The Next Circle of Hell

HappyCamper · Jan 19, 2010

Hi Hellions! Wasn't able to check in yesterday. Won't get much writing done today. Have to go out and check on the low-fat frozen custard we are planning to launch soon. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

TrixieLox said:
Ooooh, fascinating insight into acquisition process from Macmillans Children editor here.

Shucks! The article wasn't there anymore when I clicked on the page...

YAwriter72 said:
That was a great post and makes me antsy to create something an editor goes on and on about!!

Back at work today, still snowing *blech* but I got 3k done yesterday AND the blurb for the book! I'm calling that a win!

Yay on 3K and blurb!

Vandal said:
I got 100 phone calls this weekend, nearly all of them political (it's special election day to fill Sen. Kennedy's seat). Not the call I wanted...

Pushing 20k on the sequel, so no Devil's Workshop for me.

Vandal, you write like a mad man. 20k! :Hail:

JamieB said:
Ohh, what a great article! That's the kind of love everyone hopes for when it comes to editors looking at their work, huh?

Hello Everyone!

Seems I'll be joining you in the next circle as of this week. YIKES.

kellion92 said:
Bah, after all of our talk of ambitions, I'm feeling delusional. I don't even have a contract! I have never even met a single children's writer, agent, or editor in person! Whenever I read my own agent's blog, I realize that everything I have done so far has been utterly wrong! I wrote a book about something I know nothing about! I am just one of a million monkeys banging at a typewriter, but I'm *not* the one who came up with War and Peace!

You are not delusional. I think that writing about things that are far out of our range of experience is what makes writing fun. It's ambitious, but not delusional. Ambition ROCKS.

soulcascade said:
Gah! Got another R today *goes to re-re-read R and obsess*

{{{Soul}}} Remember, it only takes ONE editor to like your book.

TrixieLox said:
Sorry Soul :-(

So, my agent replied straight away to my 'chaser' email, explaining it's been uber busy and short staffed due to illnesses so fair dues. She's doing more subs soon and reading the m/s I sent soon too... pretty nervous about this one. Book 2 is always nerve-wracking, I guess, cos you wonder if Book 1 was just a fluke. And with Book 2 being SO different from Book 1 (still YA but genre, style, tense), it's double scary.

God, I am SO not in the writing mood right now. I think I overdid it last year and just need a break... hopefully get back to it next month. I'm meeting with some writer friends on Friday for a 'literary dinner' so we can discuss our writing so mebbe that'll help.

Glad you heard from your agent. Good luck with Book 2!

OL · Jan 19, 2010

kellion92 said:
It would look awfully cool. Share a photo!

You could have all kinds of licensed goods with that graphic -- I'd buy a t-shirt. Get on that!

I know! Seriously! I have to tell the publicist I have had for real requests for T-shirts of the cover. Meaning you are not the first person who has said that.

OL · Jan 19, 2010

Soul, ugh. All I can say is, well, I'll quote one of those boilerplate lines that is actually true: "This is a highly subjective business."

Vandal · Jan 20, 2010

Okay, Hellions, I need some advice.

The agent still hasn't called or emailed, nearly two weeks after he said he would. Should I email (again) and ask what's up? How do you word that without sounding like a needy little whiner?

I know he's busy, but I'm not feeling the love.

Calla Lily · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal, blame your ISP. "Dear Agent: My ISP likes to eat emails occasionally, and I wondered if I missed your contact from [insert date]."

I'm with Time Warner, and it really does eat emails, so it's a legit excuse. Good luck!

kellion92 · Jan 20, 2010

I'm with Lily. It's always nice to hand someone a good excuse instead of trying to guilt them.

Sigh. Everyone makes fun of writers who want their hands held by their agents. I want my hand held. I want to feel loved. What's wrong with that?

Juneluv12 · Jan 20, 2010

Yeah, I'd go with the "Computer munching emails story" or maybe a slight email crash? LOL

And Soul, so sorry about the R. Here's hoping for good news soon.

I've still got a cricket symphony! LOL

Vandal · Jan 20, 2010

Great advice, but it was supposed to be a phone call. Wait, I could say my phone was so tied up by campaign calls from Martha and Scott that his could not have possibly made it through.

Love it.

Vandal · Jan 20, 2010

Okay, I sent him a quick "I know you're busy, but is there any chance we can get together this week?" email.

11 am on Friday. Easy.

wittyusernamehere · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal said:
Great advice, but it was supposed to be a phone call. Wait, I could say my phone was so tied up by campaign calls from Martha and Scott that his could not have possibly made it through.

Love it.

Vacations are sometimes helpful. As in, 'dear agent, I wanted to give you the heads up I will be away from my phone for the next few days as I scuba dive around fire island. It's a tough job, but someone has to rescue all those mermaids from their bikini tops. Anyway, I did not want to miss your call, and will be available either before X or after Y if you are still interested in getting together via phone.'

? I dunno.

wittyusernamehere · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal said:
Okay, I sent him a quick "I know you're busy, but is there any chance we can get together this week?" email.

11 am on Friday. Easy.

Doh! There you go being all suave and professional before I got my suggestion up. FWIW, yours is totally a better approach

Juneluv12 · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal said:
Okay, I sent him a quick "I know you're busy, but is there any chance we can get together this week?" email.

11 am on Friday. Easy.

OH GOOD!!! Glad it worked out!

Tasmin21 · Jan 20, 2010

wittyusernamehere said:
Doh! There you go being all suave and professional before I got my suggestion up. FWIW, yours is totally a better approach

I dunno, I really like the mermaid rescue idea...

Calla Lily · Jan 20, 2010

wittyusernamehere said:
Vacations are sometimes helpful. As in, 'dear agent, I wanted to give you the heads up I will be away from my phone for the next few days as I scuba dive around fire island. It's a tough job, but someone has to rescue all those mermaids from their bikini tops. Anyway, I did not want to miss your call, and will be available either before X or after Y if you are still interested in getting together via phone.'

? I dunno.

kellion92 · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal has more evidence that we don't really need to be experts in game theory every time we contact an agent. Although it would help.

Blondchen · Jan 20, 2010

OMG VANDAL'S USING THE MOCK COVER!!!!!

I am humbled. Seriously.

Vandal · Jan 20, 2010

Blondchen said:
OMG VANDAL'S USING THE MOCK COVER!!!!!

I am humbled. Seriously.

It's just so cool.

I changed my avatar to this on another board and someone had to ask if it was real or a mock-up.

My response: absolutely!

YAwriter72 · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal, awesome on nailing down a time!

I just sent my agent the ubiquitous "Hey, touching base to tell you what I'm working on next, and OH! btw what did you think of the MS I sent a couple of weeks ago? Am just waiting on your thoughts before I do second round revisions. Talk to you soon." Course my nudges always equal "Didn't resonate with me, sorry." :Shrug:

We had a ton of snow and no school today, so I stayed home and we all just got back inside from building an uber cool snowwoman, and hubs is making a snow cat the size of my SUV! ROFL. Men!

triceretops · Jan 20, 2010

Vandal said:
Okay, Hellions, I need some advice.

The agent still hasn't called or emailed, nearly two weeks after he said he would. Should I email (again) and ask what's up? How do you word that without sounding like a needy little whiner?

I know he's busy, but I'm not feeling the love.

I'm in the exact same kettle, having her one week late for a battleplan call/email. So I'm soaking up the advice here. This is the agent I picked over the other two, so this is disapointing and a little bit scary. I've left myself with no options, other than several partials and fulls still out there.

YAwriter72 · Jan 20, 2010

triceretops said:
I'm in the exact same kettle, having her one week late for a battleplan call/email. So I'm soaking up the advice here. This is the agent I picked over the other two, so this is disapointing and a little bit scary. I've left myself with no options, other than several partials and fulls still out there.

I think sometimes its the nature of the beast to question whether you made the right choice. It's been over a year and I still have my "what if" moments.

Something positive made you choose this agent, so give it a little time I think, though in your case, you had a date/time set up to touch base and she missed it. Maybe a quick, "Did I have the date wrong on my calendar" type of nudge.

How do you still have partials and fulls out? Didn't you email them all and tell them you signed with someone?

fairy86 · Jan 20, 2010

Hi everyone. I figured I should come over and introduce myself because I should be going on submission soon. So, hi! *waves*

Calla Lily · Jan 20, 2010

*waves at fairy* Good to see you deeper in Hell!

...wait... that didn't sound right...

fairy86 · Jan 20, 2010

callalily61 said:
*waves at fairy* Good to see you deeper in Hell!

...wait... that didn't sound right...

LOL. I'm glad to be here. . . I guess that makes me kind of sadistic, huh?

triceretops · Jan 20, 2010

YAwriter72 said:
I think sometimes its the nature of the beast to question whether you made the right choice. It's been over a year and I still have my "what if" moments.

Something positive made you choose this agent, so give it a little time I think, though in your case, you had a date/time set up to touch base and she missed it. Maybe a quick, "Did I have the date wrong on my calendar" type of nudge.

How do you still have partials and fulls out? Didn't you email them all and tell them you signed with someone?

Going to make that "touch base" email right now.

Tri

fairy86 · Jan 20, 2010

Good luck, Tri!

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