How I signed with my agent. Mad March Part 1.

The Method

Please stand back a little *bounces around room in joy*

So let’s rewind. In November 2012 I start writing a novel. I have no writing experience, at all, just the one big idea and I fall in love with writing the moment I begin. I discover Scrivener, I write a lot of drafts, I read a lot of novel-writing books, I read a lot of YA books in my genre and I benefit from the critiques of a lot of readers. I take a month away, polish my new novel when I get back and *think* it is ready for submission. First batch of queries out 22^nd August 2013. Whilst querying I write the first draft of another unrelated novel (now shelved whilst I concentrate on my trilogy).

Submission Campaign 1 is a modest success. Very modest. 2 full requests result in helpful rejections, 19 form rejections (yes – 19!) and 2 personalised rejections.

Doesn’t sound like good stats, but I’m a realist. I know this book might not make it and the whole process can take years, so I am satisfied with these few votes of confidence. I recognise this manuscript still needs work. So with the help of agent comments and four new critiques, I power through a huge January rewrite.

It goes well.

Darlings are massacred.

I read Blake Snyder's Save the Cat and make a beat sheet. More darling blood spilt.

First 6 chapters rewritten. Middle 7 chapters rewritten. New ending. Entire novel revised. One character combined with another. Major main character personality tweak. New title comes to me.

I finally feel I KNOW my novel and I am even able to sum it up in a twitter pitch (more on that later).

I send the new draft out on Submission Campaign 2 with a fresh new pitch. I have a method – same as last time. I send out 3 sets of 8 submissions. I research and write notes on every agent and tweak my letter and submission accordingly. One set of 8 every 3 weeks - I like to plan. Some are new agents, some resubmissions to agents from last round. Some small agencies, some large, some new agents, some very well established.

All falls quiet *tumbleweeds roll by*.

After 3 weeks, a form rejection. Ho Hum. First rejection after submission is a tiny death of the spirit.  I sigh and send out the second batch of 8 submissions.

At the beginning of March it starts getting interesting. I receive one full request, then another in the same week. Then a rejection on my full, then another request the same day. At this point I allow myself to get excited. I join in a twitter chat with the wonderful Golden Egg Academy – where I made my first writer friends on twitter. An agent favourites my twitter pitch, I contact him, he likes my sample and also quickly requests full. *Levitation ensues*

3 fulls out. Another couple of rejections dribble in, but the agents reading my full like it. They email me saying they are busy but enjoying reading and to ‘keep them posted’. My heart races every time I open my inbox (which is far too often) and I continuously feel like there had been some mistake.

Then another agent requests – saying he loves my sample and not to do anything until he’s read the full. Later on that day he OFFERS REPRESENTATION!

I cannot believe it. I am in a free lesson at work and can’t help whooping (wooo hopping) all over the place.

I email the other 3 agents reading my full manuscript to tell them I have an offer. They ALL want to meet me. I line up 3 meetings in London for the next day and one for the following Saturday.

I email all other agents who still have my query/ initial submission and haven’t rejected, and most say they’ll they fast-track reading. I have ANOTHER 5 full requests. I think. I am rapidly losing track. My world is a blur. I’m having hot and cold sweats. Some reject pretty quickly – all with lots of heart-warming compliments and excellent reasons – it wasn’t for them or they didn’t have time to compete (it was Bologna Children’s Book Fair week). No more form rejections – Yay!

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow up tomorrow. How I chose my agent.

Who - me? I’m just a girl with too many notebooks and an unhealthy obsession with her crumby old laptop. Literally crumby. Twiglet crumbs.

Full requests - just the first step but feels like a big one.

So now I have had a modest handful of full requests. I know this doesn't mean representation but I know it does mean my new rewrite is getting more positive attention than the previous draft. Phew.

The steps to publication are many, but I feel I've climbed a couple.

When Amazon delivered a parcel this morning -

Son (6) "Mummy is that your new book?"

Bless him.

How long will it take literary agents to get back to me? Will they even respond? Is there anyone out there?

Yes there is. And they will respond.

I have treated BREATHING SEA to a rewrite and am submitting, again. This time I know what the waiting is like and I'm more confident because I've had some interest. But it is STILL excruciating.
I thought I would post this to help others who are in the same position as I was last August - at the beginning of my first ever submission campaign with no idea what to expect. Well here is what happened with mine.
I wish it looked better - but I now know my manuscript needed work, so here's hoping...
I sent submissions in batches - to well known UK agents who represent my genre - YA speculative. I researched them carefully over the six months prior to submitting.
Sorry - can't name any names. Don't want to upset anyone.
First batch went in August to 9 agents (was a little over-excited), second sent in September to 7 agents, third in October to 6 agents.

When sent DDMM	Time	Response
2110	1 day	Form Rej
2110	1 day	Form Rej
2208	7 days	Form Rej
2208	11 days	Form Rej
2309	12 days	Form Rej
2309	17 days	Form Rej
2010	18 days	Form Rej
2309	1 month	Form Rej
2309	5 weeks	Form Rej
2309	6 weeks	Form Rej
2208	8 weeks	Form Rej
2010	8 weeks	Form Rej
2208	8 weeks	Revise and Resub
2110	8 weeks	Form Rej
2010	8 weeks	Full Request
2308	9 weeks	Form Rej
2208	12 weeks	Full Request
2208	13 weeks	Form Rej
2208	NO REPLY
2309	NO REPLY
2208	NO REPLY
2309	NO REPLY

Conclusions?
8 weeks is a common response time.
Sometimes you have to wait a long time for a full request!
1 day rejections do not feel good....but non repliers feel just downright rude, even when they warn you they may not reply.
Doesn't matter when I sent them.

Now. Better just check my inbox again. Good luck intrepid dream-chasers. Keep chasing.

Hope that helps some others in the same position as me. Please comment if it does....

How to survive waiting for submission responses with sanity intact

6 Rules of survival whilst waiting

1. Do not think about project. Remove all traces of project from work vicinity. Write something else. (50% success - wrote another novel. But then it was finished and started thinking again)
2. See people who still seem to like you since you turned into half-reclusive half-boring writer (100% success - Easy. I've missed them)
3. Read some engrossing novels that aren't for research purposes (70% success. Reading makes me think about writing makes me think about submissions)
4. Exercise. Bottom has grown to size of small bungalow in this year of writing (1% success. Went for first jog in 6 months today. Well it has been raining a lot)
5. Watch TV - when drafting I go weeks without it. 3 seasons of Sons of Anarchy since November. Great distraction (80% success. Jax reminds me a little of my lead character Smith)
6. Most importantly:

A few of my favorite things in YA fiction.

A few of my favourite things they crop up in different forms (hopefully)

1. Girl heroes - feisty, with heart and who spend more time rescuing than being rescued.
2. Boy heroes - flawed but never misogynistic. I'll stop myself from making them all blond.
3. Prisons or being held captive.
4. Sacrifice.
5. Physical injury. I like it visceral.
6. All enduring friendship. Tested but comes out stronger.
7. Love. The slow burn that takes its time and lingers and hurts.
8. Love that ends. Most teenagers don't marry their first love.
9.Pledges and promises even if just to oneself.
10.Death. No-one believes the danger unless they've seen its consequences.

Things I pledge to avoid in my writing:

1. Insta-love. No. Not love at first sight. Attracted to at first sight. Love comes later.
2. Love triangles where it is obvious who the girl will end up with. Just let the other guy go already.
3.Wimpy girls waiting for boys to rescue them.
4. Excessive sarcasm or whining.
5. Boredom of any description.

Multiple writer's projects - a very good thing

So this is the way I do it.

1. Think it. In the car, in bed, whilst cooking (ie burning organic matter), whilst watching TV, driving.
2. Note it. Open sparkly new notebook but scribble on post-it's, receipts and lots of e-mails to self.
3. Research it. Internet. Books. Library. Read fiction in the genre. Make pinterest boards. More notes.
4. Plan it Test ideas against 3 act structure, Heroes journey. Construct character arcs. Chapter plan events.
5. First draft it. Head down, fingers blur, ideally five hours per day for a month.
6. Rest it. Go back and do some of the other steps for another unrelated project.
7. Write it readable. Structural quick edit. Smarten it up for first readers.
8. Listen and note. Detailed notes from readers. Compile them.
9. Rest it. Time to digest readers notes. No rushing. Work on something else.
10. Revision/ Rewrite Cycle begins with further readers and rests in between
i)Big stuff  - cut (plot/ story/ structure/ pace)
ii)Medium stuff - add (Character voice perfection/ relationships/ setting/ atmosphere)
iii) Small stuff (Line edits - polish it up and make it pretty)
11. Submit

What has made me so much more relaxed this year is that I have three projects on the go, all at different stages, so I can take a break when I reach a sticky patch or get fatigued - and work on something else.

But - some rules apply
a) Once first draft begins, no working on anything else until it is finished. And no cheating.
b) Read widely - always. Usually an hour a day. Inside and outside of genre.
c) Don't be too soft on myself. Sometimes those sticky bits can only be solved by writing them over and over.
d) Don't be too hard on self. Sometimes sticky bits can be solved by forgetting all about them and watching 3 episodes of Sons of Anarchy back to back with half a bottle of wine.

Which one next? Becoming an author might be all about the strategy.

I've a feeling I need to become a strategist, because I don't know what to write next.
Just finished second draft of my second novel, YA ghost story, The Journal of Apolline Durand. Out with my wonderful first readers, Kathryn, Sally, Helen and Lyann. So she's out of the loop for a few weeks.

Apolline! Play nice with the first readers like a good girl.

My firstborn manuscript Clamour is out with agents, full manuscript waiting on a response. Have lots of new revision idea for this, but makes no sense to do anything until I hear back from *the* agent.

Go Aster, wow those agents, get under their skin like you got under mine - I know you can do it

So I have two choices:
1. Start on new project The Red Edge. This is spanky new and exciting. Lead character is a boy, Hector. Already feel like I know him (and of course, love him). Story plotted vaguely, but I have a strong sense of premise, themes and place and a cracking good opening chapter. Scenes pop into my mind continuously for this one.

The Red Edge - Space adventure that mainly takes place on the planet Rutilus 2 in the Scorpios Constellation.

2. Start on Scatter, second book in Clamour trilogy. This is SO ripe for the picking. These characters have voices already and they nag, nag, nag. Been thinking this for over a year. Could be good to write this before revising Clamour? Like my optimism. Could be a waste of precious time if Clamour never gets picked up? No, can't think that way. *The* agent could suggest revisions to Clamour that impact on the story.

Khone Falls in Laos. Setting of the tribal summit in Scatter - sequel to Clamour
 

So which should it be? Completely new manuscript meaning I have 3 separate projects on the go? And may get a mental overload? Vote Red.
Or second book in trilogy. Focus on the one I already love - and that would be easy as pie to write? Could probably knock out a first draft for this in a month or so. Vote Green.

Best thing of all? Love both these ideas and can't wait to get started....