Nerves - and a quick update

I cracked - or possibly have cracked. At any rate, after a quick chat online about my latest rejection, and a morning spent feeling rather down I took the plunge. I've sent #3 off to the publisher I mentioned.

Now I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon wondering if I've made a terrible mistake. This is why cats are useful - I just have to wait five minutes and they will do something insane enough, and probably messy enough, to distract me...

A long pause

There's been a long pause on the agent front since I last updated. This is not to say things haven't been busy - between the cats and a growing ecommerce business, I have not had a lot of time to write.

Today the silence was broken by another rejection. To be honest I'm actually happy to hear something, anything, from the agencies. Have I mentioned before I am not good at waiting? So, while I wait on a few more, I will probably make a few more amends to my covering letter and send it out again. I was considering Queryshark but unfortunately they have a backlog and I'm not sure I have the nerve.

The real problem seems to be genre - not many people write in that genre (the most recent writer I can think of was early eighties). However there is a definite demand for it, due to multiple reprints of books and several forums I am aware of asking for more modern writers in that style and getting quite disappointed there aren't any. Although I am having no luck finding an agency who handles the genre, however, I have been pointed in the direction of a publisher which has launched an imprint for it.

After a few final revisions to fit their house style, I think I might send it straight to them.

Slush piles...

I just got a reminder this morning of another reason not to small-press my book.

Let me state, right here, right now, that I personally never want to deal with a slush pile again as long as I live.

Remember, this was a small press publishing imprint. We didn't just publish what I'd written - we had several authors writing. And this morning, on the vague chance I might possibly restart it, I got my first speculative query. It seems so many people want to get published that even the whiff of a new opportunity and the emails start. I can't blame the writers, (after all I'm doing the same myself) but I also can't accept them. Fortunately, since the company is not currently printing anything, I have a very easy grounds for rejection.

It does make you wonder how many manuscripts some of the big houses receive though.

(And just to make my day better it came just before another form rejection. Just as well it did not come after it - that would have been kicking me while I was down...) 

What was it?

The mysterious package turns out to be not one but two rejections. For some reason the post office had taped them together (!?) so they would not fit through the letterbox. These two were polite, standard form letters with the usual encouragement, but both managed to get name and story title right so that's a step in the right direction.

I did stumble on something in my research which got me thinking. I've seen several blogs where they say that if you get a publishing deal you should go back to one of the agents that rejected you and ask them to handle the contract. Now with some agents I can see doing this, but with others I think I'd rather go to a new agent who hasn't seen it. There are three reasons I would not go back to an agent I can think of:

1) Unprofessional: If they can't get the right rejection slip in the right envelope, for example, are they really likely to be paying the attention to detail that I want from someone working on my book? More importantly, what about the attention to detail for anything involved with a contract review? Working in e-commerce has given me zero tolerance for this type of mistake, since sending the wrong order form or credit card details to a user is an absolute no.

2) Rudeness: "How dare you send your piffling little manuscript to our great and glorious agency?" Personally I haven't run into this one, although there are several online horror stories you can find. Nerves, and total lack of self-confidence, do make me wonder if it's just a matter of time before I get one of these. The problem is you have to wonder who else they've insulted or alienated along the way. If you won't date someone who's rude to a waiter, why work with someone who's rude to aspiring authors?

3) Wrong skillset. One of the most common rejection letters states that the agent doesn't "work in that field" / "handle that type of manuscript". Just because you now have a publishing deal for them to negotiate doesn't change this, or suddenly grant them expertise in a field they've stated they don't know. It would be like hiring a PHP programmer to review Java source code: both programmers know the same logical structures, but the nuances and specifics aren't there.

That said, not going back to one who has rejected you just because they aren't looking for new authors, or aren't taking submissions at this time, would seem rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face. There are a few I'd happily turn round to if I got a publishing deal. Unfortunately the interested publishers are US-based which really narrows my options on UK agents since I'd need one that knew the US market and law.
 
On a side note if I resurrect my own imprint I'm not paying a third party to negotiate between myself and myself - that contract and licence already exists and the publisher and writer are both very happy with it!

Another no? Who knows?

I got back from work today to find a slip through the door stating that the postman had tried to deliver something, but it would not fit and was back at the sorting office. As usual for the local post, it had been delivered after the sorting office had closed for the day, so I can't pick it up until tomorrow.

Now we aren't expecting anything so this looks like it's another one of my packs coming back, probably with a rejection. However it got me thinking: I know what a rejection looks like - the pack I sent out shoved into the envelope I included with either a form slip or a personal letter attached stating their regrets - but I have absolutely no idea what an acceptance or request for a full manuscript looks like. Does the agent still return the full pack, or just drop a single letter back requesting a full printout and keep the query for their records? Do they email? I honestly have no idea, although I'd love to find out!

This is a really odd situation for someone with books in print. Seriously, if anyone out there would like to let me know or drop a comment, my nerves would thank you.

Meanwhile I will go back to going quietly crazy behind my PC screen, biting my nails to the quick and wondering what's at the post office.

Is this a hint...?

Last night I had another look at the rejection, and realised that there actually is something odd about this. The slip is dated, and the only way it could have got there by the date on it is if Royal Mail own a Tardis. Either that, or the agent saw me coming; right as I was putting it in the postbox someone was already writing the rejection slip out!

To be honest, the truth is probably that they got the date wrong as well as my name and the story title, but that's both boring and prosaic. The really hopeful thought is that it was someone else's rejection slip, but realistically that does mean my manuscript was still in the rejection pile.

Then when I checked my email this morning I had a contact from someone reminding me that I still own an imprint, that it is still a registered publisher ("on hiatus") and that it could start publishing again. Then another of our original distributors contacted us asking if we had any backstock of one of my earlier books and if we could ship some to them.

Now for reasons already covered - namely the whole new dimension of work that running a publisher adds which cuts into my writing time - I really don't want to go this route. But it's really beginning to feel like something is trying to push me into it. 

Ten days to go. By then hopefully I'll have a request for a full from an agent - which will let me go back to work on #4. If not, plan B is send it to the US publisher, resurrect the publishing imprint I own over here and start phoning old contacts again, like the copyright lawyer we used to use.

And more work...

So, while I wait for my next rejection, and deal with the niceities of life like work, cats and more, I'm still working on No 4. At 56,900 words, it is almost ready for my beta to read again. 
Unfortunately these words aren't the ending, so he's going to have to keep waiting for that one.

(Hey, I've got a reader hooked - do you really think I'm going to let him go?)

First response and it's not good news - just funny.

The first of my packets was waiting for me when I got back, so I opened it quickly to get the horror over with.

Standard form rejection letter: "Sorry but we are not taking on new authors at this time". It's a polite fib, since their website is requesting new submissions, but at least it is polite. And from the page order in the envelope I can see that the last two pages of the extract were read, which is better than some agencies managed with the last one.

So, responded in good time, read the manuscript, and sent a polite form rejection; what else could you want? What red flags could be raised by such a standard letter? The reason they may drop quietly off my submission list for future books is, to be honest, slightly petty. The rejection letter stands out and not in a good way. You see, the form letter has three spaces on it - room to write the author's first name and the story name. These are three very common english words.

They got them all wrong.

Now it may just be me, and I may be being picky, but that really does not give me confidence in their attention to detail - particularly since all three words were on the letter, the synopsis, and every page of the manuscript. If these weren't obvious typos I'd wonder if it was meant for someone else.

On the other hand it gave me a laugh, and is definitely a unique rejection letter to start my collection with.

More words, and more waiting...

55,800 words on Number 4. A bit of extra research needed on a type of flying I am not familiar with, but then not many are, so hopefully there aren't very many people who would catch a mistake. I could write more, but real life (i.e. work) is getting in the way.

Still nothing from agents, but then today is work so I'm going to be busy anyway.

And of course, Endless Ocean II is out, so I know what I'm doing to relax this evening.

Vulcan in trouble

It looks as though XH558 may not make it past the end of the month. They have put the engineering staff on 4 weeks notice.

While sad, it does not seem too surprising given that the requirement for a huge amount of engineering work for this winter was revealed in September, rather than during the airshow season when people had her fresh in their minds.

That said, given the current climate, please support them for free. They are trying to get their video to go viral, so any links to it would be useful. Also the fiftieth birthday card world record attempt.

And if you'd like to donate but have no money, try everyclick: each search raises 1p

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Completely calm (honest)

Well, you can tell how unruffled and stress-free I am by the fact I'm posting at 6:00 on a Saturday morning.

Still heard nothing from the agents, which is slightly disappointing for at least one of them. However I have had an author acquantaince point me in the direction of her publishing house, which raises the question of whether I want to submit to a publisher and agents at the same time. The general conclusion from researching online seems to be that it's OK to submit to one publisher and multiple agents simultaneously (as long as none of the agents ask for exclusive submission). I'm just holding back for the moment, since it would be going with an overseas house and that presents copyright and royalty issues.

The other small dilemma is what to do when you suddenly wake up with an idea of how to improve a novel you've already sent out queries to agents about. Do you make the changes that will improve it, even though it won't be the same as the first three chapters they've already read, or go with the original since that's what they saw and presumably liked?

And my sleepless night paid dividends: No 4 just hit 54,000 words, mainly unedited. It's not particularly well-written, but then 1) it was written quickly for NaNoWriMo and 2) it's a fun pulp-style adventure, and the originals were not reknowned for their quality of writing, just pace and atmosphere.

Waiting is the hardest part

Still no responses. From most of the agents this is not a surprise, as they have four week turnarounds.

One however has a four-day turnaround, or so their website states. I sent my manuscript out to them on 21st January, first class with an SSAE for the same. So far I have heard nothing. You could drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what nothing means:

• Was it lost in the post?
• Was the return lost in the post?
• Is the agent ill/on holiday/ very busy? (OK, agents are always very busy, but hopefully you can see my point)
• Are they too busy laughing at my pitiful attempt at writing to manage a straight rejection? (I need more confidence)
• Did they love it so much they can't let go of it? (hope beats eternal...)

So, rather than drive myself mad wondering, my beta will be glad to know that No4 just gained a thousand words or so. They're still in my notebook and not typed up yet, but it's all progress. Unfortunately for his sanity, they are in the middle of the book and not the end...

A bit of research and a conclusion

Well, I have spent a fair amount of time wading through everything I can find on agents, what they do, and how to get one, and reached a few conclusions:

1) I need a agent
2) My chances of getting one are slim
3) If I get an agent my chances of getting published are still slim
4) If I get published my chances of getting a best-seller are pretty much slim to none

So, with those cheery thoughts firmly in mind, a complete lack of confidence, and a manic grin on my face, off I go! After all, if you don't try, you definitely won't succeed.

Be vewwy vewwy quiet - we is hunting agents!

The wrong type of agent

You may detect gritted teeth in this post.

I just got called by an employment agent a.k.a. recruiter. He has a job for me, and all I have to do is complete an application form. It's a plain text Word Doc, unencrypted, sent by open email, going into his recruiter's mailbox, containing not just name, address, D.O.B. but also:

• Passport no
• Driver's Licence
• Addresses for the last 5 years
• Medical
• and a few more, but you get the idea. 

Guess what form I will not be filling out?  So, right when I've been hoping to get an offer from an agent, I suddenly get one I can definitely turn down. Who says fate doesn't have a sense of humour?

I've withdrawn the application, but this one is worthy of the ID theft Hall of Shame.

For anyone who does not understand why this is bad, remember this. An unencrypted email can be read by anyone, and is easily intercepted. By British law ISPs keep emails for seven years. An unencrypted email will be kept in an unalterable copy for seven years at your ISP and on the receiving end. You had better hope that you can trust the agent's IT security, anyone who accesses their PCs, anyone along the route the email went through, and so on. If they don't wipe their PCs before they dispose of them, the email can be around even longer and exposed to a whole new audience. Heaven for ID thieves.

And as note, never disclose your bank details, or anything other than name, address, d.o.b to an employment agent. Reputable ones that need your passport or further details will invite you into the office and take them manually from the documents themselves, not on a pre-filled form. This is not just for your protection but also for theirs.