There is nothing more terrifying than the moment after you click the SUBMIT BUTTON, when sending off your baby, your manuscript, to a literary agent. That’s when all the tormenting questions in your head begin.
Did I edit enough? Did I polish it until it shined? Did I cut the right parts? Will she like my style? Is my story intriguing enough? Am I good enough?
The thing about submitting is you never know the answer to these questions but if you don’t take a chance, if you don’t jump off into the deep end of the pool, you will never swim, darling.
To paraphrase something a literary agent said to a sea of anxious writers at the San Francisco Writers Conference, they are looking for writers to work with. They need stories to sell, so agents need writers as much as writers need agents. Sometimes even more, because today in the world of publishing, an author can self publish without using an agent at all. So that being said, if you seek the road to traditional publishing, just keeping that in mind and it helps tremendously.
Still you cannot just pick an agent out of a hat and hope for the best. It’s crucial to take your time to find an agent that is interested in your genre. Three words; DO YOUR RESEARCH. Even if the agent has in their bio that they work with the genre your manuscript falls under, you still need to find out if they are currently taking submissions or if they are flooded in that particular category at the time you will be submitting.
I tell you, the number one thing that has helped me throughout my writing process, and my journey to traditional publishing, is going to conferences. In the last three years, I’ve gone to three conferences, (twice to the San Francisco Writers Conference, and once to the Redwood Writers Conference). That is where you will meet folks from all avenues of the writing world, and from all over the world. Collaborating with these people will help you to hone your skills and most importantly, help you decide what you plan to do with your writing.
Another great way to improve your writing, and to glean wonderful ideas, is to join a writing group. Listening to others and asking advice, sharing stories and using prompts to dig deeper into yourself, have all been very beneficial to me. Besides, you will never feel more camaraderie than when surrounded by other writers. It’s like a safety net for your vulnerable emotions before you attempt to share with the public. Baby steps to taking that leap of faith, (like into the deep end).
I am currently waiting to hear back from one particular agent, but will be submitting to another this weekend. I hope to get my manuscript out to ten agents within the next few weeks, but I started with my best bet and hope first, because she has had the most interest in it. She is also the one that has given me advice and I’ve built up a relationship with her that makes me feel comfortable enough to think, hey I like this gal and can see myself working with her. Personalities mean a lot if you plan to be working intimately with someone on a project as personal as your book!
For information about my book, AFTER THE FIRE, click the link here, and find out what started this whole journey. I’ve been blogging about it since I started my book in November 2015, right after the Valley Fire, in Lake County, California. Consequently, when I started writing, our horrific experience was one of the worst California had ever seen. Sadly, since then, there have been fires that were worse in terms of property and life lost. My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered from these terrible tragedies.
Thanks for reading and I will keep you all posted on my progress.
Wishing you all well.
*Photos by Patti Diener
