Posts filed under 'Submission & Rejection'
I’ve discovered again the power of the written word. I finished a book that was on my reading list called “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. One powerful gem of insight therein was the notion that creative people are most likely to procrastinate because it is their imagination that inclines them to see all kinds of off-putting negative outcomes. So it seems the deck is well and truly stacked against writers!
It’s over a year ago now since I wrote a post about procrastination. That post might have seemed a bit macabre, flippant, or even comic, but like most things macabre or flippant or comic it disguises something more serious, namely fear.
I know from personal analysis of my own procrastination that fear is the root cause of it. It’s not fear of work. No. For after all, why would anyone fear to do work that would bring them success? There’s the rub, and the essence of what I meant in my previous post on procrastination. We do not fear to do the work that would be successful, but we fear to do the work that will make us a failure, that will get us ridiculed, or in my case, my greatest fear is work that is simply … wasted. No one in their right mind would want to do that kind of work, would they? So we delay. We avoid. And then the fear becomes self-fulfilling, because by avoiding the work we fail for certain.
I can content myself that I pushed through that, wrote a competent thriller, attracted the interests of two different agents, and learned of the strengths and possible weaknesses of my work. But I didn’t push through, against my fear of waste, just to have it sit in a drawer forever. I honestly believe (as do others) that it is worth publishing.
A period of reflection, based upon the last rejection feedback, has left me considering some other edits that I’m now incorporating into a final draft. I’m making it as best I can, but I’m starting to get concerned that the edits might lose some of the spirit of the story. So I’m going to have to stop revising after this. This brings matters to a head. If no agent wants to take it on. If I can’t revise to make it more attractive to an agent then I’ve to live up to my threatened promise of taking it on myself. So at least all this effort won’t be wasted. But before taking that road, I’ve one last chance. While finishing this edit, I’ve one last agent to pitch to…
January 20th, 2010
I’ve run out … of motivation … and (perhaps more importantly) of paper and stamps. So that brings the submission run for Broken Evolution to an end. I feel like running out myself, away from my writing den, and over the hills, and far away. Except … while undergoing traction for my back, I’m unlikely to even get to that hill.
Oh, you were all tired of hearing about failed submissions anyway - it’s not that interesting a topic. So soon it’ll be blog reports on my wonderful adventures in PODland for a change! Who knows? There might even be a book in it!
I’m just a glutton for punishment.
Tomorrow, another appointment on “the rack”.
August 11th, 2009
Ok, so my latest, greatest hope that tied up the process for months is now a dead duck. Time to move on to next stage of the plan. It’s time to prepare for the possibility of going with the POD option. I have reached my target of 50 agent submissions. That was always the cut-off point I had in mind before considering the POD route. Some of those submissions still have to reply (if at all), and I actually have about another 15 on my list to submit to. So the strategy now is to submit to those final 15 agents, and while all those are working their way out of the slushpiles, I’ll plough ahead with preparations for a POD book, and initiate my own marketing plan that I’ve been developing for the POD-published option. There’s also a couple of small publishers I hope to pursue in a ‘publishing partner’ capacity first, which would be preferable to a total self-publishing POD option. And maybe, while I’m working away on that, some agent might actually come back with interest … today, I’m ambivalent at best to that possibility.
Feeling out of control of the process is what makes us unhappy.
One good thing about a rejection is that at least now I know I can take control … and be happy again.
But POD? Don’t make me do it, people!
August 10th, 2009
I turned on Tom Dunne’s radio show as I started to write this, and what do I hear - a woman describing how she published her own book. Someone up there is trying to tell me something, most especially because I sat down to write this post to tell you about the latest and possibly last agent rejection of Broken Evolution.
It all seemed very promising; hopeful words were coming from the agent. I also got affirmative feedback this week from two impartial readers, saying things like “it’s as good as any thriller I’ve read” and “I wasn’t prepared for how good it was” and “It kept me up reading at nights wanting to see what happened next.” Even the agent was full of praise and admiration for the novel in this ultimate rejection.
Now, my best chance yet has been shot down with the excuse of … the recession. It’s an environment that has become, quite frankly, hostile to new authors. And I don’t know if I can shift any longer the feeling that I am wasting my time with this traditional route. Time for a re-think.
August 7th, 2009
I’ve been quiet again lately. Busy with work, and repairing my back after an injury, and not much writing, alas … although I did dream about my work in progress the other night, which was a weird experience. I transferred my blog to a newer, faster server too.
The book submission had been stalled for a while, waiting for agent response. This week the book, like I, rose from dormancy. A senior agent is finally giving time to read the re-drafted version. By accounts, he is quite impressed with it, but I suppose the ol’ recession bugbear will determine if they can take it on or not. Either way, I’ve been promised a response in a couple of weeks.
Finally, wheels are turning. The big ones turn slowly!
July 7th, 2009
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