The Roller Coaster of Emotion

So, where are we? So far, queried 20 agents, and have 13 rejections. A couple have been kind enough to give feedback, which is rare with agents. One likes it, but says she can’t sell under 80K words (Mine is currently 65K). She’ll take another look if I get there, but I’m not sure I can add that much without dragging down the narrative. Another says it’s a juicy plot, but not enough pizzazz in the first 50 pages.

So I’ve been researching my options, which include trying UK agents, small presses, hybrid publishing, or self publishing. Lots of work in the latter, you have to project manage everything from cover design to marketing and you still won’t know if your book is any good until it’s out there and read, which could be a huge money sink.

Therefore I’m also looking at getting the book reviewed by a consultancy service, of which there are many, to give me a sense if it’s ready. I’ve been doing lots of edits based on feedback, tightening up the beginning, adding some excitement and new suspects, but when do you stop and say “That’s it! It’s claimed enough of my effort!”

I read that some writers never get their first book published, or their second to third. Depressing thought. I already dread opening my email some days.

But the good thing is that I have options. Self publishing is quite common now and can be lucrative, and fortunately my husband supports the idea, just for the joy of having a book in my hands, and owning all the rights to it. I’m not in this for the cash, I just want to write something that people will enjoy reading.

So more research required, planning, risk assessment. Having fun writing short stories in the meantime, hoping to get mentions in competitions. Stay tuned!

Writing with Passion

 Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been concentrating on inspiration and learning, attending a couple of literary festivals, watching online talks about writing crime, and taking email courses about the stages of writing and publishing. This makes for a good break from just writing all the time, and reminds me that I’m not alone in the endeavour or in the obstacles I face.

The first talk was from crime writer Martin Edwards, whom I’ve seen talk before. He’s a specialist in the history of Golden Age crime writing (think Christie, Marsh, Tey, etc.), as well as having written three series of his own. A very gracious person, when he was asked if he resented the instant success of newer crime writers such as Richard Osman or Richard Cole’s, he rightly pointed out that as long as they know there stuff and write well, they have earned their place. He did talk about how useful it would be to have a few extra layers of thick skin to deal with rejection, but encouraged everyone to write with passion and belief, no matter the monetary rewards (or lack thereof).

Neil Pearson talked about getting Alan Rickman’s diaries published and the joy, as a rare bookseller, of going through such an amazing archive. There again it was stressed that what makes the diaries so interesting is the honesty and passion with which Rickman wrote.

Lastly, in a talk about creating a crime fiction series, Pamela Fagan Hutchins listed the four motivations for criminals: love, lust, loathing, and loot.

The fact is, passion is what drives us to do our best and sometimes our worst. It is the prime motivator for actions that make a difference. It’s what makes us take risks, spend money, sacrifice ourselves.

So if you’re going to be a writer, which involves sacrificing time and money and taking the risk of putting your best work out there to possibly be savaged (or worse, ignored), you’re better off doing it with passion.

Constantly Courting Improvement

It’s a fact of life that you won’t get much feedback from the agents you are querying. They are simply too busy.

So how do you know if there’s anything wrong with your work, or if the agents just didn’t dig your book for personal reasons? 

You don’t. Which is why I am constantly looking for ways to improve what I have written and my writing style. I do this in several ways.

First off, I’m writing and submitting stories to other places. Lots of free forums and Facebook groups are happy to set up critiques for authors, as long as you are willing to do your part and give feedback to others. But the key is to keep taking in the feedback and trying to improve.

There are also lots of places to get your manuscript looked at by publishing professionals. One of the most revered in the UK is The Literary Consultancy, where for a few hundred pounds you can have someone give you in depth feedback. I’m not there quite yet, having only just started querying, but it’s an option I may consider, an investment in my new career. Reedsy is another agency that offers this service.

A third is test readers, something that I have just about finished. I sent the book out to six readers, half in the U.S. and half in England, asking for their thought on the cohesiveness and pace of the book. (Don’t torture your test readers with grammar corrections, run a check on your work before sending it to anyone!)  My readers have come up with some great ideas for improving the book, and also provided some much-needed support amidst the inevitable agent rejections.

It’s hard to accept that your baby hasn’t emerged perfect from your writing womb and still may not be publishable after your extensive editing, but getting that third-party opinion might be just what’s needed to give you focus and direction.

A huge thank you to all my test readers, and I haven’t forgotten that I owe you each a lunch!