The Next Circle of Hell, Vol. 2

Carrie

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Oh! utesfanami -- What a great agent you have! Fingers crossed on your submission!
 

Sonya Heaney

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utesfanami - Good luck! There's a reason this thread is called "The Next Circle of Hell". The stress never goes away, but you have an agent who believes in your work. :)

Over the past few days I've been appalling with finishing my book, but I've started acknowledging that it isn't normal to work in any job for so many hours a day, seven days a week. I've been feeling guilty for not typing day and night, every day. I just discovered a document on my computer I created when I was so spaced-out-tired, and all it says is "Sausage aardvark". I have absolutely no idea what that means, but it seems like a great writing prompt for a children's book. :roll: (Picture books are my guilty pleasure; they're so crazy and fun!)
 

Carrie

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Sonya --
I just discovered a document on my computer I created when I was so spaced-out-tired, and all it says is "Sausage aardvark".
That's so great! I keep a bedside notebook which I write in with a light-up pen. (Love my light-up pen!) When I filled the last one, I went through it, page by page, and saw that every single note I'd taken in the middle of the night had found its way into either a column or my recent manuscript. Except one. Taking up an entire page, I'd written: "Duck cannibalism -- avoid, if possible." I am not sure this would make a good children's book...
 

MercyMe

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Congrats to Elle and I think there are others who have had great news to celebrate! I read the digest every morning and do a happy dance here in my coronavirus-proof nest for you all.

I finished my Hail Mary revision of the YA book that died on Round One. The agent loved the changes and has sent it out for Round Two. Apparently two editors from the first round haven't read yet, so she's going to send the new version to them as well. It's a good list. Fingers crossed. Stomach clenched. I'm ready.
 

Elle.

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MercyMe — Good luck with that new round of submissions I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!


Harlequin — sorry to hear about your real life hardship, I hope you're settling into your new house. Exciting news about the submission, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too! Is that new MS still fantasy?


Putputt — Nice to hear that your agent is enjoying reading your sequel that must be weight of your shoulders. I think we all get affected by other's reactions. I got an email from my editor last week saying she was reading my MS and falling in love with it all over again and that made my day! Regarding your old MS I guess it depends on how much you love it and can you see a way to salvage it?


Carrie — Nice I write upmarket too. Sounds like a fun story with an interesting concept I like the idea of the deaths being dismissed as accidental, and having an insight into the mind of the killer. Mine's more suspense, dark reading group fiction


utesfanami - How exciting! Good luck with the submission process. Is your agent doing a small or big first round?


As for me, got an email from my editor at the end of last week to say I should get my editorial letter this week. Good timing as I'm 2 chapters away to finish the 1st draft of book 2. Also got an email from my agent this morning and we got 2 new territories this morning so my debut will be released in 14 territories now, which is nuts! I never imagine anything like this.
 

Harlequin

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It's... going amazingly �� Can't say more than that at this time. When I can, I will be shouting lol

Best of luck with your edits and glad you are getting published, elle. I am not surprised at all to hear that you got picked up :)
 

S. Eli

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stalker report: 2 months of silence anniversary

congrats on the secrets, Harlequin! And sub, utesfanami and finishing your wf book puttputt and i loved your article fuchsia and ALL of your book news elle lol

*runs back into the shadows*
 

Sonya Heaney

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Yay, MercyMe! And wow, everyone. Congratulations. There’s nowhere near enough bad news in this thread!

I’m trying to finish my mostly-finished book, but I’ve reached the “I hate this book” stage of the process and keep watching YouTube instead. :) While researching today I accidentally opened a taxidermy site with weird 19th century monkeys—guess what all my generated ads are for now. :roll:
 

aceafer

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Congrats everyone! Happy to see all the good news and hope there's more to come for everyone!

I'm just working on my second round of edits. I really hate edits but I know that all the feedback is correct and will make it stronger :(

Sonya - that sounds amazing. I once stumbled across events on Facebook about how to learn to make weird taxidermy tableaus and I was so tempted to go but it was so expensive.
 

Sonya Heaney

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Sonya - that sounds amazing. I once stumbled across events on Facebook about how to learn to make weird taxidermy tableaus and I was so tempted to go but it was so expensive.

I can imagine it was expensive! I was meant to interview a taxidermist for my journalism units at university, but he lived hours away and I couldn't get there. For this book I was trying to figure out the history of different animals in different parts of the British Empire, which sent me down my taxidermy rabbit hole. Those monkeys were creepy!

This morning I woke up to a few social media notifications from my publisher, and every time that happens I think: Hang on. How do you know who I am? :Huh:
 

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Sonya - Omg, the taxidermied monkeys...lol! I'm so curious to see what they look like, but am going to refrain from googling them.

Harlequin - YAAAAYYYY!!! Can't wait for you to share the news!!

Elle - 14 territories! You are killing it. And yay for the great timing with the edits and finishing the first draft of your sequel! When I was drafting my WF sequel my other editors were like, "We'll have edits by X date!" and I was like, NOOOOO do not derail me from drafting! I wrote as fast as I could. I've long finished now, and still no notes, so phew. A bit of a breather before the next whirlwind of editing is always nice.

Mercy - Best of luck on this round of sub! Fingers very much crossed for you.

Carrie - Bwahahahahaa, I am all for a book about duck cannibalism!

Utesfanami - Yay on the agent love! I hope the sub goes quickly for you!

I've decided to dive into my rewrite of the old MS because...well I guess because I have the patience of a cranky toddler. Have I thought through how I'm going to fix all the flaws? Nooope. We'll just have to see how it goes. I'm taking it easy and not giving myself a daily word count to hit with this one though. It'll be my little side project.
 

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Catching up - RL has been tough and worrying so I've been too distracted to post (bad stuff not resolved, but not on the level of stress it was last week, at least).

Good luck on sub, utesfanami. Also to you for your second round, MercyMe - feel free to DM as we've in the same boat with UK YA sub if that feels helpful. Good news sounds good, Harlequin, and look forward to hearing it.

It's been a month now since I had an update from my agent so I guess one is probably incoming soonish. She hasn't fed back on the new idea I emailed her about way back (just before she went off on personal leave) and she's been back at work a month now so I'm guessing that email has simply got missed or forgotten about. I'm about 30k into the new book now so if she doesn't like it I'm in trouble. I can't bring myself to nudge her again so I'll wait until I receive an update and bring it up then.
 

Sonya Heaney

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Putputt—yay for going ahead with the book! I feel like writing without daily goals etc. makes things easier.

Raggy—that sucks. :( I went through a very similar thing from late last year until a couple of months ago, and I was losing weight and just generally unhappy about writing. It’s why I’m forcing myself to not stress anymore.
The book I’m currently finishing is “the book”. I wrote a series with my current imprint so that I could get “promoted” to a better imprint with this one. Like you, I have no idea if anyone is going to like it, so I’m just taking it a day at a time. My editor is not only spending next week taking pitches at an online conference, but she’s also presenting a session, so I’m trying to not worry about whether or not I hear from her at the moment.

Editing to add this link to Shana Galen's site. It's my favourite description of life as an author. The stuff nobody talks about.
 
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Carrie

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RaggyCat: So sorry about the agent neglect. And good on you for continuing.

Elle.: Congrats on your expansion and the completion of the second book! So much going on at once. It sounds like your timing is perfect.

MercyMe: Good luck on the submission! Your agent sounds like she has a strategic plan. I think that is so important.

I have no news to report other than finishing up edits on Book Two and starting Book Three of the Lake Maribelle series. I decided on the agent front that, for the moment, I would do absolutely nothing. I have not fired my agent, nor have I sent any more queries. I told my agent I was busy writing and that I’d be in touch “when I came up for air.” If she was paying any attention whatsoever, she’d surely think I’d drowned by now—but she’s not paying attention, and that’s the point. Meanwhile, my column seems to be doing well with the syndicate, my editor there is happy with me and I can’t see what harm getting another book in the series done can possibly do. I am generally very poor at waiting, but I don’t really feel I am waiting right now. Book Three is eager to be written and somehow I sense it will be different from the first two. I am very eager to discover what it wants to be.

So happy to hear of all your news, fingers crossed where appropriate!
 

Sonya Heaney

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Oh no, Carrie. Another person with agent problems. :( Just when everything in this thread was starting to look so good.

My publisher wants me to do an arty/crafty recreation of my latest cover for a promotional thing. I have NO idea what to do. In the past other authors have done cross stitch versions, or made their cover out of cake. I have no talent for any of those things. Maybe ... I can use a doll or something? I don't know!
 

frimble3

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That's 'The Artist's Secret'? A doll, in front of a picture of the background, would look good, I'm thinking. I always thought that the publishers did that kind of thing.
But, if they're leaving the details to you, they could at least provide a poster-sized copy of the background art their cover-designer used.
Then, suitably-sized doll and a stand.
Will this be for a one-time event, or will you be taking it from place to place? I'm thinking that if it's one time, a suitably dressed and coiffed Barbie would work, if it's a long-term project, maybe a little more effort/time/money could be spent. How fancy are other things that you've seen? Cross-stitch - awful lot of work.
How about an 'endless plains' cake - large sheetcake with dry-grass coloured icing?
 

Sonya Heaney

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That's 'The Artist's Secret'? A doll, in front of a picture of the background, would look good, I'm thinking. I always thought that the publishers did that kind of thing.
But, if they're leaving the details to you, they could at least provide a poster-sized copy of the background art their cover-designer used.
Then, suitably-sized doll and a stand.
Will this be for a one-time event, or will you be taking it from place to place? I'm thinking that if it's one time, a suitably dressed and coiffed Barbie would work, if it's a long-term project, maybe a little more effort/time/money could be spent. How fancy are other things that you've seen? Cross-stitch - awful lot of work.
How about an 'endless plains' cake - large sheetcake with dry-grass coloured icing?

Yes, it’s for The Artist’s Secret. It will go on their website in a few weeks. It’s a “look how much fun the authors are having at home!” thing. I’m off to the dollar shop right now to see if I can find anything that inspires me!
Thanks so much for the suggestions. It’s much more than I could think of. :)
 

Carrie

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VENTING ALERT: (No, wait, that's what this is for, right?)

I just spent the morning completely rewriting my column for my editor at the syndicate. I had the wrong end of the stick. It was the opening line she wanted changed. Two words. Sigh.

Then I got a two-month-old rejection from an agent. I haven't sent a query in ages but this is the gift that just keeps on giving, I guess. To make matters worse, the opening sentence sounded like she was interested so it was really deflating.

Finally, I sent my last manuscript to a casual writing pal who I met as a musician rather than a writer. (We did a showcase together in New York in January.) The changing POV does not work for him -- at all. It gets me questioning everything, even though I've always known the POV was not going to be everyone's favorite thing.

I know it's just a day and my perspective will change tomorrow but, seriously, today was just more aggravation than it was worth. I am seriously happy to see folks fighting the good fight and I know every single person here has had worse days than I had today. That's why I thought I would share.

Keep the faith!
 

Elle.

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Harlequin — Happy to hear things are going amazingly. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that it all goes great and without an itch!

Sonya Heaney — I was listening to the BloodBros podcast on Spotify with Harriet Tyce. There is a stuffed owl in her book that gets thrown at someone and the conversation devolved into taxidermy and the whole thing was hilarious (It's a great crime book podcast)

aceafer — Good luck with the edits

Putputt — good luck with your rewrite and good idea to just take it easy and not impose yourself target.

RaggyCat — If your new book is quite similar in genre as your first one I can't see a reason who your agent wouldn't like it, at least it is something to keep you busy while you wait to hear back from her.

Carrie — Vent away, it's what this place is for (among other things). Regarding your friend's feedback that's only one person's opinion if everybody tells you that the POV is an issue that's when I would start to worry.

I have officially completed the first draft of book 2. I write lean first draft but it's my most developed to date (still got about 2 pages of notes for edits even before having a read through). I'm really glad that I got that out of the way before diving back into book 1 for edits, but now I worry that I don't have a fully formed idea for book 3... Seriously, the worrying never stops!
 

Sonya Heaney

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I'm meant to be listening to something at a five-day online writing conference right now, but fatigue is setting in, so here I am. I woke up today to a review on a big US site - for my book that came out a year ago, not the one coming out in a couple of weeks. So that was strange.

Carrie - vent as much as you want. My past year was one crazy thing after another.

Seriously, the worrying never stops!

100%. I think a lot of us assume that once we get an agent/contract/whatever we're all set. But it never ends!
 
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S. Eli

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I finally got some movement on sub, and they were rejections lol three in total! I'm in hell now!it's been kind of quiet so i thought i'd barge in with that
 

Carrie

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Greetings!

S. Eli—Congratulations on the submissions! To hell with the rejections. They can't all publish your book.

Sonya—How was the writing conference? I've done so poorly finding qualified readers I've been thinking of trying an online workshop just to get some reasonable feedback. Do you have any suggestions?

Elle—You sound like you are exactly in the place I am. I also write lean (writing a 600-word column every week does that to you) and I also opted to finish Book Two before making edits to Book One. I just finished that—or got about as far along as I can at present. Now I am also needlessly worrying about Book Three being underdeveloped in my head. (Like I had any idea where I was going in the last two books?!)

I've spent the last two weeks reading books on psychotherapy and finding it hugely helpful for both the revision of the first book and planning for the third. Irvin Yalom is terrific, if anyone is interested. He's written several collections of stories from his decades as a therapist, starting with “Love’s Executioner,” as well as several critically acclaimed novels on the same topic and a memoir. I found his existential approach to client issues exactly what I needed to look more deeply into a couple of my troubled characters and find language to make them more lucid—without "diagnosing" them or anything close to that. I also have a therapist character coming up in Book Three, so the reading was a great help on that. Additionally, I consumed some current neuroscience papers on creativity and the unconscious and read "Silence of the Lambs," which was informative (as I hoped it would be) but a hard read for the first 50 pages as it is pretty much unrelieved gore. After that, I found it quite entertaining.

I think I am now ready to start again on Book Three (caveats as previously mentioned to Elle). I actually kind of like this time of knowing I am ready to write and waiting a day or two, building up a little tension. It is pleasant, making my characters wait just a bit. They will soon be working me hard enough!

I hope you are all doing well.
 

Sonya Heaney

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S. Eli - :Cake::Cake::Cake:

I'm anticipating finishing my current book by the end of the month. About two weeks ago I was asked to do an interview that I think is coming out next week, and the final question was "What are you working on next?" So I mentioned this book, but I might have cursed myself. It's not under contract yet (it's for a different imprint), and I'm bracing for it to be rejected. It doesn't help that a book with similar themes - a book I only just found out about! - is coming out with a competing publisher.

Argh. If HarperCollins doesn't want it I'll hang onto it and try somewhere else in a year or two. I really like it!

Carrie - I'd definitely recommend joining an organisation that best represents what you write. E.g. RWA or RWAus or RNA, SFWA, MWA, SCBWI ... Most seem to have their own private social media groups where you can connect with well-informed people who write the same things you do.

I didn't join any writers' organisations until I was published, and I did it mainly because I needed a connection with other writers. There are times I hear from three people at my publisher in a day, and other times I hear from nobody for three months! It's enough to drive you mad. The conference was good and bad. They usually (when it's live at a venue) have three sessions running at once: for aspiring, emerging and established authors. But this time we got to see all the sessions, so it ran for much longer than it usually does. Some parts weren't of any use to me and others were really great. They covered everything from contracts and agents to writing crime scenes realistically, to self-publishing, to writing realistic dialogue, to how Big Five publishers operate. My biggest issue was that this year's main draw was a US publisher I've been boycotting for their questionable ethics. A few of us filed complaints about them being included in it.
 

Carrie

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Sonya -- I'm not a genre fiction writer, but I love the idea of connecting through an organization like this. I was nominated sit on a panel at AWP and talk about my work with the newspaper syndicate, but that got scratched like so much else this year. Thank you for the suggestions! If you have any more, send them my way. I really feel like I'm working in a vacuum these days.