The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home.
- John Campbell
No matter what else we do, we must keep working.
We must keep believing in possibilities.
Write. Revise. Write. Revise. However many times you must.
And then... send it out there.
Do NOT leave it on a shelf, too fearful to try. Use our wonderful blogging community for strength and support. Read Elana's ebook, From the Query to the Call; stalk and learn from agent blogs; utilize QueryTracker.net... you can't succeed if you don't brave the process.
At what stage of the process
are you and your story?
are you and your story?
I am currently querying my MS, hopeful and with fingers crossed.
Yay for the query!!! I hope it goes super well Shannon!!! I'm still revising. *mumbling bad things under breath* I can't wait to query. =) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteA day or so away from querying. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your queries! Will keep you on my mind.
ReplyDeleteI am, hopefully, in the last stages of edits before I start querying myself!
Good luck with the querying.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently in this "I think I'm ready" to query stage, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll ask the magic 8 ball. :)
I wish you every success with your writing, I am hoping to get another poetry book published in the new year as it will give me the winter months to prepare.
ReplyDeleteLoved the post.
Yvonne.
I hope you get lots of requests! I've been in the process of final edits since about May...but only because I haven't had the time to put into it. I want this manuscript to be "the one". Now that things are finally settled around here, I should be querying by the end of the month.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I'm into the fray again and keeping my fingers crossed after my most recent revision.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you! :)
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteEvery part of writing is hard. We're brave to write at all. Then editing because we know it's not perfect. And then we swallow our pride to show it to others. We endure feedback to make it better. We repeat this editing process until we think it's done. And then we send it out into the world, wondering if it's good enough. And if nobody takes the manuscript, we have to be strong enough to repeat the process.
I'm querying and writing a rough draft. I'm 8k in.
Good luck with querying! *fingers crossed*!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently in the first round of revisions for my WIP. I'm hoping to get it out to my crit partners (once I get a few more) in early November.
Great post!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI have my hands in a little of everything right now. One MS is out in queryland, though it's been two months or so and I've accepted the fact that it's not going anywhere right now.
Soon I will be starting copy edits on my next release. And I am currently writing the sequel to A Bitch Named Karma.
Currently nowhere near querying, but that's also because I'm so embroiled in other projects that I haven't even looked at my MS since June.
ReplyDeleteBad Matthew, yes I know.
I just finished an 11 month rewrite on a manuscript. Currently, I'm letting it sit for a month. Then, I hope to query. Good luck with your querying!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the "course correction" phase of querying. My query alone has garnered requests, but first pages haven't, so I'm doing some heavy revision on the front end. I hope to be back to querying later this month, or when everyone else is busy NaNo-ing. :-)
ReplyDeleteLaurel and I are twins. I'm doing the same. Rewriting the beginning. Good luck! I'll be joining you shortly :D
ReplyDeleteI'm there with you! I pray you hear great news!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your querying! I'm doing the same--it's so terrifying clicking that send button!
ReplyDeleteGood advice. I'm at the revise, repeat, revise, repeat....
ReplyDeleteI'm in awe that you could write so much wisdom in so few words.
ReplyDeleteGood luck querying!! God, it's SUCH an exciting and nerve-wracking (and lotsa drinking) time all at once, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI just finished a HUGE revision and am jumping back into my fun new WIP :) :)
Good luck on your querying!
ReplyDeleteI'm still at the 'should-I-even-bother-finishing-this' stage. But I'll do it anyway, just to be able to tell hubby it's finished;0)
Good luck Shannon. My fingers are crossed for you. I'm still revising/learning. I hope to have everything figured out by the new year then see if I need another revision. Then possibly go to line edits and then go to query. Yikes that's scary.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it. Thanks for the motivation. I was feeling a little like --should I shelf this? I think you made me answer my question. No.
This is so true! I do think that sometimes a project is so flawed that it can't be fixed. *ducks* Maybe that's just me that does that. I've written enough words to know now which projects those are. I abandon them. I work elements I like, character traits and names into fresh projects.
ReplyDeleteBecause sometimes there is something that is beyond repair. At least for me.
I'm in the beginning stages of my newest project. I feel pretty confident about this one, and hopefully it turns out as well as I've envisioned. XD
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your querying!
4 to 6 weeks from query. Suddenly a firmer deadline than I'd realized because of some unanticipated support from an established author.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for you! Dreadfully, I'm still stuck at my beginning. Though, I have to admit, I haven't been working on it as much as I should. I blame the nice weather!
ReplyDeleteMy fingers are crossed for you! I'm querying and writing a new book. Good times!
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed by me, too. I've got a few of those manuscripts sitting on the shelf but my most promising is out there making the rounds. I guess it would be wise to revise the others and send them out,too.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the submissions.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly the same point I'm at. Submissions out - two "cupcakes" back in but one was cherry flavoured - in that it was a complimentary turn down.
Well I wish you the best of luck in all your writing Shannon!
ReplyDeleteI'm in revisions on two novels, pansting on a few others, and getting read to write a novel for NaNo! Counting down the days until November!
Good luck with your querying! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm doing another revision round - getting rid of a major coincidence that's caused me lots of troubles!
I hope the querying is going well for you- I think that's the hardest part of this game.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I'm revising. AGAIN. It never ends!
I don't see how you can do it, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. It all boils down to the love of it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your query!
ReplyDeleteI'm still in the writing stage. I haven't finished my MS yet, and I don't think I'll be done with it any time soon . . . maybe not even this year. But I'm not going to stop now!
Good luck with the querying!! I'm revising and dreaming/brainstorming the next project!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I can't tell you how much I needed this encouragement. I have two manuscripts on submission, one in the editing process, and a third in the outlining stage. My fingers are crossed for both of us!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have two that met that fate, but I'm reworking one of them into a completely different story (YA paranormal to YA suspense) by stealing a subplot.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to start querying my completed ms tomorrow (if I don't chicken out). :D
Good luck, Shannon!
ReplyDeleteI'm two thirds done with the draft of my latest wip.
I love that quote. I'm currently in the midst of a heavy re-write. I'm happy though!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with submissions!
Good luck to you!! I'm working on draft 2 of the MS ;o) Great motivational post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the motivation!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! I'm working on my second draft of my MS. :) Good luck querying!!
ReplyDeleteGreat motivation post, thanks! And so true about taking a punt and getting your MS out there. I'm in the final revision process with plans to start querying soon. Best of luck with your query :)
ReplyDelete