Ooookay. So when last I started a thread in G&A, I'd found a fantabulous agent and my book had gone on submission to major publishers.
Nobody has decided to buy it yet, but I did recently get a very complimentary rejection from NAL, stating that they were passing on my historical novel because although they liked my writing style and really enjoyed certain elements of the book, they weren't feeling hot on all of it. Fair enough! They also invited my agent to send them any other novels I'd written. Wow! Very hopeful indeed!
Alas, I have no other novels completed, but my agent passed along to the editor that I do have a synopsis and about 20K words of another historical novel. I didn't expect they'd be interested, seeing as how I am a new novelist with no major publishing credits of any kind, and certainly no novels sold (yet). Imagine my surprise when the editor said she wants to read the partial manuscript and the synopsis! Wahoo!!
So tomorrow I'll be frantically polishing up what I've got and getting it ready to send over. I'm being realistic about this -- it's rare that new novelists get requests for incomplete novels at all, and even more rare that they SELL incomplete novels. I'm not expecting I'll break the mold, but this is a really exciting request because it's so unusual, and it's making me feel great about my prospects.
This right here is just one of a zillion reasons why I believe writers who want to start a career in novels should get a good agent. The book sure isn't sold yet, and there is certainly no guarantee that the partial manuscript will sell to NAL -- but having an agent has opened a door for me and my partially written historical novel that definitely wouldn't have budged otherwise.
So, good luck to all of you out there hunting for agents! Stay positive and be sure to pick a good one.
It might lead to some cool tales for you, too!
Nobody has decided to buy it yet, but I did recently get a very complimentary rejection from NAL, stating that they were passing on my historical novel because although they liked my writing style and really enjoyed certain elements of the book, they weren't feeling hot on all of it. Fair enough! They also invited my agent to send them any other novels I'd written. Wow! Very hopeful indeed!
Alas, I have no other novels completed, but my agent passed along to the editor that I do have a synopsis and about 20K words of another historical novel. I didn't expect they'd be interested, seeing as how I am a new novelist with no major publishing credits of any kind, and certainly no novels sold (yet). Imagine my surprise when the editor said she wants to read the partial manuscript and the synopsis! Wahoo!!
So tomorrow I'll be frantically polishing up what I've got and getting it ready to send over. I'm being realistic about this -- it's rare that new novelists get requests for incomplete novels at all, and even more rare that they SELL incomplete novels. I'm not expecting I'll break the mold, but this is a really exciting request because it's so unusual, and it's making me feel great about my prospects.
This right here is just one of a zillion reasons why I believe writers who want to start a career in novels should get a good agent. The book sure isn't sold yet, and there is certainly no guarantee that the partial manuscript will sell to NAL -- but having an agent has opened a door for me and my partially written historical novel that definitely wouldn't have budged otherwise.
So, good luck to all of you out there hunting for agents! Stay positive and be sure to pick a good one.
It might lead to some cool tales for you, too!
