Hey, y'all - long time no post! I'm about to rush off, but I have a post up on Operation Awesome today that may be useful to some of you. Check out "A love letter to disappointments" here.
I hope everyone is doing fantastic. Chat soon!
(paraglides out the window and disappears)
Showing posts with label road to publication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road to publication. Show all posts
Friday, July 11, 2014
Friday, May 4, 2012
R&R&R&R
As I do believe I've mentioned before, I don't believe in fairy tales.
One of these days, I may have to alter that statement, but though I am an unflinching optimist in most other walks of life, my realism is my armor when it comes to submitting my work. I started querying my first novel in February 2010, and I had visions of signing my contract before my 22nd birthday in late March. It's been over two years since that first query, and since then I have learned how to take a more measured approach. The submission process is full of rejections and disappointments, after all.
But once in a while, a girl just has to celebrate. It is somewhat hard to celebrate when my work computer keeps crashing every time I try to load a .gif, but I will substitute wacky colors instead.
~*I GOT ANOTHER EDITORIAL LETTER YESTERDAY*~
Whew. Okay. Now that I got THAT out of my system...
We all know about the R&R, or 'revise and resubmit.' This is an R&R&R&R, or a 'revise and resubmit and revise and resubmit.' And you guys, editorial letter #2 is awesome. I wish I had taken a video of my reactions while reading it to put on YouTube; I was sort of worried that someone would come over to my desk and ask what I was doing! In any case, I am beyond thrilled with Secret Agent Man's feedback, and ready to get back to work.
In any case, a huge thank you to all of you for your support, and stay tuned for the continued saga...
One of these days, I may have to alter that statement, but though I am an unflinching optimist in most other walks of life, my realism is my armor when it comes to submitting my work. I started querying my first novel in February 2010, and I had visions of signing my contract before my 22nd birthday in late March. It's been over two years since that first query, and since then I have learned how to take a more measured approach. The submission process is full of rejections and disappointments, after all.
But once in a while, a girl just has to celebrate. It is somewhat hard to celebrate when my work computer keeps crashing every time I try to load a .gif, but I will substitute wacky colors instead.
~*I GOT ANOTHER EDITORIAL LETTER YESTERDAY*~
Whew. Okay. Now that I got THAT out of my system...
We all know about the R&R, or 'revise and resubmit.' This is an R&R&R&R, or a 'revise and resubmit and revise and resubmit.' And you guys, editorial letter #2 is awesome. I wish I had taken a video of my reactions while reading it to put on YouTube; I was sort of worried that someone would come over to my desk and ask what I was doing! In any case, I am beyond thrilled with Secret Agent Man's feedback, and ready to get back to work.
In any case, a huge thank you to all of you for your support, and stay tuned for the continued saga...
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Accomplishments
Good news, everyone! I finished my rewrites!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
... of course, now comes the editing and polishing of the rewrites, but I'm giving myself a week off first. I am super happy with the way things worked out: I definitely need to sand off the rough edges, but this is much closer to the original book I had in mind in terms of themes, worldbuilding, and voice. It is also much longer, which I knew it would be, but I'm still going to chop off as much as possible.
In any case, I e-mailed Secret Agent Man and told him I'd be sending him the finished product sometime next month. I am pumped and terrified at the same time.
Every writer needs a support group, and I have a wonderful one. My friends and family have been absolutely fantastic from the get-go. There's something they always say, though, and until recently, I just thought they were being nice: "I'm so proud of how far you've come."
And I'd always think, "But I have so much left to go." I hadn't reached my goal yet, and when I thought about my progress, that was all I could see.
-- of course, that's incredibly silly. It's my dream to be a professional author, and if I can get that far, there will always be new goals. Even if I'm lucky enough to sign with Secret Agent Man, I'll still have to go out on submission. Even if I'm astronomically lucky enough to get this book published, there's still the next book to worry about. And as with any goal, I'm sure there will be unexpected setbacks and changes that need to be accounted for - few things ever turn out exactly the way they do in your head.
And that's why I decided to make a point of celebrating when the smaller goals are met. Finishing rewrites was a pretty big one, but there were all sorts of goals in-between, too. I celebrated when I got ahead of my set schedule. I celebrated if I was having a particularly tough day but I managed to write something anyway. I celebrated when I managed to pull off a tricky scene, when I nailed down an elusive plot point, or when I finally wrote out a moment that's been in my head for months. These celebrations typically just involved me, a rented movie, and some sushi, but it allowed me to take some time just to feel happy about what I'd accomplished.
I know writers are a pretty driven, self-critical bunch, but I don't think that should preclude us from feeling good about ourselves. So no matter what happens with this manuscript, I'm going to be proud of it. Because even if it isn't The One, I've learned so much from writing it!
What goals have you accomplished lately? (Non-writing goals totally count!)
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
... of course, now comes the editing and polishing of the rewrites, but I'm giving myself a week off first. I am super happy with the way things worked out: I definitely need to sand off the rough edges, but this is much closer to the original book I had in mind in terms of themes, worldbuilding, and voice. It is also much longer, which I knew it would be, but I'm still going to chop off as much as possible.
In any case, I e-mailed Secret Agent Man and told him I'd be sending him the finished product sometime next month. I am pumped and terrified at the same time.
Every writer needs a support group, and I have a wonderful one. My friends and family have been absolutely fantastic from the get-go. There's something they always say, though, and until recently, I just thought they were being nice: "I'm so proud of how far you've come."
And I'd always think, "But I have so much left to go." I hadn't reached my goal yet, and when I thought about my progress, that was all I could see.
-- of course, that's incredibly silly. It's my dream to be a professional author, and if I can get that far, there will always be new goals. Even if I'm lucky enough to sign with Secret Agent Man, I'll still have to go out on submission. Even if I'm astronomically lucky enough to get this book published, there's still the next book to worry about. And as with any goal, I'm sure there will be unexpected setbacks and changes that need to be accounted for - few things ever turn out exactly the way they do in your head.
And that's why I decided to make a point of celebrating when the smaller goals are met. Finishing rewrites was a pretty big one, but there were all sorts of goals in-between, too. I celebrated when I got ahead of my set schedule. I celebrated if I was having a particularly tough day but I managed to write something anyway. I celebrated when I managed to pull off a tricky scene, when I nailed down an elusive plot point, or when I finally wrote out a moment that's been in my head for months. These celebrations typically just involved me, a rented movie, and some sushi, but it allowed me to take some time just to feel happy about what I'd accomplished.
I know writers are a pretty driven, self-critical bunch, but I don't think that should preclude us from feeling good about ourselves. So no matter what happens with this manuscript, I'm going to be proud of it. Because even if it isn't The One, I've learned so much from writing it!
What goals have you accomplished lately? (Non-writing goals totally count!)
Friday, December 9, 2011
What do you want to hear about?
EPIC BECKYFAIL. I'm so sorry for the radio silence. Revisions, day job stuff, holidays, and various technical difficulties have combined in the best and worst ways possible over the last couple of weeks. I also received my first blog award, courtesy of the awesome S.L Hennessy, but since I haven't had a chance to pick my own set of winners yet, you'll hear more about that later.
Revisions are actually ALMOST DONE, which fills me with joy and indescribable terror at the same time. I made it official by e-mailing Secret Agent Man the other night to let him know I'd be finished by mid-January, and now I have permanently entered freakout mode. I've been revising in my own little corner for so long, I'd sort of convinced myself that I was calm and with-it and used to the submission process. Not so, as it turns out.
Since November was pretty hectic, I want to try and update on a fairly regular basis until the holidays... but first, I want to hear from you! What do you want to see on the blog? If there's anything in particular you're curious about - the manuscript, the Tokyo subway system, my recipe for salmon risotto, anything goes - leave a comment, and I will write a post to that effect!
Revisions are actually ALMOST DONE, which fills me with joy and indescribable terror at the same time. I made it official by e-mailing Secret Agent Man the other night to let him know I'd be finished by mid-January, and now I have permanently entered freakout mode. I've been revising in my own little corner for so long, I'd sort of convinced myself that I was calm and with-it and used to the submission process. Not so, as it turns out.
Since November was pretty hectic, I want to try and update on a fairly regular basis until the holidays... but first, I want to hear from you! What do you want to see on the blog? If there's anything in particular you're curious about - the manuscript, the Tokyo subway system, my recipe for salmon risotto, anything goes - leave a comment, and I will write a post to that effect!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Subjectivity
Let me tell you some things about myself as a reader:
I love romance, and when a good one comes along, I can get really, really invested in it. But in general, I prefer romance as a great spice, not the main dish. Also, I tend to like my male love interests sweet and dorky, but I can be persuaded to the tall, dark and sexy side of the force. Especially if they are secret dorks.
I love creepy stories, but I'm not big on reading about the zombie apocalypse. I think it plays into my general nervousness about pandemics, and it stresses me out to imagine myself in the characters' position. I do, however, like more lighthearted takes on it.
I'm not big on dystopian stories about the all-powerful government. I like a messier take on the post-apocalyptic landscape. Actually, my ideal dystopian story is a mixture of both: a society that's only organized on the surface.
I prefer my mysteries in creepy small towns. Shiny crime thrillers don't grab me as much... except when they do.
I'm not a huge fan of gritty revenge stories, except when they are emotionally driven, have sympathetic protagonists, and explore the characters' morality without getting preachy. Then I love them. (If they're done well.)
There are lots of things I don't like. Except when I do like them.
I can work a bookstore like a pro. I scan the shelves, pick up what looks interesting, and read the summary and first page. If it grabs me, I pick it up. If not, I put it down. I put a ton of books down, even books that people have raved to me about. But depending on what's going on in my head that day, the criteria changes. Random little things can turn me off. Any number of factors go into that split-second choice, and I leave without all kinds of great books.
And these are all published books!
This particular ramble was triggered by reading several posts on various forums along these lines: "X agent said they wanted urban fantasy, but they still rejected me!" I know how frustrating it is to be rejected by an agent you think is perfect for you, but this is what they mean by 'this business is subjective.' Maybe your dystopia went organized when they wanted disorganized. Maybe your MC reminds them of someone they really don't want to be reminded of. Maybe you're writing a genre they love, but not the tropes that made them love it.
So to those of you on those forums: next time you get a rejection from someone who seemed so perfect for you, think about how many books you don't buy when you go to the store. It doesn't mean those are bad books. It just means, for whatever reason, they're not for you.
I love romance, and when a good one comes along, I can get really, really invested in it. But in general, I prefer romance as a great spice, not the main dish. Also, I tend to like my male love interests sweet and dorky, but I can be persuaded to the tall, dark and sexy side of the force. Especially if they are secret dorks.
I love creepy stories, but I'm not big on reading about the zombie apocalypse. I think it plays into my general nervousness about pandemics, and it stresses me out to imagine myself in the characters' position. I do, however, like more lighthearted takes on it.
I'm not big on dystopian stories about the all-powerful government. I like a messier take on the post-apocalyptic landscape. Actually, my ideal dystopian story is a mixture of both: a society that's only organized on the surface.
I prefer my mysteries in creepy small towns. Shiny crime thrillers don't grab me as much... except when they do.
I'm not a huge fan of gritty revenge stories, except when they are emotionally driven, have sympathetic protagonists, and explore the characters' morality without getting preachy. Then I love them. (If they're done well.)
There are lots of things I don't like. Except when I do like them.
I can work a bookstore like a pro. I scan the shelves, pick up what looks interesting, and read the summary and first page. If it grabs me, I pick it up. If not, I put it down. I put a ton of books down, even books that people have raved to me about. But depending on what's going on in my head that day, the criteria changes. Random little things can turn me off. Any number of factors go into that split-second choice, and I leave without all kinds of great books.
And these are all published books!
This particular ramble was triggered by reading several posts on various forums along these lines: "X agent said they wanted urban fantasy, but they still rejected me!" I know how frustrating it is to be rejected by an agent you think is perfect for you, but this is what they mean by 'this business is subjective.' Maybe your dystopia went organized when they wanted disorganized. Maybe your MC reminds them of someone they really don't want to be reminded of. Maybe you're writing a genre they love, but not the tropes that made them love it.
So to those of you on those forums: next time you get a rejection from someone who seemed so perfect for you, think about how many books you don't buy when you go to the store. It doesn't mean those are bad books. It just means, for whatever reason, they're not for you.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
I don't believe in fairy tales
At least, not where publishing is concerned. True, some people have those fairy tale-esque success stories, but those stories have a lot of hard work behind them. Those people wrote, completed, and edited a novel. It's not something that just happens to you.
As for me, I've had just about as many failures as successes. One of those successes even involves a failure. I chose the college I attended partially because they had a creative writing thesis program that focused on writing a novel - I had a trunk manuscript under my belt at that point, but I couldn't wait to work with someone who really knew what they were doing. I started gathering up my required workshop credits right away, but when I tried to get into the fiction workshop during the second semester of my freshman year, there were 40 applicants and 12 slots. After the "audition class," I found out that I didn't make the cut.
I sent a thank you e-mail to the teacher for the fun class, and he told me that with all the upperclassmen applying, it wouldn't have been fair to pick a freshman. "Try again next year," he said. "I won't say no again."
I did. And he didn't. And it was a little bit sweeter because I knew I'd worked for it.
I didn't have a lot of other successes in that program. I was turned down for the thesis program, and their reasons were as follows: because I chose to study abroad for a semester in junior year rather than take another workshop, and because my work was too 'plot-driven.' Once I finally picked myself up off the floor, I discussed it with my (awesome) fiction teacher. He told me, very gently, as if he was trying not to offend me: "I really think you're more of a commercial fiction writer."
I count that as a success, since I took it as a compliment.
In any case, I didn't want to stall just because the program wouldn't take me. I went to Tokyo, and I wrote another manuscript. I finished it a few months after returning to America, and started sending out the query with dreams of those fairy tale success stories I'd always heard about...
... and was promptly smacked in the face by five back-to-back form rejections.
Thankfully, I was at least smart enough that it only took five. I took my query to my awesome fiction teacher to tear apart. It was a fabulously helpful and torturous experience; he's not a fan of fantasy, so to even explain the book to him made me very self-conscious. But it worked. I sent another round of queries, and I got my first full request from one of the top agents on my list.
I knew it wouldn't work out from the beginning. This agent was so far out of my league, he was in the stratosphere. But again, I remembered those fairy tale success stories and dared to hope.
He decided to pass, but with some of the most dizzying compliments I'd ever received. I sent a thank you e-mail. He didn't say "I won't say no again," but somewhere in the back of my mind, it echoed.
That was the highest point of the submission process. On some level, after his rejection, I knew this wouldn't be the one, but it took me five months and many more rejections to accept it. I had other requests, but his comments were still the nicest and most enthusiastic. I wanted that first agent to see my next MS. I wrote another novel, one that I really loved. I sent it out. I got many more requests within 20 queries that I'd gotten within 70 last time. But I was very careful not to get carried away. I took a much more philosophical approach: I was going to go with whatever happened, and keep working at it regardless.
Two weeks ago, things finally started to move - but not in that fairy tale, "seven offers within a week" way. I actually got an offer for revisions. Since I couldn't find many accounts of what to do in that case, I didn't have many guidelines. Afterward, I saw a post saying you shouldn't nudge other agents if you get a request for revisions, but I did, and I don't regret it at all. Even if they rejected me, I would feel more comfortable with that than yanking the manuscript out from under them if they were still interested. And as it turned out, none of them did - they all wanted to revise with me. And at the same time all of this was going on, I ended up with another request for material, so it ended up turning into chaos. Very flattering chaos.
I don't want to name names, but everyone I spoke to that week was amazing. Absolutely amazing, professional, and utterly made of class. It was such a hard decision, I can't imagine how people sort through multiple offers. But there was one agent in particular who was the most enthusiastic, not only to work with the project, but to work with me. It was that first agent, who requested my first MS over a year ago.
I may still believe in fairy tales a little after all.
I've been given such a wonderful opportunity. I can't wait to see where it leads!
(And by the way - those of you who know who I'm working with - I'm keeping it quiet on here for now. Superstitious, I know, but it would feel like pushing my luck!)
As for me, I've had just about as many failures as successes. One of those successes even involves a failure. I chose the college I attended partially because they had a creative writing thesis program that focused on writing a novel - I had a trunk manuscript under my belt at that point, but I couldn't wait to work with someone who really knew what they were doing. I started gathering up my required workshop credits right away, but when I tried to get into the fiction workshop during the second semester of my freshman year, there were 40 applicants and 12 slots. After the "audition class," I found out that I didn't make the cut.
I sent a thank you e-mail to the teacher for the fun class, and he told me that with all the upperclassmen applying, it wouldn't have been fair to pick a freshman. "Try again next year," he said. "I won't say no again."
I did. And he didn't. And it was a little bit sweeter because I knew I'd worked for it.
I didn't have a lot of other successes in that program. I was turned down for the thesis program, and their reasons were as follows: because I chose to study abroad for a semester in junior year rather than take another workshop, and because my work was too 'plot-driven.' Once I finally picked myself up off the floor, I discussed it with my (awesome) fiction teacher. He told me, very gently, as if he was trying not to offend me: "I really think you're more of a commercial fiction writer."
I count that as a success, since I took it as a compliment.
In any case, I didn't want to stall just because the program wouldn't take me. I went to Tokyo, and I wrote another manuscript. I finished it a few months after returning to America, and started sending out the query with dreams of those fairy tale success stories I'd always heard about...
... and was promptly smacked in the face by five back-to-back form rejections.
Thankfully, I was at least smart enough that it only took five. I took my query to my awesome fiction teacher to tear apart. It was a fabulously helpful and torturous experience; he's not a fan of fantasy, so to even explain the book to him made me very self-conscious. But it worked. I sent another round of queries, and I got my first full request from one of the top agents on my list.
I knew it wouldn't work out from the beginning. This agent was so far out of my league, he was in the stratosphere. But again, I remembered those fairy tale success stories and dared to hope.
He decided to pass, but with some of the most dizzying compliments I'd ever received. I sent a thank you e-mail. He didn't say "I won't say no again," but somewhere in the back of my mind, it echoed.
That was the highest point of the submission process. On some level, after his rejection, I knew this wouldn't be the one, but it took me five months and many more rejections to accept it. I had other requests, but his comments were still the nicest and most enthusiastic. I wanted that first agent to see my next MS. I wrote another novel, one that I really loved. I sent it out. I got many more requests within 20 queries that I'd gotten within 70 last time. But I was very careful not to get carried away. I took a much more philosophical approach: I was going to go with whatever happened, and keep working at it regardless.
Two weeks ago, things finally started to move - but not in that fairy tale, "seven offers within a week" way. I actually got an offer for revisions. Since I couldn't find many accounts of what to do in that case, I didn't have many guidelines. Afterward, I saw a post saying you shouldn't nudge other agents if you get a request for revisions, but I did, and I don't regret it at all. Even if they rejected me, I would feel more comfortable with that than yanking the manuscript out from under them if they were still interested. And as it turned out, none of them did - they all wanted to revise with me. And at the same time all of this was going on, I ended up with another request for material, so it ended up turning into chaos. Very flattering chaos.
I don't want to name names, but everyone I spoke to that week was amazing. Absolutely amazing, professional, and utterly made of class. It was such a hard decision, I can't imagine how people sort through multiple offers. But there was one agent in particular who was the most enthusiastic, not only to work with the project, but to work with me. It was that first agent, who requested my first MS over a year ago.
I may still believe in fairy tales a little after all.
I've been given such a wonderful opportunity. I can't wait to see where it leads!
(And by the way - those of you who know who I'm working with - I'm keeping it quiet on here for now. Superstitious, I know, but it would feel like pushing my luck!)
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