Is a bird in the hand REALLY worth two in the bush?

It's a double edged sword. Sigh. I had to write some e-mails last night to the three agents who have partials on my latest book. Why? Because LBF has offered to publish it Good, right? Yay me! So I gave the agents a heads up, since it's the polite thing to do...

Shoulda kept my big mouth shut.

Hi, Christine --

I just finished reading the pages you sent me. It's obvious you have talent -- the pages are very well-written.

Unfortunately, Megan didn't come alive enough as a character for me to want to read more about her. In MG and YA fiction, character is so important, and I just didn't feel I found out much about Megan. I couldn't really tell (other than the line about her age) whether she was thirteen, eight, or seventeen. I didn't really feel like I knew her, or that this was "her" story.

I wish you all the best in placing it elsewhere (whether with another agent or through your current publisher), and hope you'll keep me in mind on future projects.

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Ok, I can take that - constructive crit. Something I can fix. (and the little ego stroke didn't hurt either) I have a habit of being a little slow off the starting block.

I had hope - two left in the pot...

Dear Christine,

Thank you for letting me look at THE CROWN OF ZEUS, but I'm afraid that I'm going to pass on it. While I enjoyed the manuscript, I'm just not enthusiastic enough about it to represent it. Part of my reserve stems from the fact that everything felt a little "too coincidental" and a little "too cute". I think, however, that you show a great deal of promise as a writer, and I'd be interested in looking at your future projects. You might want to explore writing for the adult market, as it would let you focus on new directions and themes in your work. Best of luck with your writing career, and have a Happy New Year!

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Hmmm.... I made my name on 'cute'. One of the people who reviewed Talisman said it had a charming innocence that was absent from most of today's children's books. So maybe 'cute' is my thing. Actually I think this ms was less cute than Talisman, but that's just me. Again, coicidental-ism I think I can fix.... I don't think my betas thought that, but it's possible. Hey coincidence is sometimes what happens in life, right? At least she enjoyed the manuscript.

<shrug> One more left, and if a no, then phooey on 'em. The dang thing will be published anyway. At least I have a host of agents who want to see other projects. I think I've been invited to submit future projects to at least three or four agents now. LOL

So I don't suck. It's official. More than one person has said it, so now it must be true.