Post your Progress Thread

Ranke Lidyek · November 17th, 2006, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by queenmegumi

Speaking of progress, when is it appropriate to start submitting to an agent? How "finished" does a work have to be? Well obviously ideally it should be have a begaining and an ending (i.e. a full manuscript) that you can submit, but in terms of editing, etc. does it HAVE to be as perfect as it can be? It seems some people aren't entirely happy with their work but send it in anyway, hoping the agent/editor will like it enough to help them out with kinks as the author goes along.

I'm not sure I should send my work in yet, but admit it would give me more motivation to edit/work if I knew an agent or editor were willing to give me advice on what to add, subtract etc.

I hope this makes sense...

Queen,
I think you should have gone through it to smooth out the prose. That said, the only thing that has to be "perfect" are the first three chapters. They HAVE to hook and pound the reader. Once they "get into" your story, you have them more at your mercy and they are likely to be "reading", not critiquing, meaning they'll forgive little quibbles of prose. Still, what I tend to do after a draft is go back and rewrite, add changes to flesh out the overall plot. Add foreshadowing, etc. Then, I go through and smooth out what prose I can (remove passives, filtering, smoothing sentence structure). Once that is done, then I start rounding things out with chapter by chapter critiques. Good online workshops for that. Sure, they are nitpicks. What really needs perfected at that point, are the first three chapters. Then I focus and rewrite until blue until I have no reservations at all.
Then I send out queries and await form letters from people who won't read them anyway! Just kidding. Actually, the query is just as important as the novel, but that's another story altogether.
Keep pushing and moving forward. Keep believing. It's great to see people with passion!

**MrBF1V3** · November 20th, 2006, 12:29 AM

This time of year gets really, really busy for me, which paradoxically means I have great ideas and really crave a chance to write. If I do take time to jump on my latest story idea, writing doesn't relieve any stress, because when I'm done the same stuff is still waiting for me...

There are two short story contests (that I'm aware of--and I'm really not looking for any more) which I'm working to enter. For one I'm starting with a new idea, spinning off an old folk tale I recently read. For the other I'll do another editing pass on a story I've had stored in my hard drive for a while. It's kind of a side trip, but those are sometimes worthwhile.

B5

**Liathano** · November 20th, 2006, 08:39 AM

I've been toying with the idea of writing a short story that has been ratteling around in my head, but do I really want to deviate off the path from my 20,000 words I have already? I'm not sure how you all keep it straight. I guess there's only one way to find out!

**Holbrook** · November 21st, 2006, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by queenmegumi

Holbrook always does well.

Not really, just fall on my face more than others do!

Keep working, it will happen.

As for the submitting question, I second what Juzzza said.

As for me;

The US publisher heaved Oracle off the slush pile right into the recycled paper bin.

So that leaves;

Oracle; two website query thingys for agents, one website query thingy for a small publisher and one (being posted today) snail mail slush pile copy to a UK publisher.

Llafn Meistr (six chapters) still with UK agent, don't expect to hear this side of Christmas, ditto for the small press that has The Hat Man and the short story anthology that has All Things Seen. Knowing how my luck runs it will be the Friday before Christmas and all my rejections will come together.

Ranke Lidyek; I am not kciking tail, just being stubborn, not that, that is getting me anywhere..lol...

**Holbrook** · November 21st, 2006, 02:19 PM

Just sent off three email queries to agents for Oracle. I have also just realised that poor old Oracle hasn't had any "comments" on any of its form rejections. I got a couple for both Llafn Meistr (the horrible first version sent out to a couple of publishers in 2001) and a few more for The Hat Man, again submitted to a couple of publishers in 2003/4. Though neither of these were sent to agents, Oracle has been sent to mostly agents.... hmmmm interesting.

**Liathano** · November 21st, 2006, 03:12 PM

Holbrook, whould you consider posting the synopsis for us to read that might give us all an idea of what type of story it is and maybe why you have had no response? We're here for you!

**BrianC** · November 21st, 2006, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Holbrook

Just sent off three email queries to agents for Oracle. I have also just realised that poor old Oracle hasn't had any "comments" on any of its form rejections. I got a couple for both Llafn Meistr (the horrible first version sent out to a couple of publishers in 2001) and a few more for The Hat Man, again submitted to a couple of publishers in 2003/4. Though neither of these were sent to agents, Oracle has been sent to mostly agents.... hmmmm interesting.

Personally I believe that very little is going to be read between now and January 3rd. Still, I plan on sending out a blanket of queries for RoseThorn after Thanksgiving. And then it goes into the sock drawer.

Interestingly, I sent an email to the one agent that has the manuscript, letting her know that I have a different email address, one that does not randomly consign legitimate correspondence to spam-hell. She replied, letting me know that she'd updated my submission. Hmm, well, that's not a rejection (yet) so maybe there is still hope for that one.

On other fronts, I think I will suspend work on all manuscripts (3 current) to focus on short stories for about six months, to build up some name recognition and publishing creds.

**Holbrook** · November 22nd, 2006, 02:56 AM

Originally Posted by Liathano

Holbrook, whould you consider posting the synopsis for us to read that might give us all an idea of what type of story it is and maybe why you have had no response? We're here for you!

For what it is worth the latest version is here;

http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showt...987#post355987

**mistri** · November 22nd, 2006, 03:59 AM

How does everyone here feel about simultaneously querying agents in the UK?

While I know it's often acceptable in the US, here it is (as far as I know) more unusual, because most UK agents tend to take partial manuscripts from the very beginning.

I ask because of my pathetic impatience, of course. I have six chapters with an agent (as does Holbrook - which makes me wonder how many six-chap-agents there are, or if we're talking about the same one

). But I suspect I might have to wait a long time to hear back. This shouldn't be a problem (be patient, little writer!), but a part of me is itching to start sending out submissions to other agents as well.

I shouldn't, should I? Please tell me no and slap my wrists

**Holbrook** · November 22nd, 2006, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by mistri

How does everyone here feel about simultaneously querying agents in the UK?

As for me, I have never done it for UK agents, all the email queries I have out for Oracle are with US ones, seems they are "looking" for romantic fantasy (if agents ever look for a genre in such a manner

) according to other forums. And as you say it seems the norm over there with regards to queries. Oracle has also gone out to two publishers to fight in the slush pile, but I doubt it will survive either.

I ask because of my pathetic impatience, of course. I have six chapters with an agent (as does Holbrook - which makes me wonder how many six-chap-agents there are, or if we're talking about the same one

).

I think we are

said agent is the only one I have ever come across that wants more than 3 chapters or 100 pages. This agent is the only one that has my "epic" fantasy, as I feel that said agent agreed to read part of it, knowing it was a massive tome, said agent deserves to be the only one.

But I suspect I might have to wait a long time to hear back.

I heard on the grape vine that once said agent has cleared the backlog of work said agent will surface again.

This shouldn't be a problem (be patient, little writer!), but a part of me is itching to start sending out submissions to other agents as well.

I shouldn't, should I? Please tell me no and slap my wrists

If it is another book I don't see the problem, personally.

Oh I am reading, I promise, hoping to do more tonight,

**mistri** · November 22nd, 2006, 05:59 AM

He's actually a great agent, so when I'm feeling calm and sane, I'm fine with waiting. He saw yet another book I had a while back and was very helpful then.

It's just in my now-now-now toddler moments that I get impatient

- does anyone else ever get like that?

I'll wait.

eta: thanks for the reading - though every time I open the doc I see an error that makes me blush when I realise that others will see it like that

**MrBF1V3** · November 24th, 2006, 11:56 PM

I've had an epiphomy--lightning has struck my brain...

No really. I've tried before and didn't like the results, so I'm kind of adopting a write and see attitude so far, but I think I finally thought up the way to write chapter 2 of "A Gift of Fire" (in a way that doesn't get boring).

I'm writing, see ya.

B5

**juzzza** · November 28th, 2006, 03:02 AM

Met my publisher last Saturday, after watching England narrowly beat South Africa at Twickenham.

Unfortunately, he is closing his London-based office so my anthology was only going to be a US release. Over dinner we had a great chat and he has agreed to do a limited edition print-run of 1000 for the UK market. The UK edition will be individually numbered on the jacket, will be signed by me and will include concept art postcards... nice little package and I can't wait to see it come together!

On the downside, my novel released later in 2007 will be a US-only release, and my agent will be trying to sell it to a UK publisher. Although that is just another opportunity, right?

**Holbrook** · November 28th, 2006, 04:12 AM

Originally Posted by juzzza

. The UK edition will be individually numbered on the jacket, will be signed by me and will include concept art postcards... nice little package and I can't wait to see it come together!

Neither can I, remember I want a couple of copies...

As to my own stuff, not written for a while, *sigh* but hopefully I will get busy again after Christmas.

As to the queries out for Oracle, counting the two website thingys for agents there is the grand total of eight! But as most of the agents say if you don't hear anything within a month, then they are not interested I can scratch at least two of those. There is also one website query sent out for a publisher and one snail mail to a UK publisher (sorry If I am repeating myself, but when I post on here I get a rejection within 24 hours ROFL!, so it has become a good/bad luck habit)

Llafn Meistr, still no news, ditto for Hat Man, but not expecting any until after Christmas.

All Things Seen short story is due to have a reminder sent to the publisher, will leave it to next week, due the the recent holiday in the states.