Kristine,
Thanks for reassuring me that I have not made some irreparable gaffe. Funny thing about this forum. As writers we find ourselves dwarfed into media types looking for cute, vacuous sound bytes. Yet if we 'go on' we risk seeming... garrulous, no?
Thanks for the invite and for reading my bio. If you just can't get enough of my antics, go to my website and click on "In Search of the American Sherlock Holmes". It's the true story of my misadventures researching the book.
As for how to find an agent, it just takes an awful lot of work to find someone you click with. There are a couple of websites that I've been told are very helpful in terms of getting out a lot of query letters at one time - rather than one at a time. Christa Faust, who is on here also, recommended one called bookblaster.com. You need to get to it by first going to scriptblaster.com, then clicking the link to bookblaster (for some reason it doesn't work to go straight to bookblaster.) It costs $99, but can send out 400 or more queries for you - which will save you money and lots of time - in the long run.
No, no, no, no, no! Do not use a query blaster. Never use a query blasting service. You must do the work of personalizing the query letters to agents. I recommend you read agent blogs, like Miss Snark (anonymous agent; blog is retired but information is still pertinent), Pubrants (Kristin Nelson), Nathan Bransford, and Writer Beware (A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss). I know Miss Snark and Writer Beware have talked about Bookblaster.
If you want more information on how to find agents, email me and I'll point you in the right direction.
Hi Kristine - I didn't see the movie Freaky Friday and do not know which actress you think I resemble. My husband thinks I look like Stockard Channing, which is ok! I'd be happy to answer any questions about getting published although good writing, perserverance and luck have to combine.
I also have a nephew with autism and he's such a neat kid - just finishing grade 12. I'm sorry to hear your nephew is having such a rough go and hope they get it sorted out soon.
Brenda
Hi, again, Kristine
I'll struggle to avoid saying anything too obvious or stupid. Personal trauma's, deep ones, are hell to write about. Easiest, if it's cheap and private therapy you need, is to do a diary or journal, getting down the really raw stuff -- it's only for you. But if you consider that Vonnegut took seventeen years to get the distance and clarity he needed to write Slaughterhouse Five for others, to inject them into his experience, that's probaly typical. I'll warn you I'm a nut about words, so I risk scolding you about ambidexterous, which literally means having the same right handedness at the ends of both arms. That would look funny. But if both hands are equally facile with objects, ambichiral would be better (dexter is Latin for right, chiros is Greek for hand). I do that same thing for elevators, which are really verticulators, they got down as well as up. Anyway, twins. Thomas Bouchard at University of Minnesota has done the groundbreaking work on identical twins raised separately, and common 'expressions' or 'preferences.' And identical twins are probably the first to dismiss astrology and horoscopes, which say they will both have the same experiences in the upcoming day (0r week). Fat chance. Advice: don't let anyone pry. Give what you want to, hold back the rest.
Best,
Photo will be sent! We just got back yesterday and we're still so tired. I bet the weather is great where you are. We were really lucky though. Sunny since Sunday! Major cause for celebration! I'll send you the photo. all the best.
Tell you what. This is a question I've been asked frequently, so how about if I blog it? I'll be happy to try to help you with any specifics, but I think that way I can organize my thoughts and maybe prove value to others who wonder about publication.
I have around 30,000 on my first draft, but its very raw. I think its a great idea for a story. I get stressed out from work at times and that hurts my creativity.
Thats the catch 22...Work to live...Live to write..HAHA
Thanks about the Pic comment. I very happy, Look at my pics...The Miller Girls and my fan club make every problem seem not as big.
just got back online today. the engine was a tecumseh. They were in third place which was pretty good. they were hoping to have come into first! oh well.
Kristine,
Since you felt it important enough to mention in your personal information, was your sister an identical twin or not. I hope this is not prying, because the train of curiosity and imagination does lead somewhere other than the usual 'yes' 'no' check-the-box either/or kinds of superficial curiosity.
Best,
I got this site from a publisher at a writing conference. I went to a workshop about the internet, my space, etc. in concern for contacting your work with other writers A publisher in Atlanta suggested this site.
Hi Kris,
I love Portland and am always looking for an excuse to hang out there! Any good writing workshops that you know of this fall?
Enjoy our cool weather...I suspect August will be hot as blazes. At least my tomatoes hope so...
/Karen.
Hmmm, getting published. The simple explanation is: found an agent, agent got me published. I got lucky in that I found an agent after being rejected by only nine others. I had finished the first draft of my first book - which was non-fiction - and I just lucked on an agent who loved the book. It then took him 28 rejections before he managed to sell the thing, but it got sold.
The first novel was really lucky. I sent the first draft to a friend who's a writer to ask his opinion of it. I didn't know that he was also an editor at St. Martins. He got back to me saying that they'd like to make an offer on the book. I turned all that over to my agent - since I felt loyal after he'd gone to so much work to sell my first book. Then later, other things happened that caused my agent and I to fire each other, but I got very lucky and found a new agent - who I like a lot - quickly.
It's possible to sell a book without an agent, but it's rare and you are very unlikely to sell it to anyone other than a very small publisher.
As for how to find an agent, it just takes an awful lot of work to find someone you click with. There are a couple of websites that I've been told are very helpful in terms of getting out a lot of query letters at one time - rather than one at a time. Christa Faust, who is on here also, recommended one called bookblaster.com. You need to get to it by first going to scriptblaster.com, then clicking the link to bookblaster (for some reason it doesn't work to go straight to bookblaster.) It costs $99, but can send out 400 or more queries for you - which will save you money and lots of time - in the long run.
Krystal Waters's Comments
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Up late and thought I drop a line.
I have four kids with two teenage boys....I feel your pain...LOL
Joe
Thanks for reassuring me that I have not made some irreparable gaffe. Funny thing about this forum. As writers we find ourselves dwarfed into media types looking for cute, vacuous sound bytes. Yet if we 'go on' we risk seeming... garrulous, no?
No, no, no, no, no! Do not use a query blaster. Never use a query blasting service. You must do the work of personalizing the query letters to agents. I recommend you read agent blogs, like Miss Snark (anonymous agent; blog is retired but information is still pertinent), Pubrants (Kristin Nelson), Nathan Bransford, and Writer Beware (A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss). I know Miss Snark and Writer Beware have talked about Bookblaster.
If you want more information on how to find agents, email me and I'll point you in the right direction.
I also have a nephew with autism and he's such a neat kid - just finishing grade 12. I'm sorry to hear your nephew is having such a rough go and hope they get it sorted out soon.
Brenda
I'll struggle to avoid saying anything too obvious or stupid. Personal trauma's, deep ones, are hell to write about. Easiest, if it's cheap and private therapy you need, is to do a diary or journal, getting down the really raw stuff -- it's only for you. But if you consider that Vonnegut took seventeen years to get the distance and clarity he needed to write Slaughterhouse Five for others, to inject them into his experience, that's probaly typical. I'll warn you I'm a nut about words, so I risk scolding you about ambidexterous, which literally means having the same right handedness at the ends of both arms. That would look funny. But if both hands are equally facile with objects, ambichiral would be better (dexter is Latin for right, chiros is Greek for hand). I do that same thing for elevators, which are really verticulators, they got down as well as up. Anyway, twins. Thomas Bouchard at University of Minnesota has done the groundbreaking work on identical twins raised separately, and common 'expressions' or 'preferences.' And identical twins are probably the first to dismiss astrology and horoscopes, which say they will both have the same experiences in the upcoming day (0r week). Fat chance. Advice: don't let anyone pry. Give what you want to, hold back the rest.
Best,
David
Nice to meet you as well. Hope the writing/marketing process is going well for you.
Tell you what. This is a question I've been asked frequently, so how about if I blog it? I'll be happy to try to help you with any specifics, but I think that way I can organize my thoughts and maybe prove value to others who wonder about publication.
j
I have around 30,000 on my first draft, but its very raw. I think its a great idea for a story. I get stressed out from work at times and that hurts my creativity.
Thats the catch 22...Work to live...Live to write..HAHA
Thanks about the Pic comment. I very happy, Look at my pics...The Miller Girls and my fan club make every problem seem not as big.
Have any of your stories been published?
Take care
Joe
Have been writing for years, but never really published besides articles and that sort of thing.
I am working on my first novel and looking forward to see if I can finish this thing..
LOL
Let's stay in touch
Joe
jlmiller4138@yahoo.com
Since you felt it important enough to mention in your personal information, was your sister an identical twin or not. I hope this is not prying, because the train of curiosity and imagination does lead somewhere other than the usual 'yes' 'no' check-the-box either/or kinds of superficial curiosity.
Best,
David
I don't have a MP3 player, but I'm using I-tunes from my computer.
Joe
I got this site from a publisher at a writing conference. I went to a workshop about the internet, my space, etc. in concern for contacting your work with other writers A publisher in Atlanta suggested this site.
How is my space different?
Stay in touch.
Joe
I love Portland and am always looking for an excuse to hang out there! Any good writing workshops that you know of this fall?
Enjoy our cool weather...I suspect August will be hot as blazes. At least my tomatoes hope so...
/Karen.
The first novel was really lucky. I sent the first draft to a friend who's a writer to ask his opinion of it. I didn't know that he was also an editor at St. Martins. He got back to me saying that they'd like to make an offer on the book. I turned all that over to my agent - since I felt loyal after he'd gone to so much work to sell my first book. Then later, other things happened that caused my agent and I to fire each other, but I got very lucky and found a new agent - who I like a lot - quickly.
It's possible to sell a book without an agent, but it's rare and you are very unlikely to sell it to anyone other than a very small publisher.
As for how to find an agent, it just takes an awful lot of work to find someone you click with. There are a couple of websites that I've been told are very helpful in terms of getting out a lot of query letters at one time - rather than one at a time. Christa Faust, who is on here also, recommended one called bookblaster.com. You need to get to it by first going to scriptblaster.com, then clicking the link to bookblaster (for some reason it doesn't work to go straight to bookblaster.) It costs $99, but can send out 400 or more queries for you - which will save you money and lots of time - in the long run.
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