The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Quickbread said:

Well, guys, here's some shitty news to start off the week. My agent thinks my 3.5-year revision has made great strides plot-wise, but it's not coming together with enough urgency or intention. I think I have zero gas left in my tank to rethink this again. She had a second reader read it to get an outside opinion, but that reader's comments and suggestions for revision don't exactly feel like this novel. I'm starting to wonder if it's my manuscript, or if my agent and I aren't a match.

I think this effing 10-year project may be doomed for the trunk. Time for wine!

Click to expand...

OMG, Quick. I'm so sorry. That just [expletive] sucks. After all your work, it's unbelievably heart-rending to hear something like that.

Way way way before trunking it, I would get more opinions. Have you run it by reliable CPs who know the current state of lit fic?

Is the agent saying she might sub it if you made the revisions her reader suggested? Do you feel like her/their vision for the novel is just on a different track? Has the market changed in the time you were revising? (This is something that could definitely happen in YA, but maybe lit fic moves more slowly.) Or is it possible you could find your own fix that works for this novel, and this or another agent might embrace it?

I know several writers who did only find a home for their debut after they left the first agent. It may not be the solution in your situation, but it shouldn't be a scary prospect, either. Sometimes one agent falls out of love with a book ... and another falls in love with it. You just never know.

But definitely, give yourself time (and wine and banana bread) to process this before you do anything. Creating narrative "urgency" is a tough nut to crack! Believe me, I know that all too well. It could be that the reader's notes will end up helping you — or it could be that you need to move on to a new agent or project. Time and your gut will tell you.

QB: That's beyond frustrating. Sending you ALL the wine and ALL the good thoughts as you decide what to do. No advice, just a bottle opener.

Quickbread said:

Well, guys, here's some shitty news to start off the week. My agent thinks my 3.5-year revision has made great strides plot-wise, but it's not coming together with enough urgency or intention. I think I have zero gas left in my tank to rethink this again. She had a second reader read it to get an outside opinion, but that reader's comments and suggestions for revision don't exactly feel like this novel. I'm starting to wonder if it's my manuscript, or if my agent and I aren't a match.

I think this effing 10-year project may be doomed for the trunk. Time for wine!

Click to expand...

Oh wow, QB. That is both heartbreaking and really very surprising to hear. I'm so sorry. Is she suggesting that you change it so it becomes more like genre fiction as opposed to lit fic? Graaahhh. I'm so sorry I don't have any advice to give, aside from don't stop writing, whether this book or a different one, as you are so obviously loaded with talent and your writing is gorgeous.

I got a really nice R today. Editor said she loved it, but ultimately thought it was too quiet for a debut. She said it's the kind of book she would've been rly happy to receive as a option for the second book. So ooohhhh well. I can kinda see that, as I myself find it challenging to come up with a one-sentence hook of what this book is about. It's given me motivation to edit an old MS of mine which has a very strong hook, but requires a shitton of revisions.

Ouch Definitely time for wine, and cake! I think after this long you are getting to the point of needing to decide if this is the book you want it to be or not. If their changes and suggestions sound great then sure implement them, but if they are trying to change it into something else then you will need to look at that agent/book relationship, or trunk it. All of that revision time could be spent on writing other books after all.

Haven't been on in a while, so reppies will be sent all around shortly after posting this.

Not much in the way of news. Still anxiously awaiting my agent's thoughts on the new book, and haven't received an update on the first MS in a while. Of course, if there was good news to be told, I'm sure he would have gotten it to me, but bad news at least feels like progress. In any event, I'm going to try holding off on pestering him at least until tomorrow.

Started writing a short story yesterday, concluding the brief writing hiatus I took after finishing MS2. We'll see how it goes.

Good luck everyone!

Quickbread said:

Well, guys, here's some shitty news to start off the week. My agent thinks my 3.5-year revision has made great strides plot-wise, but it's not coming together with enough urgency or intention. I think I have zero gas left in my tank to rethink this again. She had a second reader read it to get an outside opinion, but that reader's comments and suggestions for revision don't exactly feel like this novel. I'm starting to wonder if it's my manuscript, or if my agent and I aren't a match.

I think this effing 10-year project may be doomed for the trunk. Time for wine!

Click to expand...

Oh, QB, that's awful! I have a MS that's old enough to vote (literally), which I revise annually. But I'm scared to show it to my agent, because I suspect I'll get much the same response you have. Can you pop this one away-don't give up on it- and try your agent with something else?

*I don't want to play the R&R game again, Mommy!*

But I love the publisher, so I'll be back in the revision cave. Again. Once the editor gives me notes.

I'm still in the no news is good news stage, given there hasn't been a flurry of rejections yet.

Putputt said:

I got a really nice R today. Editor said she loved it, but ultimately thought it was too quiet for a debut. She said it's the kind of book she would've been rly happy to receive as a option for the second book. So ooohhhh well. I can kinda see that, as I myself find it challenging to come up with a one-sentence hook of what this book is about. It's given me motivation to edit an old MS of mine which has a very strong hook, but requires a shitton of revisions.

Click to expand...

Too quiet for a debut? I'd have no idea what that meant. But It's encouraging none the less. I'd probably make a wise-crack and be like, "No, no. You just caught my MS in one of those moods. She's actually quite talkative once you know her."

So I should reach 35K in my WIP today. Halfway home and no turning back now!

QB - I will join the "that suuuuucks" chorus on your behalf. I hope you had some wine and a good wallow, and that it helped. I have no advice for you, I wish I did.

Putputt - Hmm. That does sound like the nicest possible rejection, but at the same time GAH how frustrating. You get wine too.

MartinaMay - Good luck in the revision cave. Please don't bang your head against the wall too hard. Concussions hurt.

Silence on this end. I did shoot my agent a quick email over the weekend to basically say "I'm getting ideas for follow-ups to the MS on sub. Yea or nay?" Haven't heard back yet, but that's ok. Haven't gotten a rejection since the end of April, and we're waiting on 7 responses since going on sub in mid-March. Feeling less and less excited about trying to become a writer, so that's a thing.

spikeman4444 said:

Too quiet for a debut? I'd have no idea what that meant. But It's encouraging none the less. I'd probably make a wise-crack and be like, "No, no. You just caught my MS in one of those moods. She's actually quite talkative once you know her."

Click to expand...

I LOLed. As someone whose first novel was whisper quiet and too "me" to get distance from, I wish I could have encouraged her to speak up a little.

QB: I have nothing to add to what's been said, just (((HUGS))).

PP: that was a nice R, and so frustrating, but only 1 person's opinion!

Still waiting over here...

Hi all!

I just started the long wait a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to keep myself busy by working on a new novel. I had a question—when you're pitching a premise to your agent, how do you format it? Like an elevator pitch or more like a query letter?

Best of luck to everyone.

Sorry but that's nonsense. They are ALWAYS looking to buy because publishers are ALWAYS looking for manuscripts. If the agent(s) like what they read, they will use 1) a phone 2) email 3) carrier pigeon to get word out to whomever needs to sign you.

Jeff - what post are you replying to here?

Writeonleanne - I asked my agent what she wanted, and she was fine with short pitchy things. I sent her pitches (some better-honed than others) of about 4-5 ideas and let her tell me what looked best to her.

writeonleanne said:

Hi all!

I just started the long wait a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to keep myself busy by working on a new novel. I had a question—when you're pitching a premise to your agent, how do you format it? Like an elevator pitch or more like a query letter?

Best of luck to everyone.

Click to expand...

I think it varies agent to agent. Mine prefers to see the whole dang thing once it is complete, no pitch ahead of time.

I agree with this, polishmuse - she doesn't want to see it till it's done. I guess I should have clarified. In my case, I didn't know which book to write next, so I sent her pitchy things so she could see what I was thinking of, and she could give me some direction.

Quickbread, I am SO SORRY to hear that. I agree with Fuchsia that it's worth getting some other opinions and then sitting down and thinking carefully about how much this book means to you.

Puttputt, sorry for the R. Plenty of people love quiet books, so that one is just a matter of taste. And good luck with the other MS.

Hugs to everybody playing the waiting game (worst game ever).

My agent is good about discussing book ideas before I write them. Sometimes it's just a random collection of thoughts in an email. I'm going to send her some chapters and a synopsis for the manuscript I drafted last year, once I figure out how I want to revise it. I'd rather do that than finish the whole thing and find out it's unmarketable. The genre is YA paranormal, and I know that can be a hard sell, even though it's not Twilight-era paranormal romance. We'll see. I'm pulling out all my hair these days.

Thanks polishmuse, jeneral, and Niiicola! Yeah, my agent told me to go ahead and send her pitches for other projects I was working on before sending her the MS. I ended up typing out a page long description of each novel (even though neither are finished) before I was like, "I bet I'm doing something wrong."

writeonleanne said:

Hi all!

I just started the long wait a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to keep myself busy by working on a new novel. I had a question—when you're pitching a premise to your agent, how do you format it? Like an elevator pitch or more like a query letter?

Best of luck to everyone.

Click to expand...

Hi! I send my agent whatever pitch I think is best for the book. I've sent him a "I have an idea that's about blah blah blah", a proper query-style pitch, and a 150-word pitch. He's responded well to all of them.

Niiicola - I hope your agent responds well to the paranormal!

Welp, after the really nice R, I got what was probably the harshest R I've ever received. It was very polite and nice, but it basically said the book's just not good enough for them. OH WELLLLLL. It stung a bit, but not too badly as I've emotionally given up on this MS. The only way to stay sane while on submissions -- give up and work on the next project.

Quickbread - So sorry. What do YOU think about the current MS?

Putt, just shows how subjective this game is!

I sent my agent #2 when it was done, with no pitch because I couldn't think of one. I sent her the third with a query-style pitch. And gave her a few sentences about #4 when I got the idea, to get her take on it. She doesn't mind what stage I send things to her.

The only activity I've had is a full request, apparently 3 minutes after my agent sent the pitch. And now that we're on digital-first publishers, replies may come in a bit faster...

Putputt said:

Hi! I send my agent whatever pitch I think is best for the book. I've sent him a "I have an idea that's about blah blah blah", a proper query-style pitch, and a 150-word pitch. He's responded well to all of them.

Click to expand...

True story - the WIP I'm writing now I pitched to my agent by saying "I saw this meme (attached pic of meme) and I kind of want to write something about a fake engagement and this might be the title." And that's the one she liked best.

Welp, after the really nice R, I got what was probably the harshest R I've ever received. It was very polite and nice, but it basically said the book's just not good enough for them. OH WELLLLLL. It stung a bit, but not too badly as I've emotionally given up on this MS. The only way to stay sane while on submissions -- give up and work on the next project.

Click to expand...

Ugggggghhhhhhh that sucks I'm so sorry.

I'm realizing I may have to take a social media break. I got a couple pages in the WIP scribbled down while I was at work yesterday and felt pretty good about it, but at home that night I was bleah again. I think a lot of it is Twitter and Facebook, where my friends are getting book deals and cover reveals and I'm kicking an empty inbox. I know I need to keep my eyes on my own work but it's haaaaarrrd sometimes.

Good to know, Earthling and PutPutt! My agent's been pretty casual, but I was bogging myself down with details, like I have to have the entire idea plotted out before I sent her the pitch and then end up cobbling together this horrible Frankenstein's monster synopsis that my husband shreds with zero remorse.

PutPutt - I'm truly sorry about the R

Jeneral - I know that feeling all too well. Whenever I'm writing I put an embargo on things I know are going to kill my concentration, like Reddit and video games and Facebook.

Hiiiiiii Gang!

I've officially been on sub for 2 days.

This is the worst. I understand now what I never understood before lol.

Welcome January!!! Have a drink. It's after noon somewhere.