It's been roughly two months since I left Ex Agent and started anew, and I've observed some things both about myself and the publishing industry that I thought I'd share. Hey, it beats doing the stack of data entry on my desk, right?
1. In a funny way, I feel liberated - Yes, I did the whole "OMG my life is over!" schtick when I first jumped ship, because melodrama is my thing and I need to indulge every now and then. I convinced myself no other agent would ever be interested again. But once I'd thrown my tantrum, yeah, I felt free. Free to write whatever I wanted without thinking "this has to be the one! This has to be the novel that sells!" And as a result, I think, my writing is better.
2. In a not-so-funny way, I feel anxious all the freaking time - I opened up a new email account just to deal with querying. So I know if there's a message in there when I sign in, it's either a request for more or a rejection. My nerves are shredded.
3. There are a lot more agents out there than you think - Seriously. I seem to find someone new to query every day. And it's usually the agents I thought would laugh me out of cyberspace who have requested a partial.
4. People are awesome - Let's face it; my writing is important to me, but it's hardly earth-shattering if I don't sign with a new agent. And yet people are perfectly prepared to listen to me bitch and moan and rant, and still offer support, encouragement, and advice. Thank you,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chaostheory , preyforhuntress , kazdreamer , and![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
j_rah
5. Sometimes it's all about the journey - This ties into 1. I suppose, as the last couple of years I'd been tearing myself to pieces trying to finish up books and fire them off to my agent, praying this time, this novel would be The One. Now I'm not doing that, I've remembered why I started writing in the first place - I love it and it's fun.
5 (and a half). Sometimes it's all about the journey again - Even if Death for the Born isn't the novel that wins me a new agent, I've learned a hell of a lot from being back on the query-go-round, things I didn't know this time three years ago. How to write a truly kick-ass query letter, how to be organised and sensible about querying, and how to keep up that candyfloss mentality when you get a rejection. So should I be doing this all over again with another novel in a year's time, I'll be well-prepared.*
*But of course, some smart, sophistocated agent will fall in love with my crazy novel any day now. It's inevitable, surely?
1. In a funny way, I feel liberated - Yes, I did the whole "OMG my life is over!" schtick when I first jumped ship, because melodrama is my thing and I need to indulge every now and then. I convinced myself no other agent would ever be interested again. But once I'd thrown my tantrum, yeah, I felt free. Free to write whatever I wanted without thinking "this has to be the one! This has to be the novel that sells!" And as a result, I think, my writing is better.
2. In a not-so-funny way, I feel anxious all the freaking time - I opened up a new email account just to deal with querying. So I know if there's a message in there when I sign in, it's either a request for more or a rejection. My nerves are shredded.
3. There are a lot more agents out there than you think - Seriously. I seem to find someone new to query every day. And it's usually the agents I thought would laugh me out of cyberspace who have requested a partial.
4. People are awesome - Let's face it; my writing is important to me, but it's hardly earth-shattering if I don't sign with a new agent. And yet people are perfectly prepared to listen to me bitch and moan and rant, and still offer support, encouragement, and advice. Thank you,
chaostheory , preyforhuntress , kazdreamer , andj_rah 5. Sometimes it's all about the journey - This ties into 1. I suppose, as the last couple of years I'd been tearing myself to pieces trying to finish up books and fire them off to my agent, praying this time, this novel would be The One. Now I'm not doing that, I've remembered why I started writing in the first place - I love it and it's fun.
5 (and a half). Sometimes it's all about the journey again - Even if Death for the Born isn't the novel that wins me a new agent, I've learned a hell of a lot from being back on the query-go-round, things I didn't know this time three years ago. How to write a truly kick-ass query letter, how to be organised and sensible about querying, and how to keep up that candyfloss mentality when you get a rejection. So should I be doing this all over again with another novel in a year's time, I'll be well-prepared.*
*But of course, some smart, sophistocated agent will fall in love with my crazy novel any day now. It's inevitable, surely?
