THE WAITING GAME AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Okay, I've broken one of the Golden Rules of blogging: do it on a consistent basis. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. But then some wag once said that writers are a guilty lot anyway, so perhaps I'm just exhibiting the identifying characteristics of the species or something.

Finally had my most recent rewrite of DESERT DOGS accepted by my agent. This was back in, what, November? She still had some reservations but I think after two complete rewrites she felt a bit of pity and/or resignation that she wasn't going to get it perfect and I could end up forever reworking this book.

So here's the strategy as she outlined it: she would submit to three editors. If rejections came back with the same reasons for passing then she would ask me for another rewrite. If, however, we got three rejections and none of them passed for the same reasons then at that point we would ignore the reasons (dismissing them as not fundamentally the book's problem but a matter of that particular editor's tastes, etc.) and go wide on submission.

That was my understanding. Touching bases with her a couple weeks back she informed me the book was at St. Martin's. No word as yet. Also, no mention of the other two. I had been under the impression she would send out simultaneously to three. But as I reconstructed our phone conversation, I don't recall anything said about simultaneous submissions. I'm thinking she meant one at a time. So here I am in limbo on the book.

I am pretty much an email kinda guy. I asked if it would be okay to touch bases with my agent by email once a month to get a feel of where we are, etc. She said she was good with that. So that's how I will communicate. I don't want to be a high-maintenance client. But as many of you know, this waiting stuff is so damn hard. You query and wait on those. You get partial requests, you wait on those. You get full requests and you wait on those. Then, if you finally win the literary lotto and an agent makes the call and takes you on, you wait on the editors. And it goes on and on from there. Hey, I shouldn't be complaining, right? I finally got that agent we all dream of getting. And the book is finally on submission at a major publisher. Only a nitwit would be so insensitive to make a big deal out of this. I'm well down the path and damn lucky to be here.

Now I think I understand what that play 'Waiting For Godot' may have REALLY been about...the poor fools were authors waiting to hear from their agent!

Back Up, Always Back Up Your Work

I know better. I've been here before. I thought I had it covered. I didn't. What I'm referring to--and if you have been writing for awhile you have probably had this happen to you--I had a technical glitch and lost several chapters. They were not backed up. And as it stands now they may very well be lost forever. There is one last hope to resurrecting them. A techie friend has offered to see what he can do. I don't hold out much hope and have even come to a kind of resigned peace with the prospect of rewriting the chapters.

So now, belatedly, I have backup. Through an outside service, and on a flashdrive. There are other ways to backup and any of them are good. The point is to backup. I knew better and thought I had it covered. I didn't. Don't let it happen to you.

Fighting The Query Wars

It's a cliche, really, that everyone claims they have a book in them. But very few ever actually write that book. Well, this is for those of you who have done just that and now want to take the next step--finding an agent to represent your book.

And let me anticipate one of your questions off the git-go: do you need an agent. The short answer is 'yep.' And the longer version is you can go it alone through other venues that don't require an agent to get to an editor. Some of the publishing houses still take un-agented submissions but your submission will get dumped in the slush-pile. Chances for your book at that level are akin in my way of thinking to winning the lotto. E-publishers typically will look at submissions without going through an agent. Be careful going that route as there are certainly very good and totally legitimate e-publishers and this area is exploding by leaps and bounds, but just as there are excellent e-publishers there are bad characters out there as well. So tread carefully. Do your vetting. And there's vanity presses. Frankly, if I have to pay to have my book published I'd just as soon burn it first.

Okay, let's get back on point. Getting an agent. First, the good news. There are many excellent online sources available to research agents. The bad news (or perhaps more accurately) the cold hard reality news is that landing an agent ain't easy. It's a slog, really. And if you truly are committed to being published it's a process you cannot skip. It has a number of moving parts and if you expect to grab the brass ring, you're gonna have to jump through some fiery hoops (sorry about that ring and hoop thing).

A good place to research agents is Query Tracker: http://www.querytracker.net/. The basic service is free and if you want the full service there is a modest charge. Either way it was invaluable in organizing and implementing my query program that eventually got me representation. There are others similar to Query Tracker out there. I tried them but found this one superior in vetting their agent list. They are careful not to list potentially problem agents.

Another excellent source is The Association of Authors' Representatives: http://www.aaronline.org/. This is the professional organization for agents. In order to join agents must adhere to certain qualifications, regulations and rules. You are in good hands when dealing with these member agents.

Another source that is helpful in vetting agents as well is Preditors & Editors: http://anotherealm.com/prededitors/.

And then there's the Absolute Writer Water Cooler. The is a forum for published and unpublished writers on every subject near and dear to a writer's heart. Explore it. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

Okay, I've just touched the surface, but the above sources are a good starting point in compiling your query list of agents. In my next post I'll address the mechanics of querying--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My New WIP (Work In Progress)

While I wait to hear from my agent regarding the re-write on DESERT DOGS, I have begun working on my next WIP, tentatively titled A TRACE OF MEMORY. I've played around with the title going back and forth on other possibles and had settled on THE DECONSTRUCTED MAN for a time but then went back to A TRACE.

It will be another crime novel with a 'damaged' ex-homicide detective as the protagonist. Really don't want to go into much more than that at this point as I'm still working out the plot, etc. I'm a 'write-from-the-hip' writer though I typically have a good grasp of the general plot, the beginning and the end but not necessarily the guts of the narrative. I suspect that's because I like to be as entertained and surprised by the story as my readers. It's a journey I undertake with excitement and, admittedly, some trepedation.

I love it when the characters start 'taking over' with what seems like a life of their own. At that point I kind of go along for the ride.

But right this minute I'm still working on the plot and that hasn't quite jelled just yet.

Revised Manuscript for DESERT DOGS Turned In

Finished up revising manuscript, DESERT DOGS, per discussions, etc. with my agent. Waiting to hear from her on yea or nay on the changes. She hasn't responded thus far but she is in New York meeting with editors this week.

GOT AN AGENT!

It's been a slog but I have now signed on with a new agent. I must have queried close to two hundred agents who handle my genre--crime fiction/thrillers. Responses ranged from none to mostly rejections. Five asked to see the full manuscript, DESERT DOGS. Four asked to see partials.

Got a call, which I missed, on Sunday from Sarah Heller of the Canadian-based Helen Heller Literary Agency. She liked the book and wanted to talk with me. We connected that Monday morning and spoke for close to an hour. Bottom line: she liked the book and I liked her and her agency. I subsequently agreed to signing up with them to represent the book. I've mailed the agreement and she will get back with me to more fully discuss the book.

Exciting.

Initial Post

And so it begins. I've set this up in an effort to reach out to anyone else interested in those things that interest me. Mostly, this will be dedicated to writing and such. Though not exclusively.

There isn't much to add, except to say I'm in the throes of seeking agent representation. It's a slog. Not for the faint of heart. Rejections right left and upside down. The good, the bad and the 'eh'.

Didn't think it would be this difficult, but the more I immerse myself in the process the more I'm amazed anyone gets past this level. Talent is tantamount. And persistence is the key, obviously. Along with a project that matches with a particular agent's needs and/or that engages them enough they fall in love with it. I suppose timing plays a critical role as well.

Anyway, such ruminations are likely the paen of most would be authors seeking representation. Nothing unique there.

Enough for now. Time to step into the waders and continue the slog.