I’ve really been thinking about that a lot today. Through talking to people, to reading post in Divas, I just have to wonder how long it takes people to break into the NY market.
This sounds crazy every time I think it, but it’s true. I’ve been at this for 5 years. I subbed my first manuscript in June 2001 to Harlequin Blaze. I knew almost nothing about the industry. I wrote a book, then talked a lot to my dad’s cousin (who wrote regencies) who told me how to research who to send it to. I figured it out and sent it. Actually using really bad lines in my query like “I am young and feel my book would really strike a chord with the younger market, because I am part of that market.” And “My book it your typical Harlequin, but with tabasco sauce.” What the f*ck was I thinking? Oh man. And I got a rejection, but it was actually a really great one. Not form, and with lots of compliments. But this was when I was wet behind the ears and didn’t know there were good rejections, bad rejections, and form rejections. I saw it was a rejection and burned it. Ignoring the ‘you are obviously a talented writer’ part.
So I took more of my relatives advice, and joined the RWA. That’s when I really got started. But even then…how serious was I about getting to NY? To getting published? I think I was sort of interested, but I was more concerned about dating, and school, and just having fun in my early twenties. I was doing what I think a rather large group of writers do. I would write one book. One. And I would send it out twice a year. I would send it to the agent and editor I met at the Seattle conference. If they didn’t want it, I’d wait until the next years conference and then pitch the same book to a new agent and editor.
It took me until 2005 until I wrote my second book. And as I started to market it, I was taking advice from a local chapter member Cherry Adair . She gave me the best advice. I said what do I do next? Just send it out until it sells? She said send it out, and write another book. Immediately. And when you’re done with that one, write another one. And so within one year I wrote two books around 70k and a novella ‘The Pirate’s Booty’ which I’ve sold.
I’m very productive, and I think I’ve come far in that aspect. But there’s one more step I need to do. I need to start sending my stuff out. I’m comfortable in my epub life now. And even though I have two books I want to sell to NY, I rarely send out queries. In these five years I would say it would be amazing if I’ve sent out 20 total. I start to get agent interest, and I’ll put everything on hold. Which I know you’re not supposed to do. Most of my friends will have to send out like 25+ queries to get agent interest. A lot land agents that way. So what’s my problem?
When am I going to take that final step and start the massive storm of sending out my stuff to a bizillion places? When am I going get to the end of the road and reach NY. My goal. A lot of people’s goal.
So where do you stand in your writing? Have you hit’m hard in NY? Are you waiting to hear back? Are you waiting to send? Or are you still pitching the same book you wrote three years ago? Or maybe you’re still writing the same book you started a year ago. Let’s share. :)
Here’s my pic of the day….
