A couple of posts ago, I said, “Tuesday is the day.” That Tuesday was yesterday. A publisher had contacted me and said he was meeting with his partners to discuss my novel, Native Moments. I didn’t hear from him yesterday and thought, I guess no news is bad news. That’s how it works in publishing. However, this morning, I got a call. The publisher said they … Continue reading Update from the Publisher’s Meeting
Came across the following while looking at a literary agent’s submission guidelines: “We appreciate all queries. But please note that most publishers today are highly selective about what they publish, and often decline to consider works by unknown or uncredentialed writers. We do our best to overcome these strictures for our clients, but they are powerful obstacles.” Basically, if you aren’t a published writer with … Continue reading Moments of Discouragement
I’ve been away for a while. Because, to paraphrase Hemingway, if you talk about it you can lose it. But I’m not superstitious. That’s what I tell myself anyway. But for the past couple of weeks I’ve been talking to a publisher of a small independent press. He is very optimistic about my novel. His editor said he can work with it, which is a … Continue reading Tuesday is the Day
Finally got a rejection where it sounded as if the agent actually read my work. He mentioned the title and spelled my name correctly. Funny how a rejection can be inspiring. But this is the most confident I’ve felt since beginning this endeavor that Native Moments will get published. I like the font I chose for the title, but I’m fully aware that it may … Continue reading First personalized rejection
In the month of September I have sent 36 queries for my novel Native Moments. I’ve received 5 rejections in return. All forms. The most straight forward was one that said, “not for me.” No capitalization, no punctuation, no gesture of gratitude. I guess it just wasn’t for her. I may tweak my query letter yet again. At least I haven’t received one like Gertrude … Continue reading September Submissions, updated.
I received a rejection email back for a short story, but sent that story to 4 more literary journals. Also, found a publisher who accepts unsolicited manuscripts, so I sent my novel out as well. Staying motivated is probably the toughest part about being a writer. A rejection slip can easily make you feel as if you are wasting your time. The key, I hope, … Continue reading Another Rejection
Nic Schuck 