Yesterday I finished the latest editings to my story The Illumination Query, as were suggested by my beta readers. If any of you guys want a look at what I did, I've thrown together a .mobi with the right text. The file was made quickly so it doesn't have nice page breaks like the original beta-copy but I think it should read fine otherwise.
I'm hoping that this first piece of my Speed of Darkness series might be ready to go now. As I've put a bit more time, thought and effort into this undertaking than I've given to anything else I have ever written before, I don't want to just self-publish this book.
I now undertake what I have heard from several sources can be the hardest part of writing a book. I am looking to find a literary agent who is willing to work with me and my story so I can get it published by a respected publishing house.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK. DOES THE AGENT TO WHOM YOU ARE ABOUT TO MAKE YOUR PITCH HAVE EXPERIENCE & CONTACTS WITHIN THE BOOK INDUSTRY? WHAT HAVE THEY SOLD, WHAT IS THEIR REPUTATION?
ReplyDeleteMy one experience with lit agents follows--Extracts from my NAF 2010 guest entry in re finding a literary agent)
"...While at these cons, I tried to talk to publishers and agents—using carefully planned questions during the panels or attempts to grab their attention at elevators afterwards. This scored me a few business cards but little else...
"... Standing facing the partners was a woman who reminded me of my self not that many months ago. I thought at first she was pitching a book she had written but, as I listened, I realized that she was a literary agent.
As soon as she was finished speaking, I handed the book to the Arx partner, and then turned to the woman before she could get away. I told her I was an author and gave her the Two Minute Elevator Pitch. Holly McClure bought it, and gave me a business card for the address to send the manuscript, saying that she would read the book and consider representing me.
Eventually, I heard back from her—on an old piece of cardboard-like paper, which should have warned me. The brief note said that her agency, Sullivan-Maxx, would represent me but that she was giving the account to her subordinate, Ms – . I sent her a couple of copies of the Seabird manuscript as requested, and tried to keep in touch. However, the agency’s email always seemed to be down and long distance calls to Florida were, well, long-distance. I did get to know one of the other authors that SM represented. (Even bought one of her books.) Knowing her ultimately made a huge difference. About a year after being picked up by SM, I heard from this new writer friend that McClure’s “subordinate” had never done any work for us! She had in fact recently been fired, and evidently no one was picking up her accounts. We only thought we were being represented. I never heard back directly from Sullivan-Maxx or Mrs. McClure.
In the meantime, I had lost one excellent chance to land a mainstream publisher. A few months earlier, I emailed the agency and asked that a copy of my manuscript be sent to a particular acquisitions editor—name long since forgotten. No one, of course, ever did anything about my email so I lost an opportunity with a major publishing house...) --Sherry Thompson