Dreaming Death again/Agent thoughts.
Jan. 3rd, 2008 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
j_cheneyThis year I've decided not to stress so much over the whole writing short-stories thing and to get back to work on novels, starting with the sequel to Dreaming Death. Well, to work on the sequel, I have to go back and re-read the first book.
I'm not any good at reading off the computer, so I'm actually reading the penultimate copy....the copy before I made the last edits before sending the novel to Baen's. I'm tripping over mistakes made in the last version (corrected with purple pen), and then making some new notes in silver on things to change if I ever do get the blasted thing published.
Having not read DD in almost a year, I'm relieved to find that I'm still enjoying it. I need to clean up one scene (because some of the dialog feels redundant) and I've noted a few places where I need to put in a sentence or two to describe a character.
The primary (and initial) POV character in this novel is blind, though, which makes description a challenge.
Anyhow, I'm pleased that I still like the book, displeased that I can still find things wrong with it (which shouldn't surprise me), and ambivilent about making edits while it's actually lurking in a slush pile. Then there's the looming fact that I probably need to find an agent this year. ::shudders!!::
Not looking forward to that at all!
I'm not any good at reading off the computer, so I'm actually reading the penultimate copy....the copy before I made the last edits before sending the novel to Baen's. I'm tripping over mistakes made in the last version (corrected with purple pen), and then making some new notes in silver on things to change if I ever do get the blasted thing published.
Having not read DD in almost a year, I'm relieved to find that I'm still enjoying it. I need to clean up one scene (because some of the dialog feels redundant) and I've noted a few places where I need to put in a sentence or two to describe a character.
The primary (and initial) POV character in this novel is blind, though, which makes description a challenge.
Anyhow, I'm pleased that I still like the book, displeased that I can still find things wrong with it (which shouldn't surprise me), and ambivilent about making edits while it's actually lurking in a slush pile. Then there's the looming fact that I probably need to find an agent this year. ::shudders!!::
Not looking forward to that at all!
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-03 10:35 pm (UTC)Regarding the book, it's great to be able to look back over it and still like and not to want to do a major rewrite.
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Date: 2008-01-03 10:39 pm (UTC)Oh, well.
No, the agent thing is brutal because of the sheer number of "hey, I'm not even going to bother to look at your mss because the first sentence of your cover letter was boring" variety of rejections. It's far more soulless than soliciting editors, I think.
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Date: 2008-01-03 11:55 pm (UTC)I then turned to just working novels and submitting to Baen, TOR, and DAW, which were of course rejected.
After that year I found LJ and started in working on short stories, trying to get something published so that I could use that to attact an agent.
With all you have done in the last year, I think you have a good shot at landing someone, AND you have been to several cons which can't hurt for networking.
I always feel I am at least a year behind you in everything I do, so I hope you have success this year!
Good luck with Dreaming Death.
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Date: 2008-01-04 12:04 am (UTC)Yeah, I'm hoping that some sales will get me a better response. I'll let you know. ;o)
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Date: 2008-01-04 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 02:07 pm (UTC)About the Agent search -- I haven't started mine (mostly because my novel still needs work), but I've put in the legwork to find them. I have my plan all mapped out, including which agents to send to in which wave of submissions, along with their submission guidelines. So I've got all my ducks in a row. If I ever get the balls to do it.
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Date: 2008-01-04 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 01:23 am (UTC)Come to think of it, it's been so long, I can barely remeber what my plan was!
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Date: 2008-01-04 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 01:50 am (UTC)Lightning stikes all the time. You've gone a long way toward holding up a virtual lightning rod. :-)
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Date: 2008-01-04 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 03:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 02:07 am (UTC)I don't think you'll have any problem, though!
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Date: 2008-01-04 03:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 09:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-04 01:47 pm (UTC)Thanks for the good thoughts!
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Date: 2008-01-04 10:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-05 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 02:03 am (UTC)If I may be so bold as to recommend http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx as a solid place to start the hunt. It's saved me a world of time in the process by weeding out agents who aren't looking for new clients, if nothing else.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-07 01:44 pm (UTC)