NEEDS MORE CAKE

[la_belle_laide]

Right, so I just got my 13th rejection on my query letter for my novel. Drat, and I was hoping 13 would be the one, for no other reason than that I really like 13. Triskaidekaphilia? 

So now I need some advice, because at first the query letter was getting good rejections (you know, “You’re a wonderful writer / this is great / someone else will love it, it’s just not for me,”) but now I’m back to getting straight up form rejections, and it’s (more or less) the same query. (You know, with personalized changes depending on the agent.) So I’m not sure if I should change it again or not.
It’s only the 13th, but I’m a little afraid of running out of agents to query, because it’s steampunk sci-fi, and I’m not finding a huge amount of agents who are into that.

But! You just keep on trying until you run out of cake! And I’ve got lots of cake left. It’s so delicious and moist. :D 

I am really holding onto those GOOD rejections, and to that one email from that one agent who didn’t represent steampunk, but offered (out of courtesy - one of his clients is a friend of mine,) to take a look at my ms. He said that the material was great. :) So, there is no way I’m losing hope! It’s going to happen. One of these days. 



In other news, tomorrow is the first day of Autumn. I'm in the (messy, irritating) midst of getting my winter clothes out and my summer clothes put away (and trying super hard to get rid of some stuff that I don't wear anymore,) and all of a sudden, it's like 75 degrees again. Last week it was in the 40s, and now here we are, back to goddamn summer. I mean, at least make up your mind. Stop teasing me.

Monday was pretty fly. Jo-chan, Boychild's Mama, Boychild, Mom and I all went out Halloween shopping. All I bought was a few pieces to start my Weeping Angel costume, but it was really fun, just being out of the house with people.

Jo-chan is here for her half-week stay. I'm really glad this is working out, with her working for Boychild's Mama and spending half the week here. Last night we all watched the premier of Criminal Minds, and tonight we're going to watch Blink. It's little things like this that excite me. :D

Happy Autumn, my Halloween peeps!

Comments

[spatterdash.livejournal.com]

Have you queried anyone here yet? http://fineprintlit.com/

They are coming to our statewide fall writer's conference, and their booklist and profile in the schedule made me think of your manuscript.

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

I actually did, last year. :D I could check some of their other agents though; some agencies are all right with you querying a few of them, others, not so much. I'll check again!

And as always, thanks. :)

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

Personalized rejections are just manna to the unpublished writer. I got my first one last month. *fistbump*

On the subject of query-writing, I can tell you the one thing that's helped me most of all is Absolute Write (http://www.absolutewrite.com). The forum there is invaluable, especially the "Query Letter Hell" section. It's ruthless, but exactly what you need to hear if you want to hook an agent. You need a certain number of posts before you're allowed to post there (keeps the spammers and trolls at bay) but it's definitely worthwhile.

I myself haven't had any real bites, apart from the one personalized rejection, and a request for a partial that ultimately didn't make it to acceptance either, but I know my query-writing has improved thanks to that bunch.

[la-belle-laide.livejournal.com]

I've been to Absolute Write a ton of times, and am a "Query Letter Hell" veteran. ^_^ So yeah.

I didn't know you had a novel, too! That's so awesome. What is yours? I had a request for a full, which was also a "good" rejection, e.g. "you're awesome and someone else will love this" kinda thing. I really hope she is right. :D

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

No kidding! What's your sn there? (I'm Rhoda Nightingale.) I mostly hang out in the Horror and YA sections, because that's what I write the most of.

Mine that I'm working on the most right now is a YA dystopia (time travel). I sent a few queries out, and then moved on to the ones that require a synopsis too. Which is where I always get stuck, because I HATE those things. Also, it's where I sometimes see plotholes I didn't notice before--or someone in QLH will point them out to me, which is what happened here.

The one I got the partial request for was a zombie novella, actually--my NaNo from 2009 (I think). Again, plothole issues once I took it out of the rotation and looked at it. Not ready to retool that one yet, but I'll get to it. (I"m rarely working on less than three projects at once--in addition to the YA time travel one, I'm also working on two short stories and a YA horror novel.)

A request for a full would be awesome--that's definitely encouraging!