Tibor Jones Studio...

So, I have some pretty big news...

Following my submission to their agency, I've joined one of the Tibor Jones Studio projects. 

You can find out a bit more about the project, and about my trip down to London to meet with Tibor Jones, below...

Pterodactyl noises...

Long Time No See...

Hello...

So, it's been a long time. Months, in fact. Almost half a year, possibly...

Sorry!

As you might remember, I got a new job. and as expected, it has taken over just a smidge. Other priorities have been sidelined during the transition, including, though I had hoped it wouldn't, writing.

Don't get me wrong, I have still been writing everyday and I have still been editing. But I've not sent out any submissions since I started and that has put something of a dampener on my blog posting.

To be perfectly honest, part of me was a little knocked back by the rejections. It's always going to be hard to hear 'No' over and over and not be at least a little affected by it. One thing I began to worry about was how well edited the opening of 'Grey Sister' was. Which then made me question the editing of the whole book. Which lead to me re-printing and re-editing the whole book all over again. Which, lets be honest, was a bit of a procrastination exercise...

Nevertheless, I do think rereading 'Grey Sister' was a good idea. There have been some changes to the opening, primarily in the sequencing of the opening scenes. I've also corrected some continuity errors that I've known for a long time were a problem (one character in particular originally had a large introduction, which was lost in the initial editing process. In the end, she wound up with almost no background at all, despite her being a major part of Thea's story. Poor Vilette.)

I feel better for having taking the time to go back through the book from start to finish. Even though only the opening chapters are likely to be seen any time soon, knowing that I'm happier with the flow of the whole book gives me some confidence to start sending it out again.

Which I've finally done! My first submission since September 2014 (Urgh, the embarrassment! The disgust! The disappointment!) went out today. The agent I submitted to was actually recommended to me by Martine Bailey, author of 'An Appetite for Violets' and 'The Penny Heart', who I was lucky enough to meet at her book signing in York. Martine was kind enough to talk to me for a good quarter of an hour while I grilled her on creative writing and the Big Bad World of Publishing and even gave me the details of an agent she thought could help. I left with such a big smile on my face. Even if the agent isn't interested in my work, getting the chance to talk to a published author is so inspiring and such a pleasure.

So, now I'm officially Back on The Horse, I'm hopefully going to be sending out submissions much more frequently. Keep swimming, and all that...

In the meanwhile, I want to start a new project separate from Thea's story. I've missed the planning stages and the excitement of the first draft so much! While I want to keep pressing on with the sequel to 'Grey Sister' (which I will of course be continuing as well), I think it will be good for me to try my hand at a new concept. After all, your first novel isn't always the one that reaches publication.

But for now, here we go again! Anyone else need a pep talk...?

(A Pro Tip from How to Adult!)

Rejection #10

Date Submitted: 11th June 2014

Date Rejected: 3rd July 2015

Response Time: Over 1 year

Response Type: Form, no further request.

***

A whole year! Congratulations, Rejection 10, you win the latest response award.

It's been a long (long, LONG) time since I last sent out a submission, so it was a surprise to find this in my post box. Clearly my opening chapters have been sat in one heck of a big slush pile.

Meanwhile, I have been horribly absent since I started my new job in February. As expected, I've been very busy with the transition. I've not stopped writing though, and I'm currently preparing myself for a new round of submissions. I'll hopefully write a post about this soon...

Rejection #9

Date Submitted: 28th September 2014

Date Rejected: 28th October 2014

Response Time: 1 month

Response Type: Form, no further request.

***

"Many thanks for sending us the material for GREY SISTER but I'm afraid that we are going to pass."

Is it just me, or is that kind of a harsh way to say no? 

Rejection #8

Date Submitted: 1st July 2014

Date Rejected: 14th October 2014

Response Time: 14 weeks (approx 3 1/2 months)

Form for Response: Form letter, no further request. 

***

Another pre-recent edits rejection. Not a big surprise, especially as this was a big name agency. They did apologise for the late reply, which was very considerate.

Rejection #7

Date Submitted: 29th September 2014

Date Rejected: 7th October 2014

Response Time: 5 working days

Form for Response: Form letter, no further request. 

***

Given that this was a snail-mail submission and that the response came back in less than a week, I have the sneaking suspicion that I did something wrong in my submission... poop.

Nevertheless, the fact that the person who emailed me forgot change the name of the novel when she copied and pasted the form letter, suggests perhaps its not too much of a loss. 

To whoever wrote 'Lloyd's Book of Humour': I'm sorry they didn't like your book either. Perhaps we could form a support group?

Rejection #6

Date Submitted: 14th May 2014

Date Rejected: 7th August 2014

Response Time: 12 weeks (approx. 3 months)

Form for Response: Brief email (form possibly)

***

Argh! How did I forget to blog this one? Much grovelling and many apologies. 

Possibly it has to do with my actually really wanting this agency to like me...

I sent this before my recent edits (and actually I think there were a few other amendments made in between as well). Further evidence that you should be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN of your manuscript before you submit. Though, I must admit, I did think it was ready. So, who am I to preach?

Anyway, I received a brief email from this (very small) agency quite some time after submitting. Although it seemed pre-composed, it did include statements like, "You're clearly very talented", and that the work had "an intriguing premise". I'd like to flatter myself that not every submission hears that! Ha ha. Such a big head I have!

Rejection #5

Date Submitted: 1st July (/17th July?) 2014

Date Rejected: 31st July 2014

Response Time: 1 month (/2 weeks)

Form for Response: Personally written by agent, no further request.

***

As the submission dates suggest, this was a pretty unusual submission. 

I initially got in touch with this agent over twitter in order to find out which of their agents would be best suited to receiving my submission (pro tip: ALWAYS identify a single agent in submissions. It shows awareness of the agency and consideration in your submission). They replied quickly, with a nice, friendly response and I duly sent off my submission by snail mail, as requested on their submission page.

Then, on the 17th I received a tweet, not from the agency as a whole, but from the specific agent who'd been pointed out to me to begin with, asking if I'd sent my submission. I told her I had and 'hoped it hadn't gotten lost in the post'. She then told me to send it again via email just in case. So off submission version 1.2 went and she immediately replied to say she'd received it.

The rejection I got today was, while obvious a disappointing one, still the most positive one I've had so far. The agent emailed to say,

"I wanted to like this - and I almost really, really do - [but] it did not grab me by the throat..."

It feels like a step in the right direction to at least get a personally written reply. This agency has a strong background in fantasy, though they're not as grand nor as established as many of the more well known agencies. I wish I could have at least made it as far as a full request. I've asked for some feedback, so maybe that will give me something to work from...

End of June Update...

Another month and not much more to tell.

Rejections arrive, new submissions are sent and rejections arrive. The cycle repeats itself, on and on we go. Its just the road you have to travel if you're looking to get published. It can't much be helped.

I was watching a documentary recently about the upcoming Monty Python Live Show, when John Cleese (who I love and think is fabulous, by-the-by) made a comment about the modern era not being "a terribly intelligent or terrible creative one" (57 mins in). Which, for anyone in a position like mine, is both pretty insulting and quite misinformed.

From where I sit, our world and our generation is an incredibly inventive one. Even beyond technical advances, everywhere I look I see people making things, thinking new things, trying to bring something new to the world. The internet is full of authors trying to get published and artists trying to find an audience. There is SO much creativity in our era. And that is precisely why it is so hard to make it today; because competition is at a premium.

It feels sometimes like everyone in the world has written a book (or is making music, or acting, or drawing comics, or making jewellery, or designing clothes, or, or or...). But, as my boyfriend keeps reminding me, just because others are, doesn't mean your work means nothing. Creativity has value in itself. Trying to succeed in making a dream come true is never a mistake. Failure happens. But it doesn't define our attempts. We just have to keep trying.

Getting Back on the Horse...

So, my first two months of submissions have been a little rough.

I've had three out of four submissions come back rejected. Of course, this is no big deal. Harry Potter was rejected twelve times and 'The Help' a whopping forty-five times! So really, three is nothing to worry about.

But worry I have.

So I went back over my opening chapter, picking apart every niggle. I re-worked scenes that fell flat, removed unnecessary characters and changed them for ones more central to later plot lines. Thanks to another feedback session with the critique group, I tweaked the opening page to make it clearer. I even went  so far as to change my main character's age to give her choices later in the book more impact.

And I do feel better for doing it. Which just creates more worries. What if those little changes could have meant the difference between a rejection and a request? What if those few little issues cost me an agent? I fear now that I was (and, quite likely, still am) under-prepared for submission. Even though I want to keep trying, a big part of me just wants to put everything on hold so I can edit, edit, edit all over again.

Nevertheless, I've gotten back to the agent hunt and have two envelopes full of submissions to take to the post office tomorrow morning. I've developed something of a phobia of the bigger agencies, I've found. After all, why would J.K.Rowling's agency (honestly, I've looked into them and everything) have any interest in a silly little book about a library written by a girl who works in a shop? And yet, here I am still writing to agencies with celebrities and leading names on their books.

Such a glutton for punishment.

My confidence hasn't been overly bolstered by my continuing inability to secure myself a real-world job, either. Getting back rejections from agents and potential employers makes for something of a downer. There's been lots of sulks and cheer-up songs blasted in the past week or so.

But on we must press. An agent can't accept me if I don't send them anything, right? Nothing comes from nothing, after all. So here's a little pep talk that's kept me going...

Rejection #2

Date Submitted: 3rd May 2014

Date of Rejection: 24th May 2014

Response Time: 15 working days (3 weeks)

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

I was better prepared for the rejection note this time and I wasn't so upset as I was with #1. This agency was one of the less specific ones I've chosen and I approached them more for their wider experiences than because they are known to produce a lot of fantasy titles. 

The form letter was a little softer than the first and - though, of course, I know it IS just a standard response - it left me feeling a little more optimistic about my chances elsewhere. 

It probably took a little longer to hear back because the submission was sent through the post, rather than email.

Rejection #1

Date submitted: 30th April 2014

Date of Rejection: 9th May 2014

Response Time: 8 working days

Rejection Type: Form, no further request.

***

My very first rejection. Hurray and Huzzah! I'm part of the big leagues now.

I was more shaken by my first rejection than I thought I'd be. I was so prepared to be upbeat and, though I did expect it, it was still a little unsettling to get that first knock. No tears though, which was good since I was at work when the email came!

This was a large agency, with an established rapour and a big team of staff. I chose them because they represented an author I greatly admire *ahem*, with the dream of being on the same books as a hero of mine.

Que sera sera. Onwards and upwards! Bring on the next contender!

What comes next...

So, with the first draft of 'Grey Sister' all done, it's time to look towards the next step.

First, I need to get the manuscript all polished and shiney and lovely and not full of terrible clichés and bad grammar and oh-goodness-so-much-else. I've done a quick once-over check of the whole book, clearing away a little of the more obvious little problems (spelling, grammar, repetition etc). I'm about half way into a read through of the whole book, which should give me some perspective on any bigger issues in the book. So far, it's fairly apparent that I need to consider cutting the chapters up into smaller chunks. It's also clear that the first two chapters need a SERIOUS re-write (oh, goodness, I can't believe I started writing like that. Uuurgh.). But let's face it, eight months after writing something, there's bound to be things to change. 

Once I finished the read through, I'll start the BIG EDITING STAGE. I'm expecting this to take quite a few weeks, if not months, while I try and get 'Grey Sister' as good as I want it to be. This will include the re-writing previously mentioned as well as smaller things like grammar-checking and general polishing.

Then... (deep breath)... it'll be time to approach agents. I'm still so clueless about the whole process, but I've started to collect some idea of how to go about it and my copy of 'The Writers and Artists Yearbook 2014' is at the ready. 

So, to recap:

1. Read through
2. Edit
3. Send to agents
4. Get published
5. Take over the world

Seems easy enough. 

I. Am. Terrified.

Having hit a lot of big sign posts recently, finishing the manuscript for The Book is actually within sight. If I can keep up my pace I estimate that I could actually reach the end in about two months, rather than four.

Which leaves me to face something I've been ignoring for months: I am absolutely terrified. 

I've always known that breaking into the writing sphere was going to be hard. It seems like the entire literary world (and the rest of the world for that matter) does nothing but tell me: its rough out here, kid. I think that given the constant stream of warnings and crushing personal accounts of failure, ambition can be quelled before the first words are even on the page. Certainly, it was a concern for me when I first started writing. But it was more important to me when I started that I try and do it at all. I know there are plenty of people out there who had the same thought. After all, if no one ever took the chance, there would be no new writers! So we set off on our endeavours with hope and crossed fingers and the promise that, 'it's OK just to finish at all'.

In the knowledge that I will soon need to start thinking about The Next Stage, I've started casually browsing through publishing guides: flicking through publishing books when I'm stacking shelves in the library, pausing in the self-help section in Waterstone's, even buying a writing magazine (which I will be reviewing hopefully in my next post).

What I've found from this is that, of course, publishing a book really is as scary as people make out.

Setting aside the difficulty of finding an agent willing to promote you and getting your book read by a publisher, there seems to be a hell of a lot more to getting your book out into the world than just writing it. It seems like every perspective writer has to have completed at least a dozen writing courses, if not a Masters Degree in Creative Writing; have a portfolio of published short stories, poetry and articles; and have a list of competition winnings to tote in their writer's CV. Me, I have none. Zero. Nothing. I've never had so much as a problem printed in Teen Miss, never mind won a national writing competition. I feel like I'm going in blind. Right now it seems entirely possible that if I do send my poor little Book out into the big wide world that the best I could hope for is that the bigger kids don't just laugh and sent it home crying.

How can I hope to compete with all these people who've put years and years into their writing? Even if I do have a good idea, even if my book is somewhat original and a little bit interesting, even if its actually kind of good, how can I ever hope to get someone to look beyond my pathetic begging letter to see it? When there are writers who can fill a whole page just with their accomplishments, how can just another 'girl who always dreamed of writing' get herself noticed?

I'm still hopeful though. Even though I'm scared, I'm ever the optimist. Hopefully, I am as prepared as I claim to face years of hard work and rejection in order to see ambitions reached. In the meantime, I'll start trying to get a better picture of the world I'm about to face. More books, more research, more more more...

Oh gods, they're going to eat me alive...