The Thrill of the Query

There's a certain thrill in querying. I'm serious! When those pages are "out there" life is more exciting; there's a drop of extra adrenaline in my blood as I check that inbox. The rejection part is a pain; I'm in it to win it and there's no glory in defeat, but there's also no victory without starting the battle.

The good thing is, if the agent's guidelines request even the first five pages of a manuscript, then the writing is finally fulfilling its true purpose: to be read, enjoyed, and hopefully sold. I'm the one who decided to write books, and if I'm serious about writing then being in the position to sell books will be my best-case scenario from here to forever. 

I guess I think of it this way...right now I'm trying to "sell" to an agent. During this time I have to keep writing, because that is my product, and I can't run out of product or I'll go out of business. If I'm lucky and an agent wants my book, the process will repeat with selling to a publisher and to booksellers and hopefully to people in a bookstore. No matter where I am in the writing process, I also have to be in the middle of the selling process, and that goes double if I'm ever published.

Having an Agent Would be Cool, for more than just the usual reasons

I lurk a lot on writer forums. Actually I just joined one called The Writers Chronicle which seems lovely, (thanks for the invite Emily!).

So on these forums I've often seen the question come up, "Do we unpubs really even need an agent?" And I answer, or actually I don't because I'm lurking, but in my lurky mind I think to myself, "Yes!" But maybe not only for the reasons you think.

Sometimes I pull out an old ms of mine and wonder...if I re-revise could I make this thing work? And I'm not talking about my very first ms (which I really promise I'll never query. Sometimes I think I should burn it just to be sure no one reads it. Ever). I'm talking about those manuscripts I'd put aside in the spirit of keep-moving-forward and all that jazz.

And if I did that and even one person seemed a tiny bit interested I might end up revamping the whole story and sending out a few queries (I tend to only send out to a few agents at a time. Maybe that's my problem. I should query the masses!).

By this point I might wonder, should I really put some energy into the old girl? Or stick to revising the one I just finished? Or start the next one that I've been plotting? Maybe I can do it all! It's like juggling, just throw in another bowling pin, I'll keep my hands moving and it'll be a great show!

So here are my thoughts: Besides having an agent for "selling" the book and all the contract stuff, it would cool to have advice from someone who really knows the market and can suggest where I should put my enthusiasm and where I should find an empty spot on my bookshelf.

Book Talk: The Gemma Doyle Trilogy

 Has anyone else read Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle Trilogy? I fell in love with the evocative, gorgeous writing in each of these books, and maybe I'm not the only one who closed her eyes in the hopes of envisioning a door of golden light... so far I'm not the chosen one but hey, a girl can hope right?!

For a while now I've found that the more I write, the harder it is for me to really get swept up in another person's story. I tend to "feel" where the author's going, but this was definitely not the case this time. What a relief to turn off that internal editor and just get carried away!

Of course, a writer's a writer, and it was impossible not to notice the fully realized characters, the real-life issues woven so seamlessly into the story that they had a place to exist without overrunning the action, and her gutsy choice of pov: first-person present tense, not an easy thing to pull off but Ms. Bray triumphed. When done right it sure keeps the reader right in the middle of the action. For fun I tried writing a scene from my wip like this, just as a little character development thingamajig for the hero of the story, and even though it won't make it into my ms I'm really glad I did it. I know him better now.

Books, books, books...it's the reason we write!

Commonly Asked Questions of an Unpubbed

The five most asked (and most annoying) questions people ask if they somehow figure out I'm a writer.

1. Why aren't you published?

2. You know that famous author XXX? I heard it only took her one month to write her book and she got an agent the very next day and it was published the very next week and she got a jillion dollar advance. Why don't you write a story like hers? 

3. Your story sounds interesting, but I have a REALLY good story you should write...want to hear it and then after you write it and get super rich we could split the profits? Fifty-fifty, of course, since I came up with the idea and everyone knows ideas are protected by copyright.

4. Why don't you write something meaningful, like your Grandma's life story or something, instead of that fiction stuff?

5. Why DO you write, anyway?

How can I respond other than with courtesy and patience? Out loud, anyway. They have no idea what it feels like to have something you love rejected, to tear it apart and try again, or to abandon it altogether. They probably can't even understand what would possess someone to do what most likely they've loathed and dreaded all through their lives: writing.

1. Why aren't you published?

Real Answer:

"Publishing is a very tough business, but I'm happy with my efforts so far."

Defensive, Internal Answer:

"You obviously have even less of an idea of what the publishing industry is like than I do! Maybe I'm not published because I just suck as a writer and I have terrible ideas! Would you like some vinegar or are you fine with pouring salt in the wound?"

2. Why don't you write what XXX bestselling author wrote when she sold her first novel in two seconds flat?

Real Answer:

"It happens like that for some authors and I'm very happy it does. As for writing what he/she writes, every author's style is his or her own."

Not so Nice Answer:

"Really? I'm supposed to regurgitate what a bestselling author wrote and expect to find myself on easy street? Is that how anything else in life works?"

3. Want to write my idea and split the profits?

Real Answer:

"Actually, coming up with my own ideas is what makes writing so rewarding. Maybe you should try your hand at writing, you might like it."

Evil Twin Answer:

(Several seconds of deep belly laughs). "Nice one. Oh, you're serious? I have a better idea, why don't you write a three hundred page novel about MY idea? Then I can see it come to life and collect half the profits...which would be slim, by the way. You don't want to? Why, because writing is hard? Yes, yes it is. At this stage in my career, if I'm gonna write my heart out for anyone it's gonna be me."

4. Why don't you write something better/more meaningful than fiction? What about Granny's life story?

Real Answer:

"Fiction makes us laugh, cry, fall in love and experience every type of emotion in the human condition. Everyone's tastes are so different, maybe my story would be meaningful to someone. In any case, since I am unpublished and unpaid, I should at least write what I enjoy."

Annoyed Answer:

"Oh get off your high horse."

5. Why do you write, anyway?

Real Answer:

"Because I really enjoy it. It's my favorite, most beloved medium. I like writing long emails and long posts; I like writing better than talking. Most of all, I love writing stories, because I can be anyone in any place. I can control how it all happens and I can discover ways I didn't expect a story to turn out. And there are so many stories that run through my head, some of them just for me, but others I want to see on paper and experience somehow. It's how I feel most real, most like my self. I love writing. Some people live, breathe and eat football or cars or movies or cooking or MTV... it's what makes them happy. Writing is hard, but it makes me happy."

My real answer is my only answer.

Double Oh Writer

Writing is my great big secret. I don't really tell people that I write. I used to, back in the hey-day of my "I'm so awesome I'll be published in a year" phase, but nowadays, I keep my goal of publication closer to the vest. I guess it was all great telling people that I was writing a book. They perked up with a, "Really? What's it about?" and I'd tell them, and then we'd have a lively conversation. They'd ask about the book from time to time and that was fine too. But once I finished the book, then people wanted to know why I hadn't gotten it published. And when I explained whatever it was I knew at that point about the publishing process (which was notably nothing and sounded like a bunch of half-baked excuses), they'd ask why I didn't just hire an agent to sell the book for me. Really? What a grand idea, I should do just that! 

Looking back, I see that I liked talking about my writing to people because it was a way to get my needy, insecure ego stroked. They were impressed. They thought I could do it! It felt great! But the downside of that is, then they knew about my dream, and they also knew it was still unaccomplished. I felt like I was stuck in a perpetual senior year, constantly being asked, "So when do you graduate again?" and my answer was always, "Maybe this year."

Not that I hide my writing. Not at all. But I'm definitely more selective about who's in-the-know. If I'm waiting for my daughter with my laptop in front of me and someone says, "Hey, whatcha working on?" I don't have to say, "Working on my novel!" with a giant smile and sparkledust in my eyes, silently begging them to ask me more. I can safely answer, "Just writing. I have a family website." This is a misleading answer, even though both parts are true, but that's my cover and I don't plan on blowing it.