritising beta reads...

I LOVE Goodreads. Just added you

And I'd love a Long Island Iced Tea

You guys aren't going to believe this: ANOTHER glowing "send me mooore!" pass from a different editor on a different MS (MS2, this time).

Like, what the hell, people???

All I want is someone to buy my little book(s). If they think I'm so great, why can't they jump on the current opportunity, instead of hoping for the unicorn* MS which may or may not be written, like ever? (And even if it gets written and subbed, who's to say the new situation will end any differently?)

I'm so tired of this process, you guys.

So deeply tired.

Thanks for listening.

--
* by "unicorn," I mean non-existent. I'm not writing about actual unicorns, nor do I have any immediate plans to do that. Figured I should clarify, given that this is a writers' forum.

Blurgh on the annoying rejection, but ha at the unicorns.

I've had to take a break from another forum when an author is insisting that nobody should share their ideas, or writing, until they have a polished draft because otherwise it's "not your story" and "writing by committee." I was getting stabby.

And I checked in with my agent. We actually only have three editors this round, and she wants to wait another six weeks before going to round two. She's meeting one of the three editors for lunch soon, but I can't get excited about that prospect somehow.

Earthling: Why the heck does anyone care about how someone writes a first draft? Honestly, everyone's process isn't the same, or there actually would be a book about how to write books that taught you all of the secrets. That would make me stabby, too. I am a person who finishes a whole draft before I share it, but that's because I'm a little (read LOT) Type A.
MC: That's incredibly frustrating. Also, speaking of unicorns, did you try the new Starbucks Frap? Looks disgusting.

As for myself, officially on sub for three months today and still waiting to hear back from one editor from round 1 and not sure what to read into that. Haven't started round 2 yet, but hopefully we'll be considering that soon! My edits for new pretty are going well, but slowly. Slow is just the watchword for this life, but I'm getting used to it.
Slowly.

polishmuse said:

As for myself, officially on sub for three months today and still waiting to hear back from one editor from round 1 and not sure what to read into that. Haven't started round 2 yet, but hopefully we'll be considering that soon! My edits for new pretty are going well, but slowly. Slow is just the watchword for this life, but I'm getting used to it.
Slowly.

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How many editors were in your round one? I’ve been on sub for 3.5 months and have only heard back from one editor (still waiting on 8 others). At first I attributed this to general publishing slowness, but it seems odd now, since other people are hearing back from editors in the same amount of time. I’m shifting from impatient to concerned.

P.S. I keep getting reputation points/messages, and you guys I have no idea how to reciprocate or give people reputation points. Haha! I don't forum much, I guess.

Aaaaack, this is unrelated to sub, but for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to sign up for a conference workshop session tomorrow with this author I totally idolize. Except that now she's read my actual writing and she's going to say SOMETHING about it and I'm basically losing my shit.

Niiicola - you're going to be great!!

MC - ugh yeah, I know. Passes like that are so flattering but SO frustrating. Like okay, if you loved it then...

Earthling - Oh my. I mean, no idea is ever completely original. We learn to write and write well by reading OTHER PEOPLE'S WRITING. I can't @ that forum. Everyone is influenced by other people's art. Everyone picks and chooses styles and character types they've liked before. To deny that is really out of touch with how it works and how writers become writers. Collaboration is essential to getting better.

diana - Fear not! A lot of editors just take forever. It doesn't mean anything one way or the other.

Moonchild - Argh, sorry to hear about the pass. I'm frustrated for you. >_<"

Earthling - Ha! That's hilarious. I would probably get stabby too. I love brainstorming my ideas with my writing buddies. They often come up with really good, exciting twists that I would've never come up with, not in a million years. If that makes my book less mine, so be it. It's better that way.

Polish - Hope you hear from the editor soon...slowly describes my life too, and probably every other writer here.

Diana - It seems to really range widely. One of my MSs has been in sub for 5 months now, and about half the editors have responded and...nada from the rest. :-/ I really hope editors aren't moving towards a "No reply means no" policy.

Niiicola - She'll have things to say. They will be along the lines of: "Your writing! Is! So! Gorgeous!"

I'm digging into my revisions and phew, it's a relief to be working on something other than plotting. Editing is my jam, so I'm loving every moment. I'm hoping to get this done before I go to Japan in two weeks' time...wish me luck!

diana86 said:

How many editors were in your round one? .

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Five total in Round 1. I think it depends on your genre and the publishing houses for how fast things work. Also, just general craziness

Niiicola: that's so exciting!!! Hope it goes well!

Haven't posted in here for a while but I've been around, so I'll just poke my head in and say HI!

I can't seem to find it on this thread, but someone had posted a link to a community where various writers who have agents are connected according to genre and can email and communicate about their experiences.

I applied probably a month ago and still have not been emailed. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

I know what you're talking about! I wonder if they closed the window! hmm... Here's the organizer's Twitter. You can probably @ her, or contact her through her website: https://twitter.com/nataliecparker

diana86 said:

P.S. I keep getting reputation points/messages, and you guys I have no idea how to reciprocate or give people reputation points. Haha! I don't forum much, I guess.

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There's a little blue star at the bottom of each post, next to what I assume is the report button.

Hi Everyone! Glad to see a few of you are still hanging in there. I have not been agent hunting, but I did put my little abandoned manuscript into a couple of local competitions (what a come-down, huh?) Got a couple of projects on the boil. Occasionally check my former agent's Twitter like a jilted lover, lol!

Anyway, good luck all. Stay strong!

diana86 said:

P.S. I keep getting reputation points/messages, and you guys I have no idea how to reciprocate or give people reputation points. Haha! I don't forum much, I guess.

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There's an FAQ for that: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Reputation Comments and Points

Woohoo, thanks Treehouseman and Admin! Now I will give so many reputation points.

Hope everyone gets some good news this week! (Or is there another conference keeping editors busy?)

Spike: I signed up too, but never got an e-mail. Wonder if they're still taking on new writers.

Treehouse: Good luck with the competitions! Hope you find new representation soon!

As for me, no news from sub-land (does anyone else feel as though things have slowed down in the last month or so?), but I did choose an ending for MS2, and I think I'm closer to finishing it than I thought I was. Hoping to have a rough draft by the end of next week. Then it'll be time for revisions, which I don't think will include anything major, so I should have it off to my agent in about a month. Exciting times!

Good luck to everyone!

Hi, I ducked out of here for a time while I was working on my edits but just thought I'd pop back in and say hi, hope everyone's doing well and congrats on any sales I missed!

PeteMC said:

Hi, I ducked out of here for a time while I was working on my edits but just thought I'd pop back in and say hi, hope everyone's doing well and congrats on any sales I missed!

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Hey Pete! Welcome back for a bit! I hope edits are going swimmingly.

Happy Monday everyone! Buckle up for the week. I've notice things have seemed a little slow in the past month for all of us, too, but I assume it was the heavy conference schedule. I hear publishing REALLY slows down in the summer so I'm dreading the looming dates ahead....

polishmuse said:

I hear publishing REALLY slows down in the summer so I'm dreading the looming dates ahead....

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Unfortunately, yes. My MS went out on sub in late-June. Barely heard anything the first 2.5 months.