The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Hi all! It's been a long time but I'm popping in to say hi!

Fuschia I also have a "write" in my email. I love it honestly.

PUTTPUTT I SAW YOUR NEWS I AM SCREAM!!

midazolam - I'm so sorry you're going through this . If it helps you feel any better, I just left my last agent (amicably), and everything is fine on my end. Will update you guys when the time is right

If you are feeling any hesitation, I would honestly ask to chat with her about it and express those frustrations, especially if it's turnaround time which is a big or biggest issue. If it goes deeper than that, which you hint that it does (not to say turnaround time isn't an issue, IT IS A MAJOR ONE) and there are other problems like not agreeing on editorial direction, her not providing you adequate records of where your book has been submitted, not being open about communication in general, her not having the best connections or savvy to place your book with the best editors....remember, your agent works for YOU, and while it is a partnership, they are taking 15%+ of your cut. You have no obligation to stay if your gut is saying go, but based on what you've told us, I would consider trying to work things out first. You can still leave, of course, but it might be worth trying. Alexa Donne actually has a great series of videos on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RybyINmIE

Yes, it is an extremely hard business, but it's why having the right agent is so, so important. They don't guarantee you sales, of course, but the best agents know who to pitch you to and utilize their connections to find the best fit for you and your books. You should feel very comfortable with and empowered by your agent, whoever it is.

Sonya - Thanks. I don't know how long my agent is due to be gone, all that was said was "a few weeks". My definition of "a few weeks" is 3-4 but my mum said her's is "4-5" so... Yeah. No idea. If think if this was m first agent I would be more zen, but after having had an agent relationship break down before this is a paranoid area for me.

Well done on the problematic book being off your hands, though! Sometimes publishing DOES move quickly. Enjoy the wow moment!

Ugh, Raggy, I swear everything is getting slower as we go from month to month this year. "A few" definitely feels longer when you're the one who has to wait.

Of course, I've sat down to get stuck into my next manuscript, and all I've done is nap on the couch and stress over a scene I typed on my old computer and can't find anymore. I'd be better off just rewriting it. But I did find an excellent YouTube video of the setting for my story, so the day hasn't been an entire waste!

Because this one means so much more to me than the books that came before it - and it's going to be my longest book so far - I'm getting myself into a state over it before the first draft is even done.

I can finally share my news as the press release is out... I am going to be a published author!!!

I have book deal with one of the big 5 in the UK and the US and it has also sold in 7 other territories for release in early 2022. My agent was absolutely incredible and I seriously owe her my sanity. Actually sent her a massive bouquet. We had agreed that she would sent me an email update once a week but that pretty much went out of the window from day one and we ended being out soon sub for about 10 days with auction in the UK and US

It still hasn't completely sunk in yet. In my head this is still the kind of thing that happens to other people. The UK and a few other countries is for a 2-book deal and I am lucky that they like my idea for book 2 which I had already started so I'm going to continue working on that until I get my editorial letter.

CONGRATULATIONS, Elle! What a dream. I saw the Bookseller announcement before coming on here and recognised you instantly. I feel like this needs to be pinned somewhere as a happy sub story and as a reminder that some times the blood, sweat and tears part of it go out of the window.

Congratulations again. Enjoy the amazing pinch-me buzz!

Huge congratulations, Elle! I'm so happy for you

Thanks Raggy — it's been an absolute whirlwind but I hope it means that things are starting to pick up with publishers in the UK and overseas.

Thanks Cameron!

Congratulations, Elle! That is so awesome!

Congratulations, Elle! That's got to feel pretty good, so drown in the good feelings and enjoy the moment.

Long time watcher, first time poster. Not sure if I've got the right forum but I'm looking for tips on dealing with self doubt. It creeps in more when you get rejections, but it never seems to go away. I'm just starting a new project and the doubt is stronger. Has anyone got any ideas, tips or activities to get out of this mindset. As you can imagine it's not helping me get the words down on the page. Thanks all!

Hi, EmmaKate! Are you querying agents, or on sub with editors? If the former, you'll find lots of company on the Daily Rejection thread where all the posters are agent hunting.

Self-doubt is vile and I think we all get it... Personally for me, working out what I feel my strengths as a writer are is helpful. Also, weirdly, I find knowing my weaknesses helpful, as I can work out how I could improve on them. Also, with new projects, setting targets can help me feel less self-doubt - e.g. make it to 5 chapters/10k and see how I feel about the book and how it's working. I really struggle with new projects so getting to a certain point before getting analytical helps (it's also good because 10k is where I usually start enjoying writing...). Others will have different things to say, of course, but I hope that helps a bit.

I haven't been here for a while and am delighted to see your news, Elle! Congratulations on a fast end to an otherwise long process. A two-book deal sounds like something that will make book two move higher on your daily priority list--that's awesome!

litdawg, long time no see! I hope the virus experience for your family wasn't too horrendous, and no one got too sick? I think the last time you posted your wife had been confirmed to have it, unless I've missed a post?

Tepelus & Shoeless - thanks, it's still feeling pretty unreal although the contracts are trickling in now for signature so that makes it a lot more real.

litdawg - I've been working on book 2 since we went on sub so I'm planning to continue until I get my editorial letter. How is your wife doing? Has she fully recovered now?

Thanks for asking about my wife, Raggy and Elle. The virus effects lingered a long time, even after she was cleared to return to work, mostly in terms of decreased stamina. She's been back nursing regular and COVID patients now for about two weeks. She's finally coming off shift with only her normal levels of exhaustion. I found it hard to believe that none of us in the household got sick when she did. I gave blood last week, and the antibody test that's now standard w/blood donations came back negative, so I guess it's true that the rest of us weren't infected. Wow! So unpredictable, or a testimony to mask usage.

I don't have publishing news. Like others have been saying, publishers appear to be in a black hole right now. My agent reported that she's been in talks with a potential partner with lots of publishing experience who will grow her small agency. She's meeting with all of her clients to discuss strategy going forward after the 4th of July. Meanwhile, I've rewritten my opener yet again, continuing to kill with fire vestiges of an action-oriented opener I'd welded to the opening scene in response to early feedback. If my poetry publishing experience is anything to judge by, I don't stop fiddling until the concrete dries around my meddling hands. . . .

litdawg - I'm glad to hear your wife is doing better. I'm hearing a lot of stories about how it lingers much longer than people assume. This virus is just so brutal. We haven't had any cases where I live for months, but we're back to panic buying because a few people in Melbourne (eight hours away) had parties, and now there the virus is everywhere again. I can't believe it. Toilet paper restrictions again ...

ELLE!!!!! I also saw your deal, and WOW. That's huge.

Speaking of huge, I think Ms Putputt might have some news she wants to share ...

EmmaKate - It's hard to get over self-doubt, and I think it actually gets worse as you go on. Strangely, it seems to get even worse after you're published (I actually saw a couple of bestselling authors say that the other day). Sending off fiction for other people to look at is the hardest thing. It's not like submitting a report at work. It's random stuff you've imagined, and it's tough to have other people read and reject it. Every time I send something to one of my editors I think what I've written is idiotic.
Honestly - and this sounds crazy - being asked if I wanted to rewrite a recent manuscript or let it go and move on was really freeing. I was in this weird mindset where I thought each individual manuscript mattered *so much*, when in reality no one book is so important it should destroy your confidence.
That said, I'm sending off a new book in a couple of months, and if my publisher doesn't like it I'm going to hide in my bedroom for the rest of the year.

I set myself a fantastic schedule for finishing my new book that I have spectacularly failed to follow. On the other hand, yesterday I found 3000 words I thought I'd lost, so I'm giving myself a day off - copying and pasting lost words into the manuscript is sort of like work!

Congratulations, Elle!!! And Putt!

Glad to hear your wife is feeling better, litdawg!

There was a recent article in a big paper about how my state has managed to keep infections down. Now I feel like we’re in danger of letting down our guard, especially since the college kids are returning and having porch parties!

I’ve been pitching my book to local booksellers, and one of them noted that she’s just starting to review the orders from my publisher that she had to cancel when the lockdown started. (In-store shopping is now allowed, with restrictions.) That brought it home to me. Even with curbside and online ordering, no customer traffic means fewer books leave the store, which (I imagine) means there’s scant room for fresh books unless they’re the guaranteed best sellers. The NYT says the books doing well right now are the ones stocked at places like Target and Walmart, which were considered essential and never closed. Midlist books really depended on indies for hand selling. I’ve seen planned paperback releases getting canceled.

It’s scary and sobering, but I’d rather know about all this than not know. I wonder about the library and school library market, since that is huge in YA. I’ve heard conflicting things about audio—first that sales were way down because people weren’t commuting, then that they were normal. I feel really lucky to be having a print and audio release, but that release is about two weeks away and yeah, it’s scary.

litdawg - I'm glad your wife is OK, and has now managed to shake off the covid fatigue. It sounds as though it was nasty for her. Good news that none of the rest of you contracted it - you must be heaving a collective sign of relief.

Sonya - I love that you've set a productive schedule but even more I love you discovering a surprise 3k! I wish that happened to me! How's it going?

Fuchsia - I really sympathise with you having a book coming out soon (14 July, right?). I think for a lot of readers, the browse factor is a biggie - which is what book stores are so good for - and with that taken away (or made harder) many more people are resorting to word of mouth, reading bestsellers/classics or picking up easy options. It's understandable, even though it's sobering. Is there anything we can help with, in terms of launch date and promotion? Not that I have much in the way of Twitter followers, but hey...

So... Question for you guys. my agent has been off work for pushing six weeks now, and I have reason to believe she'll be off for another two at least... I have no idea what's happening with my book on sub (three publishers left, agent might or might not have sent a small second round before she went off). I assume that the remaining three from round one have blown out, so in one sense I don't *need* to have that confirmed, but on the other hand, I'd quite like to have the closure and any feedback (and also to find out if there was a round 2 or not). Then I can at least think about how I could use that feedback to edit the sub book.

Would you guys get in touch with the agency, if you were me? Or sit tight? Agent did pass over her work before leaving, so her assistant should be able to help. I don't want to be needy or irritating (and it's none of my business why she's off, obviously, these things happen), but equally I've kind of been left in the lurch here, and I don't know what's happening (if anything).

litdawg — so glad to hear that your wife is feeling better now and that nobody else in the household got sick.

Sonya — thanks and congrats on finding those "lost" 3K, it's always such a great feeling to stumble upon something unexpected like that.

Fuchsia — thanks. I sympathise with the situation, this has affected some many debut authors. I've seen a lot of paper release being pushed back whereas some e-book publication have gone ahead to still keep some sales coming in. I hope all your hard work pitching to booksellers pays off!

Raggy — I think you definitely contact your agency and ask for an update. That's not being needy or irritating. At the end of the day you are their client, so there's absolutely nothing wrong about asking for an update and know exactly where you stand. I hope everything is ok with your agent and the reason why she had to take time off.

I signed my contract the other day so that was exciting and seeing the size of it, so glad to have an agent reviewing it first! Otherwise I'm waiting for my editorial letter and keeping busy with book 2 (got to about 40K) First time I have to write a book to a deadline so that will be interesting...

Raggy - get in contact. I really do think that at this point it's been too long without news, and there's nothing needy about asking for an update after that length of time. I recently did something similar (but with an editor). I felt like I was intruding by getting in contact, but then I reminded myself they're working for us and it's our careers we're talking about here.

Elle - those contracts can be huge. With my first one I was asked to print out several copies and I nearly killed the printer!

Hi everybody! It's been ages since I've checked in, and I am very much out of the loop. Congrats on the book deal, Elle! Sonya, so glad you found the words! And litdawg, I'm glad your wife is better! Fuchsia, that is definitely some sobering information, but hopefully online sales will stay strong.

Raggy, I bet if something major happened while your agent is out, somebody would let you know. My YA offer happened while my agent was on maternity leave and she got in touch anyway. I hope you hear back soon because that sounds incredibly frustrating.

Not much is new here, just trying to write my MG sequel, which is due worryingly soon, with both kids home all. the. time. and my pandemic attention span in the toilet. Fun times!

Thanks Sonya, Elle and Niicola - I think I will get in touch with the agency next Monday and ask for an update as my agent is still away. It'll be 6+ weeks then (and almost two months since I last had any update). Nothing major will have happened - all I'm expecting is for my remaining first round publishers to have all passed, but I think at this stage I'd like to know for sure! It would also be good to know if a second round ended up going out or not.

Elle - Exciting that you've seen your contract! And quite fast. I know I was waiting about two months for mine, IIRC. They're crazy-long and quite overwhelming.

Niiicola, hi! Much empathy (sympathy?!) on trying to get stuff done with kids around and a pandemic attention span. I definitely relate to that. I'm sure your editors will be sympathetic, too. Such a far from ideal situation.

Niiicola - it's crazy how hard it is to focus these days! We're doing okay with the virus where I am (actually, we have no cases in my territory, and haven't for weeks), but it still all feels weird.

Raggy - the uncertainty not knowing about your book is horrible. I think it's getting worse for me as I go on. Unrealistic of me, but I want my publisher to read my manuscript overnight and get back to me *immediately*. It doesn't help that one of my editors actually did get back to me about one manuscript the same day I sent it. She raised my expectations too high!

In a sign of how fast this virus can take off again, people should take a look at the state of Victoria here - everything seemed under control and now there's a fresh outbreak and entire suburbs are locked down. One man travelled from Melbourne to Sydney (nearly 900 kilometres) and tested positive again when he got to Sydney. The worry for me? He works at the supermarket my aunt (who's in her mid-70s and has health issues) shops at, and she spoke to him while he was at work and infected. We don't know her test results yet.

I'm sure everyone has already seen it, but here's Putputt's news I was referring to before.

I've been MIA with boring life stuff, but I'm back to say Yipppeeeeee! to both Elle and Puttputt for their amazing news!

I am officially out on sub, as of 11:00AM this morning. My agent keeps a spreadsheet in google docs. I checked it (which doesn't bode well for my self-control though this process) and I already have a full request!