So, I’ve reached the point where I think my first novel (Terra Incognita) is as good as I can make it. I started in early 2021 and cranked out a first draft of 151k words by October of that year. Since then, I’ve been editing, getting feedback from others, putting it aside, writing other things, working, etc. During that time, it crept up to 160k words and ultimately ended at 139k. It’s been a process! I’ve produced at least ten different drafts (based on updating file names), but in truth, I have no idea how many changes I’ve made. A lot!
The next stage is to get my story out into the world. Writing it was hard enough, but from everything I’ve read, the next part of the journey is much more challenging. I’m hoping to go down the “traditional” publishing route (i.e., securing a publisher who wants to take on my novel, work with me to make it the best version of my story it can be, market it, and so on…). One way of doing this, particularly for new authors, is to seek out a literary agent to represent your work, be your advocate, and help navigate the industry. This is also not easy! I’ve heard of authors making hundreds of “queries” to agents, attempting to get representation. And, of course, securing an agent is no guarantee of getting published…
I’ve just started this process. Earlier this week, I sent off my first query letter to an agent I was recommended by a tutor on one of my writing courses. It’s a daunting experience, trying to capture on a page why they should be interested in your book and in you.
Something I’ve seen said many times, and that I’ve grown to know from experience, is that describing what you’ve written is every bit as hard as writing the novel in the first place! And you have to do it in a way that “hooks” the reader of your pitch in a few words.
I’ve put together a few synopsises (synopsi??) of varying lengths, each one an excruciating task – having to leave out characters, side plots, things that amused me, settings, etc. As I approach more and more agents, I’ll need to continue to refine and update my synopsis (some have different word length requirements or want specific aspects covered), so I’ll never be “done” – at least, not until I’ve actually been published!
So, for the next little while, I’ll be putting my story “out there” for agents to consider. It’ll be a long and frustrating process, I’m sure, but a necessary step if I’m ever going to achieve the goal of being published. In the meantime, I’ll need to remember what the chances of success are:
In the meantime, I’ve got novel #2 to get on with. It’s been a bit neglected lately, and I’d really like to find out how it turns out! Hopefully, my main character has some good ideas about what he’s going to do next, as I’ve only got a few vague notions about his next steps!
