-Jan R

I’ve been writing this blog for six years. It’s been my goal to do two posts a week. While I’ve been mostly faithful in my commitment, I must confess the last few months have been really hard for me.

I’ve had a lot more outside commitments that are occupying my time, but it feels like it’s more than that. Have you ever wanted to just stop doing everything and reset? Take a break from life and catch your breath? How did you motivate yourself to work through the lulls?

I have read a lot of information on the internet and in books on motivation and how to jump start your battery when it dies (my analogy). Maybe that’s a bit drastic of an example, but you get where I’m going.

I’ve also wondered if getting that full-manuscript request has taken some of the steam out of my boat, and I need to take a break and prepare for the next stage of the game. It’s not been easy. It’s required a lot of time and dedication on my part. I wasn’t an English major and literally had to learn how to write a publishable novel.

Every step I’ve taken so far seems to be the hardest step. I’m currently in the waiting game. My manuscript has been sent out as requested, but it’s been two months without a response. The ultimate goal is to get this work published. I’ve met a major milestone, but I can’t lose sight of my final destination.

The one thing that has motivated me and kept me moving forward, is setting goals for myself. I may be dragging my feet right now, but I know where I’m heading. With my eyes set on the finish line, I will get there.

Do you have goals set for your life or are you just wandering aimlessly hoping that things work out? You will never get to where you want to be without a plan in place to get you there.  Set those goals! Work that plan! It could mean the difference between failure and success.

-Jan R

Something to think about.

-Jan R

Something to think about.

-Jan R

A literary agent from one of the agencies I queried, stated that it was easy to get to the no. It takes only a couple of minutes for an agent to know something’s not going to work. It takes a long time, however, to evaluate the maybes.

Many of you know that I received a request for my full manuscript the end of February. It’s been almost a month and a half. I check my email constantly and answer every phone call that I receive.

I used to ignore numbers I didn’t recognize. They were all robo calls regarding my car warranty, my credit card that I don’t even have, or whatever new scam/spam that was going around. But what if it was the literary agent who has my manuscript? I can’t take the chance.

The wait is getting to me. I’ve been reading blogs and agent pages on the dos and don’ts when you receive a request for your full manuscript. Yes, there are rules you should follow to maintain a working relationship with your could-be agent. Remember no one wants to work with a high maintenance individual no matter how good they are.

Do

Write your next story while you’re waiting. Most agents don’t want a one-time wonder. They want a career.

Keep pitching your current project. You may choose to give the agent 2-3 months before sending out additional queries, but you can’t sit on the fence forever hoping.

Be nice. Agents are human. They have as many hours in the day as you have. Agents receive hundreds and sometimes thousands of queries monthly. Thus, the nice, thoughtful, form-letter rejection. Those who survive the cut, have to wait in line behind existing clients.

Don’t

Pin your hopes on an agent who has your full manuscript, because it could be a long wait. Unfortunately, even with a full request, they don’t always accept or get back with you.

Burn bridges.

Lock yourself into that one perfect agent that you just have to have. Because you’ve developed a crush on a particular person, doesn’t mean they will notice you.

There are other common sense rules to keep in mind. Don’t hound the agent or troll them. Give them their space. It’s okay to research but you probably should have done that before you sent them a query.

For now, I’ll keep writing and hoping :-).

-Jan R