So what is up?
Over the past few weeks I have been editing and shaping the first two chapters of the first book in the Coradonna’s Children series. I have been working on the book synopsis and the query letter.
Query letters are a real challenge to write. I have to admit I find the whole process intimidating. This is especially true since this letter and my skill with writing it will determine if the agent or editor will even READ my work. There is a great deal of pressure to write a perfect query letter. So I have spent several weeks working on this when I would much rather have been working on writing my story.
Another challenge is the synopsis. I keep telling hubby if I wanted to write short things I would not have written a novel. I have been struggling to boil the plot and action down to 500 words or less while still catching the readers interest. I guess this is part of the challenge of being an author and not just a storyteller. You have to be able to sell yourself and your work.
My goal is to send out query letters to about 7 agents this coming week. Then go back to focusing on editing draft three of Lexi’s story while I wait. I hope to receive feedback from at least a few of them in the next three or four months. I want to use that feedback to help me with round two of query letters, which will include another 10 agents and two editors.
I have no illusions. I understand that I will most likely get hundreds of rejections before someone even asks to read my entire manuscript and even then there will likely be more rejections before I am ever even close to getting published. However I am hoping for FEEDBACK from the agents and editors. I am hoping that the comments and ideas they share I can use to help improve my writing in general and my marketing.
I also have to admit deep inside a tiny part of me dreams and imagines that someone will love my work so much they will call me within days of getting the first two chapters and ask me to send them the rest of the manuscript because they simply cannot WAIT to read it. OK ok I have a REALLY active imagination. What can I say that is why I love to tell stories. I know it will never happen but I can dream. 🙂