...

17 and counting.

Patience, oh how I loathe thee

15 rejections to date.Ouch. Might as well stab me and rub lemon juice in the wound! I'd be lying if I said that my heart doesn't sink just a tad bit, every time I see an envelope in the mail box addressed to ME in MY handwriting. Those depressing self addressed stamped envelopes always mark the assurance of yet another literary rejection.

Oh yeah, and I got THREE today... just in case anyone was wondering.

But then again, I suppose I can't complain... I'm really just impatient.Oh patience... how I loathe thee. Thou art the worst of all the virtues, highly despised above all others. But, oh patience, the lack of thee acts as a vice upon my heart, ensnaring my senses and skewing my reality! How I hate thee, patience! How I loathe thy very existence!

There isn't really anything I should be worried about....yet. I suppose in the real world--like anything else worthwhile--publishing is a PROCESS. It takes time. Writing and publishing a good novel doesn't happen overnight. Alas, Stephenie Meyer really was a novelty after all. In the real world, hot, sexy vampire novels don't just magically appear in print after a week (okay, so it was three months), or sell like hot-cakes in the aftermath. Still, regardless of the incredibly short time it took her too get published, and however ABNORMAL that time period was, it sure as heck doesn't keep me from feeling incredibly JEALOUS that my book hasn't sold as fast (oh wait... it hasn't sold at all!!) Shoot, there go all my hopes and dreams making millions on opening weekend.

Life's a drag.

Then again, maybe if I added a unearthly, god-like man with smoldering golden eyes and a hard, marble-like chest into my book, it would sell in three months too.... note to self: add Edward's twin to my political thriller. After all, who says hot guys aren't in politics?!

So while I'm busy re-writing my novel to include a man with non-existent beauty, charm and sparkly skin, I find myself at a cross roads. A point at which my dreams are being challenged. Unlike our beloved and well-known divine vampire writer, the windows of heaven have yet to open up to accept my book as a renowned piece of literary prowess that will live in the pages of history forever. Instead, as I sit here struggling to move forward with continuous optimism, I must ask myself if I will continue to move on this path. After all, the choices are simple. Will I take the easy, well-traveled road, forget about my lofty dreams and come slamming back down to earth with cool indifference? Or will I make the most out of the hard, road less traveled, and fight like the devil with a vengeance to keep my head in the clouds with my dreams?

Fear not, fluffy cherubic-like clouds, vast amounts of open blue sky and brilliant bright sunlight... my place is still with you.

The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Retrieved from a fortune cookie during a delicious meal of greasy Chinese food, a little slip of paper told me this:

Start believing in your dreams, others will catch the fever.

Well I'm believing.... anyone else catching on?!

Happiness

The day before yesterday I got a fabulous text from my little brother, who proclaimed his anger at me for "leaving him hanging" at the end of my book. And--after having stayed up staying up late into the night reading--how upset he was that he'd have to wait a whole year or so for the sequal to come out.



[insert jumping for joy here...]



I'm sorry, I know he's my brother, so his compliments have to be taken with a grain of salt, but I just feel like beaming every time someone finishes my book and loves it! I know I have work to do, and that the manuscript is a work in progress (and probably always will be up til the moment it is sent to the printers) but its so rewarding hearing positive feedback. It's definitely a much-needed moral booster!

On another note... I sent about 10 query packets out yesterday at the post office. I like sending snail mail queries, because although they take longer and cost more in postage and printing, I'm more likely to get an actual response (be it positive or negative) than I am if I send an email query. You'd think it'd be easy for agents to hit the "reply" button and send back a quick rejection email, but I suppose things aren't always what they seem. Through this process, I've discovered that email querries are very "iffy" on the responses. In contrast, if you include a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with a snail mail query, you're at least guaranteed a standard form rejection letter in return, which I believe, is MUCH better than scanning your email everyday, wondering if you're being rejected or ignored by agents!

Recession Blues

I just heard from my Entertainment Law professor/bonifide-in-house-novelist, Richard Dooling that the publishing and entertainment world is TIGHT right now. Apparently the recession is effecting even the celebrities ( : Boooo. While this bit of news makes me feel better that I haven't recieved any nibbles on my book yet, it doesn't help at all with my impatience!

Economy... start looking up, please?

Nothing new to report...

So I realize that having a vacation and time away from school should mean that I have MORE time to blog and do the other useless, non-responsible things in life... but alas--as I'm sure is the case with many people--time away from "life" basically equates to "time away from everything" for me. I have this outstanding inability to want to do anything--even get out of bed before noon--when I have big month long Christmas break out of school. Its pathetic, really, I'm well aware. I suppose I'm just the kind of perosn that can focus on many things at one time, but can't handle having NOTHING to do! Alas, its a curse! Hence, the blogging silence for a month. I'm sorry, dear fans (if, indeed you're even out there at all) I was enjoying a much-deserved month long break from law school!

However, the good news (if you can call it good news) is that there is nothing new to report! Oh sure, I recieved a few more rejections... brining the running rejection total up to mere hinky dinky 7... but other than that, all is silent on the home front.

I do have to say that I get rather sick of all this waiting (oh, didn't anyone ever tell you?? I'm not a very patient person!) It's just horrible not knowing whether they aren't responding because they haven't actually read my material yet, or they just rejected my stuff without bothering to tell me. It's quite frustrating at times. I wish they would just reject me and be done with it so I can move on to bigger fish! But no such luck in this industry, I tell you!

So as time continues to tick away in this wonderful waiting game, I just wanted to wish you all a belated happy new year and to tell you good luck with all your well-intended new years resolutions! Mine will be to blog on this site more often... we'll see how long THAT one lasts...

"Craptastic" Covers

For me, it's impossible not to enjoy the little things about writting a book. Like stylization, formating, chapter headings, etc., etc. Messing aroung with small details like that--while complete insignificant and unimportant to the entire novel writting scheme--make the whole process seem more "real" and MUCH more fun. Hence, I've tried creating a few covers. They're mostly experimental, and lets be honest, "craptastic," but you know what? I have fun doing it! And plus, it's not right handing out naked copies of a manuscript... no, no. A book needs a cover, and that's just all there is to it!

This is the cover that I made this summer:

As you can see, it's quite primitive, and doesn't really tell you much about the story. But with my very limited knowledge in photoshop, it was the best I could do.

This is one I came up with the other day.

I haven't given out any manuscripts with this cover. And I actually don't think I will, because I'm not so sure I like it. Mostly I was just messing around with layering photos together (my photoshop knowlege is growing!) and came up with this. I kind of like where the concept is going... but it's going to need a few more tweaks before I feel like its read to represent a rough draft of my book.

Stay tuned! More photoshop cataclysms to come!

On the bright side....

So I feel as though my last post might have been a bit too negative. Although I did get rejected by my number one agent and have since cried myself to sleep over it for the past few days (sniffle, sniffle), one good thing DID happen over Thanksgiving break that was both good and book-related. My little sister read my book from cover to cover in all of about 24 hours! Little sissy is a reader... she's quite skilled in the art of seeking out and devouring good books. She's also a very quick reader--when the book is good, that is--so the fact that she read my book from cover to cover in 24 hours is a VERY good thing! It means she liked it! After finishing it, she came into the kitchen (where I was making a great big chocolate cake--yum!) with this dreamy look on her face. She gave a great big sigh and said "oh, that book was goooooood." Now, you must understand, I've seen this look before. Usually she gets this way after reading a good book that I've recoomended to her. So I thought she was talking about a recent book that I had told her to read. I was surprised and delighted when she told me that she wasn't talking about any of my recent book reccomendations, but rather, she was talking about MY book! Among other things, she said she loved the ending and couldn't wait for me to write the next one. Um, Sissy Poo, YOU MADE MY DAY!!

Now, I know what you're all saying, that it doesn't really count cause she's my sister and of course, she is obligated to both read the book AND tell me she likes it. Fear not! I've already considered that! I am well aware that Little Sissy's assesment of the book is in no way an indication of how everyone else in the world will feel about it... in fact, according to the agetns I've receieved feedback from so far, NO ONE will like it! The bottom line is, I do have my head on straight about this small, miniscule victory.

But alas, it IS a victory nontheless, and I shall enjoy it thoroughly!!

Bummer

I returned home from Thanksgiving break to a bummer of a rejection. One particular agent that I had my eye on as the "golden choice" for an agent, shut me down over the break. To be fair, this particular agent is EXTREMELY busy, I imagine, due to a recent brilliant business decision on her part which propelled her career--I'm sure--to the highest level possible. (Trust me, you'd all know who it was if I told you who this agent represents.) So I don't really think she's blowing me off when she says that she's really just too busy. I believe it! It wouldn't surprise me at all if this particular agent isn't even taking on new talent for the time being.

Anyway, so while I didn't actually expect to land this agent (it has always been sort of a far fetched fantasy) it was still sort of a bummer to have the reality of a rejection come to pass. (sigh) Time to start sending off more letters!

Que Jeopardy Music

Just playing the waiting game now. Wish I had updates, but really there is nothing to tell. I've queried a bunch of agents and just awaiting the many rejections yet to come! I'll be sending many more queries out in the next few weeks. With any luck at all, I'll hook one of 'em.

On another, much more depressing line of thought... I was watching Stephenie Meyer's interview with Oprah the other day. And while watching that interview, I heard dear old Steph admit that she only sent out 10 queries... Guess how many times she was rejected??

Only 5 times.

How depressig is that?! 5 rejections, 4 no responses and 1 golden "I want to read more." Now how are poor wanna-be authors like me in the world supposed to grasp at hope of publication when there are authors like Stephenie Meyer that get picked up after only 10 tries?!

Sheesh.