tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post5583777911647664412..comments2024-03-18T09:09:59.625-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: Query Question: it took me a long time to write this bookJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32210338722236477122015-05-17T21:25:48.412-04:002015-05-17T21:25:48.412-04:00Heidi-come-lately says...
The more novels I write...<i>Heidi-come-lately says...</i><br /><br />The more novels I write, the quicker I get. Also, the more consistent their quality.<br /><br />It's simply a case of practice, practice, practice.Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29157627179008749242015-05-16T06:26:26.540-04:002015-05-16T06:26:26.540-04:00kdjames, no worries. You're not disheartening ...kdjames, no worries. You're not disheartening you're realistic. <br /><br />Ice cream at this time in the morning, reCAPT, how about toastCarolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-15518340043424692732015-05-16T02:42:35.038-04:002015-05-16T02:42:35.038-04:00BJ, so true.
Not that anyone cares but it was 201...BJ, so true.<br /><br />Not that anyone cares but it was 2013 when I tried W1S1 again and had to quit. A year lost but well worth it. So far 1 year on current m/s. <br /><br />I like what Diane said.angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-29890360390710215462015-05-15T23:02:08.558-04:002015-05-15T23:02:08.558-04:00Donna, I thought of TKAM as an example as well, bu...Donna, I thought of TKAM as an example as well, but 50+ years was stretching it a bit. If I wait that long to write a second novel, it'll be in another lifetime. <br /><br />BJ, I love your comment. A book does live longer than a few hours. <br /><br />Ginger, I get my best ideas in the shower too. I keep paper and a pen there to jot things down. Someone mentioned on another blog you can buy a special waterproof pad and pen that you can hang right in the shower. I guess we're not the only two who get our ideas there.<br /><br />DLM, I can understand your dilemma. I usually come when Janet writes her post around 1 pm my time and on most days I'm not able to come back until it's time for me to go to bed. That's why I sometimes skim the comments and/or fall asleep as I'm reading them.LynnRodzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10796099106913990163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-3622250573559624862015-05-15T22:58:24.288-04:002015-05-15T22:58:24.288-04:00Carolynn, I meant for my comment to be encouraging...Carolynn, I meant for my comment to be encouraging, as in, don't worry if it's taking you a while, it takes a while for most of us. I didn't intend for it to be disheartening. I'm sorry. :-(<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-43917863186202982992015-05-15T19:56:52.332-04:002015-05-15T19:56:52.332-04:00Hello, beloved Reider community!
The density of d...Hello, beloved Reider community!<br /><br />The density of demands on my life has reached a point where I am about to become that most obnoxious of internet denizens: the commenter who reads nothing anyone else has to say. This dismays me, because I dig y'all like a strip-mining operation, I truly do. However, if I want to participate here at all (and I do), it's going to have to be on this selfish and attention-whoring way, because: literally and truly, there is no time anymore for the ever-richer (longer!) discussions here. But I can't give up reading JANET, and I want to leave time to hit y'all's blogs too when I can.<br /><br />I've tried reading during the day when I'm at work, and that'd be the optimal solution - however, it's not that un-busy a job for me (I need all the minutes so as not to tax my wee and paltry little brain) and anyway, I get all morally ooky if I thieve time from my employer on agent blogs ...<br /><br />And so: yeah, I'm going to be the drive-by commenter. Why? Because ... I want it to take less than five years for me to finish the WIP!<br /><br />*Blowing kisses and reminding myself Janet needs some fresh Gossamer photos*<br /><br />Y'all really do rock. I miss knowing what is going on around here. Tell me: what's the new lima beans and kale? Orange, perhaps?<br /><br />;o)DLMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768285199864217885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-12127577451171851702015-05-15T19:53:38.663-04:002015-05-15T19:53:38.663-04:00@ 2N'S "It just feels right" - AMEN ...@ 2N'S "It just feels right" - AMEN to that! Any time I start to wonder wth am I doing, I get an answer from . .. the Universe, God? Whatever it is at the time, it tells me that, challenging though it may be, I'm on the right path. And love that your first book was your saviour; glorious! Writing can be such an escape, an escape from the harsh realities of our existence.Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81514623399594199052015-05-15T19:38:50.689-04:002015-05-15T19:38:50.689-04:00I have to admit, sometimes I think, I don't kn...I have to admit, sometimes I think, I don't know if I could do this again. But that's the Negative Nellie side of me. I already have other stories and ideas written (they just need extra TLC in the future, and the fine-tooth-comb process). It's all been a HUGE learning experience. The words don't usually come flowing out of my brain onto the page like a steady stream, but when they do - where to put them, how to use them...I need to have paper and pen with me at ALL times. Today I learned, even in the shower!Gingermollymarilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684318210445109786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-23991827487945999552015-05-15T17:50:14.012-04:002015-05-15T17:50:14.012-04:00After reading the comments about how long we have ...After reading the comments about how long we have to stay at the dance, I figure I'll be dead before they play the my favorite song.Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-632626782534023782015-05-15T17:36:14.345-04:002015-05-15T17:36:14.345-04:00What Amy said above is very wise.
Reading this q...What Amy said above is very wise. <br /><br />Reading this question, my first thought was, "This person must not know very many writers."<br /><br />I've heard anywhere from 6-8 years is "average" (there is no such thing as "average") from the time a person starts writing seriously to their first published book, which is not necessarily the first one they write. But that "average" is made up of writers who churn it out in 1-2 years and those who take 14-16 years or more. My observation is it's usually, and of course there are exceptions, a balance of impatience and perfectionism. Often too much of one or the other on the extreme ends (mea culpa).<br /><br />As others have said, you're not just writing your first book in that time. You're becoming a writer. Finding your voice and your style and a routine that works for you. You're training, serving an apprenticeship. You're gaining confidence. Sure, there's also Real Life to factor in, but there's always Real Life no matter which book you're writing or whether you're doing it full-time.<br /><br />And yeah, I've lost track of how many published writers have said, "Enjoy that time while it lasts." It won't be merely a publisher demanding more, faster --- if you're extremely fortunate, it'll be your readers. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-69174852545977896722015-05-15T16:35:04.021-04:002015-05-15T16:35:04.021-04:00I recently read one of Stephen Fry's memoirs (...I recently read one of Stephen Fry's memoirs (the one that deals with his university and post-uni years). He talked about collaborating with Hugh Laurie and Ben Elton on a TV show. For every page that he and Laurie would eke out, Elton would produce fifty. This was clearly intimidating to the young Fry & Laurie. But if Fry and Laurie had tried to write that volume of material that quickly, the result would have been dreck. Similarly, Douglas Adams had a famously agonizing writing process - terribly slow, but brilliant in the end.<br /><br />I would bet a publisher would be far happier with a writer stating upfront that she needs two years to write a book rather than committing to do it in one and then blowing through the deadline. They have a schedule to keep, after all, and deserve to have a reasonable expectation of when work will arrive.<br /><br />This is another case of Know Thyself. Learn your own reasonable writing pace, and share that information with affected parties (agents, editors) as necessary.Amy Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17263719891092841767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-78090897097667285142015-05-15T16:17:43.856-04:002015-05-15T16:17:43.856-04:00Thank god. Looking forward to 2.Thank god. Looking forward to 2.b-Nyehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04190440924186746537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-38378264463560676152015-05-15T15:52:23.546-04:002015-05-15T15:52:23.546-04:00Ah, but Angie. That's just for one reader. Mul...Ah, but Angie. That's just for one reader. Multiply that time by a thousand readers. Ten thousand. A hundred thousand... All those years of work go into entertaining people for years.<br /><br />Not to mention, there's a very good chance that, while the book may sit on a shelf for years, it's also sitting in the reader's mind. There's that character that just won't go away. There's a couple lines that seem to fit daily occasions. And then, the book is re-read. The connections become clearer. The book becomes more entrenched in the reader's life.<br /><br />A book is so much more than a few hours of entertainment.<br /><br />And we're back to ice cream again. Oh well. At least the soup warmed me up enough, the ice cream doesn't feel as cold.<br /><br />And after an OpenID error, sandwiches. Have you noticed that, no matter how often you click on the example, it never seems to count?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-33855385784930113702015-05-15T15:30:28.419-04:002015-05-15T15:30:28.419-04:00Often I consider how long it takes a writer to pro...<br /><br />Often I consider how long it takes a writer to produce a polished manuscript. Then query, revise upon further request. <br /><br />By the time the work is published, thanks to the team, years go by. <br /><br />Then the book is read in a matter of hours, or days at best. It's crazy. Years of work for a few hours of entertainment.<br /><br />Then books sit on a shelf, collect dust, are inherited and in some places banned and burned. <br /><br />To fret or not to fret, this is the question.angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-14639765504280356332015-05-15T15:24:47.516-04:002015-05-15T15:24:47.516-04:00Amanda, I'm Canadian, too. When I was querying...Amanda, I'm Canadian, too. When I was querying agents, I had two spelling versions of my first novel: American and Canadian. I sent my eventual agent the two versions to use as appropriate.<br /><br />My novel took place in Canada, but there was no reason that it couldn't interest readers in the U.S.<br /><br />It's a little thing, but why take a chance that your spelling will turn off an agent/editor?Barbara Etlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07190731838738606727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-53706592806944182172015-05-15T15:03:11.024-04:002015-05-15T15:03:11.024-04:00Matt, um..., TYFAKYW??? What's that?
Thing yo...Matt, um..., TYFAKYW??? What's that?<br /><br />Thing you fret about that keep you from writing. <br /><br />I left out a couple of words. it was early. Matt Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10566969805157519527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-46496570623287531152015-05-15T14:10:54.415-04:002015-05-15T14:10:54.415-04:00Donna: I think I mentioned earlier in the week tha...Donna: I think I mentioned earlier in the week that I had all-day meetings this week which kind of curtail my participation in the chatter. Perhaps I mentioned this after the 50th comment that day so you didn't see it... ;)<br /><br />Nothing to add really. Totally agree that it doesn't matter how long it takes to write that first novel, as long as the agent loves it.<br /><br />Oh, and I'm fairly certain I'm not the first person here to use underpants. They've been around a while... :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-32403235413395991172015-05-15T14:08:44.913-04:002015-05-15T14:08:44.913-04:00BJ,
Agreed, it makes a lot of difference. All my ...BJ,<br /><br />Agreed, it makes a lot of difference. All my POV characters are close third except my main who is first person. I think it makes the reader much more invested in the characters, but that's me.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-59090382527270702592015-05-15T13:56:25.944-04:002015-05-15T13:56:25.944-04:00Great advice, BJ! Thank you. You certainly deserve...Great advice, BJ! Thank you. You certainly deserve that soup. :)Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-41316578303348259362015-05-15T13:43:51.740-04:002015-05-15T13:43:51.740-04:00Karen:
I would think that discussion would take p...Karen:<br /><br />I would think that discussion would take place during the negotiations.<br /><br />Publisher: We want book 2 to be publishable in one year.<br /><br />Agent to author: They want book 2 to be publishable in one year. Can you get it written, proofed, edited and polished in one year? <br /><br />Author, to himself: If it takes 8 months to polish, like the last one did, that would leave me 4 months to draft. I can't leave my day job yet.<br /><br />Author to agent: I don't think I can do that.<br /><br />Agent to author: How about a year and a half?<br /><br />Author considers, then replies: I can do that.<br /><br />Agent to publisher: Not one year. 18 months.<br /><br />Publisher: Done. Sign on the bottom line.<br /><br />(There may be further negotiations on that point regarding royalties and reporting periods, but this is probably the gist.)<br /><br />Captcha heard me! Soup! Mmmm. Warm....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49463582299959981082015-05-15T13:36:15.078-04:002015-05-15T13:36:15.078-04:00Happy to help! I'm sure there are other sites ...Happy to help! I'm sure there are other sites with similar information out there, but that's the first one I came across that said it clearly enough. :)<br /><br />I actually sat in a session give by Peter Rubie last fall, where he talked about voice. He gave an example story in various levels of closeness, starting with omniscience, moving through layers of closeness until third person very close, and then into first person. He discussed the benefits and limitations. It was a great session. (Despite the technical difficulties. He was well able to give the session without the Powerpoint presentation.)<br /><br />Ice cream again. Third time today. And it's still cold in my house. Nasty ReCaptcha. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6484331521134062912015-05-15T13:35:34.047-04:002015-05-15T13:35:34.047-04:00Julia: I fell in love with the Brahms Requiem as a...Julia: I fell in love with the Brahms Requiem as a child when my father sat my brother and I on the couch to listen to the LP. Gorgeous music.<br /><br />And Beth's comment brought me to a question about deadlines. Probably very cart before the horse, but I'm wondering about tight deadlines from editors. <br /><br />I've heard a few stories of authors having anywhere from three days to two weeks to turn around an entire novel--authors that also have full-time day jobs. And I got a small taste of this when I wrote an article for School Library Journal, and the turnaround was so quick that I ended up pulling an all-nighter. <br /><br />Like most woodland creatures, I'm not afraid of hard work...but I also want to ensure that I'm putting out my best work.<br /><br />So is it typical for agents to stand behind authors when they ask for extensions? Or is this scenario not as sticky as I think it is?Karen McCoyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02640324898284007337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-7593906430871944702015-05-15T13:33:18.567-04:002015-05-15T13:33:18.567-04:00If QOTKU did choose to put a hyperlink for frettin...If QOTKU did choose to put a hyperlink for fretting woodland creatures, Julia's in-the-rabbit-hole sounds on the spot.<br /><br />Just yesterday I spoke with someone about first novel timing.<br /><br />For years I looked for the magic method. The answer I've found is butt in chair, write, revise, research,query when ready. I agree with Janet, it's better to wait until it's worth it. <br /><br /><br /><br />To the OP, Write 1 Sub 1 (W1S1) is an excellent way to think about the next story and shorten time. The premis is one cannot write 52 bad stories. One story each week, one year. Submit, submit, no time to fret. Recieve rejections and maybe be published. But don't listen to me, I'm not published, yet. <br /><br />Twice I tried W1S1. Once in 2011 then in 2014. The first time I was dejected. The second time I quit because I visited 35 apartments, moved three times, had five exhibitions and wrote the first draft of the urban narrative I plan querying soon. The next is roughly outlined.<br /><br /><br />Today I skipped work to see Mad Max. It took a few hours to readjust to the real world when I stepped out of the cinema. <br /><br /><br />angie Brooksby-Arcangiolihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000615140577512304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70767164830289887202015-05-15T13:27:07.036-04:002015-05-15T13:27:07.036-04:00Thanks, BJ, for that link...just what I needed!Thanks, BJ, for that link...just what I needed!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11543685541225544175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-76938248611883012692015-05-15T12:27:37.631-04:002015-05-15T12:27:37.631-04:00Why do the shortest questions have the most space ...Why do the shortest questions have the most space to read between the lines?<br /><br />I thought five years was about average for a writer on the start-up. It is still small stuff. Janet is right. Don't sweat the small stuff.<br /><br />reCAPTCHA said they were burgers but the top one sure looked like a chicken sandwich from here.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.com