How do you know when it's a "practice" novel? - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T20:32:33Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:44808?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A45085&feed=yes&xn_auth=noQuitting after five rejection…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-06-02:537324:Comment:454692007-06-02T15:47:04.320ZJulie Lomoehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/julielomoe
Quitting after five rejections - you must be even more sensitive than I am! I quit marketing two novels after about 18 rejections each. People told me that was much too soon to give up, but my ego was too fragile at the time. I'm very happy I went with a print-on-demand publisher for <i>Mood Swing</i> I feel much more like a bona fide author even if it doesn't have the cachet of a traditional publisher, and it gives me the confidence to try the traditional route as well.<br />
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And yes, I realize…
Quitting after five rejections - you must be even more sensitive than I am! I quit marketing two novels after about 18 rejections each. People told me that was much too soon to give up, but my ego was too fragile at the time. I'm very happy I went with a print-on-demand publisher for <i>Mood Swing</i> I feel much more like a bona fide author even if it doesn't have the cachet of a traditional publisher, and it gives me the confidence to try the traditional route as well.<br />
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And yes, I realize rejection is part of the scene at all levels - at Malice, I dined with a famous, award-winning writer who said her new series idea had been rejected by numerous publishers before it found a taker. I'm determined to grow a tougher skin. Thanks all for the great advi…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-31:537324:Comment:451672007-05-31T16:10:22.172ZChrista M. Millerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/christammiller
Thanks all for the great advice. I asked because I was tempted to try to get it published online (an opportunity exists), but I don't feel I've exhausted all possibilities yet. Last year's version garnered 30 rejections, but I've since rewritten and I do think it's a stronger work... (hopefully) soon to be made still stronger with another revision. After this, I'm done! I am sort of noodling around on two sequels (which could as easily be standalones; they don't depend on the events in this…
Thanks all for the great advice. I asked because I was tempted to try to get it published online (an opportunity exists), but I don't feel I've exhausted all possibilities yet. Last year's version garnered 30 rejections, but I've since rewritten and I do think it's a stronger work... (hopefully) soon to be made still stronger with another revision. After this, I'm done! I am sort of noodling around on two sequels (which could as easily be standalones; they don't depend on the events in this book), but the only reason I haven't committed is my insane schedule. At least the ideas are coming, though! This is really sound advice.…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-31:537324:Comment:450852007-05-31T00:11:16.015ZRobin Burcellhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/rburcell67
This is really sound advice. Out of my writing friends, I have two sorts: Those who have polished and polished that book for years and years, racked up the rejections, polish it again, then send it out again. Then repeat this formula for years and years. Only a couple of them ever made the jump from published to unpublished.<br />
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And the other sort are those who get a handful of rejections, fix it, get a few more, then move on and start the next project, and after a handful of rejections, move on…
This is really sound advice. Out of my writing friends, I have two sorts: Those who have polished and polished that book for years and years, racked up the rejections, polish it again, then send it out again. Then repeat this formula for years and years. Only a couple of them ever made the jump from published to unpublished.<br />
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And the other sort are those who get a handful of rejections, fix it, get a few more, then move on and start the next project, and after a handful of rejections, move on to the next project. Invariably the Move On group are the ones who ended up selling first. They also seem to be the ones who end up having the longest career. They are willing and able to change and morph as needed, and let go of a project if necessary to rev up their careers.<br />
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Probably only a few authors have no Under The Bed Book. The rest of us have one or more. I pull mine out every now and then, dust it off, and realize it's right where it needs to be. It could probably be fixed, but I could write a new book way faster. And probably way better. Ah, yes. 300 rejections didn'…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-30:537324:Comment:450052007-05-30T13:59:35.950ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Ah, yes. 300 rejections didn't sound quite right. But neither is my case an example of when to give up. I'd usually stop marketing after 5 rejections. Like Naomi, I was completely wrapped up in my protagonist's story and could not stop writing the next installment. After 3 novels had gone through a brief marketing experience, I wrote some short stories with the same protagonist. The third one sold. The sixth won a Shamus award. By then the 4th novel (THE HELL SCREEN) was finished, found an…
Ah, yes. 300 rejections didn't sound quite right. But neither is my case an example of when to give up. I'd usually stop marketing after 5 rejections. Like Naomi, I was completely wrapped up in my protagonist's story and could not stop writing the next installment. After 3 novels had gone through a brief marketing experience, I wrote some short stories with the same protagonist. The third one sold. The sixth won a Shamus award. By then the 4th novel (THE HELL SCREEN) was finished, found an agent, and found a publisher along with one of the others. By now all my early novels are in print.<br />
You don't need to give up as soon as I did, but you should keep writing in the meantime. My third novel got me an agen…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-30:537324:Comment:449442007-05-30T01:45:58.371ZJude Hardinhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/festus
My third novel got me an agent. I think that's when I realized the first two were practice novels.<br />
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It's hard to be objective about your own work when it's fresh. Stick the manuscript in a drawer for a year, start working on something new, then read the one-year-old. You'll know right away if you should pitch it or...<i>pitch</i> it. ;)
My third novel got me an agent. I think that's when I realized the first two were practice novels.<br />
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It's hard to be objective about your own work when it's fresh. Stick the manuscript in a drawer for a year, start working on something new, then read the one-year-old. You'll know right away if you should pitch it or...<i>pitch</i> it. ;) I think I have the opposite p…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:449132007-05-29T22:54:33.859ZPatricia Abbotthttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/pattinase
I think I have the opposite problem. I gave up on the novel in stories after ten agents said rewrite it as a novel or said no outright.. I guess this is why reason I write short stories--less at risk, less investment. After reading this, maybe I will send it out again. But I'm not going to rewrite it as a continuous narrative. I think what charm it has lies in the little arcs, not in the bigger one.
I think I have the opposite problem. I gave up on the novel in stories after ten agents said rewrite it as a novel or said no outright.. I guess this is why reason I write short stories--less at risk, less investment. After reading this, maybe I will send it out again. But I'm not going to rewrite it as a continuous narrative. I think what charm it has lies in the little arcs, not in the bigger one. What Naomi said. There are mo…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:448942007-05-29T21:41:23.771ZSteven Torreshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StevenT
What Naomi said. There are more stories to write for me. I've told several people who are very serious writers that it is time to move to the next project. Presumably a long career will see you write a few dozen novels (Look at Ed McBain for one). Given that perspective, there is no reason to think about how long to flog the first book because the career writer will always be moving on to the next project.
What Naomi said. There are more stories to write for me. I've told several people who are very serious writers that it is time to move to the next project. Presumably a long career will see you write a few dozen novels (Look at Ed McBain for one). Given that perspective, there is no reason to think about how long to flog the first book because the career writer will always be moving on to the next project. Selling inventory is the best…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:448872007-05-29T20:43:41.912ZJordan Danehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JordanDane
Selling inventory is the best revenge for all those rejections. :)
Selling inventory is the best revenge for all those rejections. :) My first novel didn't sell so…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:448842007-05-29T20:40:48.525ZDavid Terrenoirehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Terrenoire
My first novel didn't sell so I wrote two more that didn't sell, but believed so strongly that the first novel was a good story that I rewrote it several times. That's the novel that became Beneath A Panamanian Moon. I won't dig up the other two mss, but that one I couldn't let go.<br />
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I think that's how you tell. When even after rejections and you've written other books, you're still convinced that this is good, just not good enough. Then you rewrite.<br />
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Be as honest as you can be and listen to…
My first novel didn't sell so I wrote two more that didn't sell, but believed so strongly that the first novel was a good story that I rewrote it several times. That's the novel that became Beneath A Panamanian Moon. I won't dig up the other two mss, but that one I couldn't let go.<br />
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I think that's how you tell. When even after rejections and you've written other books, you're still convinced that this is good, just not good enough. Then you rewrite.<br />
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Be as honest as you can be and listen to your gut. That's what I think. Depends if you are just tryin…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-05-29:537324:Comment:448792007-05-29T20:22:40.386ZNaomi Hiraharahttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/gasagasagirl
Depends if you are just trying to sell that one novel/storyline or if you are attempting to become a novelist. Not mutually exclusive, yet not the same thing, either. If you are attempting to become a working career novelist, I would put the novel aside after a healthy number of agent/small press rejections. I think that the market, not a critique group, is the best judge. It could be that your novel is before its time; if that's the case, as others have suggested, you can bring it out…
Depends if you are just trying to sell that one novel/storyline or if you are attempting to become a novelist. Not mutually exclusive, yet not the same thing, either. If you are attempting to become a working career novelist, I would put the novel aside after a healthy number of agent/small press rejections. I think that the market, not a critique group, is the best judge. It could be that your novel is before its time; if that's the case, as others have suggested, you can bring it out later.<br />
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In my case, I was fanatically devoted to my story and my protagonist. It didn't make any logical sense. But I just kept at it for 15 years while I made money writing nonfiction, etc.. Now I'm focused on being a career novelist, which makes my decisions sometimes more business-based. But the deal for the first will always be the sweetest, because my intentions were much more pure.<br />
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You'll know when to give it up when you feel that you are totally in a dead end. If it's relatively easy for you to walk away, maybe you weren't that invested in the story, anyway.