The search for Agents

Saturday 27th August

Hi Lovlies, thought i’d give a little update with the agent situation..Emailed 31 Agents before midday including ones that represent some of my favourite authors, 6 received replies, and 3 rejections in 2 weeks. Not bad going if i do say so myself :

Agents i’ve sent to that represent fantasy

 

• The Bent Agency
• Curtis Brown LTD
• The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency
• Donal Maass Literary Agency
• D4EO Literary Agency
• Liza Dawson Associate
• Nelson Literary Agency
• Greenburger Associates
• Wolf Literary Services
• Writers House
• Corvisiero Literary Agency
• New Leaf Literar
• The Gernert Company
• Victoria Sanders and Associates
• Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency
• John Hawkins and Associates
• Kimberley Cameron and Associates
• Richard Henshaw Group LLC
• Frances Collin Literary Agent
• L.Perkins Agency
• McGinniss Associates Literary Agency
• Darhansoff and Verrill
• Dunlow, Carlson and LernerFox Literary
• Laura Dail Literary Agency
• Emerald City Literay
• DKW Literary Agency
• Conville and Walsh
• Darley Anderson
• Janklow and Nesbit

I’m going to keep pushing on with sending out to more agents and i’ll update again soon with for information. There isn’t really much else going on right now except that i’ve got a few days off of work for bank holiday so i can get my head down and get things done late into the night (one of my favourite things).

Love and Light to you all x

Currently Reading

• Evanscent, Gabriella Lepore

This was a really great, quick, short fantasy read for people that like story and character building, even if it did break my heart a little at the end. Really fast paced and extremely enjoyable, a definite one sitting read. 
5/5 stars 

Book Reviews

I’ve made a small little decision for this blog site as of right now because i’m wanting to keep it as active as possible, so, a long with my diary entries and keeping people informed with my writing journey, i’ve decided i’m also going to be entering in some book reviews as and when i read said books. That way you’ll be able to see what i’ve been reading and what it’s been doing to help me work out my own writing.

Both the writing journey and the book reviews are going to be moved into their own categories on here so you’ll be able to find whichever your preference is with ease.

Categories

• Writing – All about writing
• Books – Book Reviews

 

This is only because my writing world is going to be going a little quiet right now because the manuscript has been sent off to possible agents and i’m going to be waiting replies, but that doesn’t mean that i’m not going to be keeping everyone informed with what’s going on.
I’m going to be including on this blog the list of agents i’ve sent to that works with fantasy books for anyones future reference, and there is also going to be the feedback i get from them, but who knows, maybe i’ll even include a little sneaky peak from the manuscript itself.
While i’m waiting i’m also going to be continuing work on the second manuscript so updates from that is also going to be included plus any helpful information and tips for the writing world that i may be able to think of to help our future writers.

LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN!

Finally…the queries!

Sunday 21st August 2016

So it’s official, last night i started to email out Agent queries and i couldn’t be more nervous if i tried! I’m finally sending out my baby into the big wide world, i hope it doesn’t hurt him too bad…

I’ve just been working on the ones that ask for your query to be posted in the body of the email instead of attachments, only because of my lack of editing on my two page synopsis…which might i add i’m working on after i’ve finished this blog post.

I’m not sure what else i could be writing about here right now, except for the fact that i’m extremely nervous, but excited about where this is going to take me, if that’s even anywhere.

I just want people to know that following your dreams really is worth it, no matter how hard it is or if you think you’re going to fail, if it makes you happy then just do it. Do it for yourself at least and for what makes you happy, because i’m going to be trying my hardest to get this trilogy published, but if it doesn’t happen that doesn’t mean that i’m going to stop writing, it just means i’m going to try harder then i’ve ever tried before.

Love and light everyone and don’t let the world get you down or break your dreams!

 

Writing music:

• Calum Scott – Dancing on my own

 

Current reads:

• And I Darken (The Conquerors saga #1) – Kiersten White
• New world: Rising (New world #1) – Jennifer Wilson
• The Shadow Hour (The Girl at Midnight #2) – Melissa Grey

Re-working the first chapter

Monday 15th August

The first chapter has finally been re-written and i’m a lot happier with this draft then i was with the first one. At least now i can get people sucked straight into the world instead of hovering in a somewhat contemporary world for more pages then was necessary.
This was the last piece of editing that needed to be done, so once i’ve gotten my proof readers to gouge their brains into this then hopefully it’s going to be time to rocket up and really get things on the roll.

I’ve got my query letter and book summary draft to near enough perfection for myself and i don’t think i could really be more happier with them. Even i took the advice of drafting them both and then leaving them for a month or so before reading them again, hoping that this was going to get my brain to function in a much more formal matter then creative, hopefully it did the trick.

So, i’m on the final long stretch before the manuscript is send out to my long list of literary agents that i’ve spent a long time compiling.
Exciting times are a head and i can’t wait to get some possible feedback on my writing in the near future.
Wish me luck!

Breaking for a month

Monday 1st August 2016

Well i think the title says it all…it’s been a good fair while since there’s been a post on here and that’s because of two things:

1. I was waiting for the proof readers to get back to me who took their time understandable but the feedback i got from them was insane and i’m extremely grateful.
2. Because of the long wait between finishing writing and waiting for the readers i lost my motivation to write. Yes i’d been mulling over the book and ideas 24/7 every single day but i couldn’t get productive enough to sit down and start working, no matter how hard i tried to persuade myself. Which also lead to a hell of a lot of reading happening which, in turn i think had done me a lot of justice.

So the final plan that i’m working on now i’ve finished the small edits that needed work on is to re-write the first chapter which i’m now a few pages into. This was the one with the least amount of work done to it and the weakest chapter so it makes the most amount of sense to me. I wasn’t 100% happy with the way it turned out from the beginning, but it just hard to work your head around and comprehend restarting something from scratch that’s already complete in words in front of  you. What i’ve got now though will most definitly grab the readers by the collar!

How do i feel?
I felt a little stuck for a while in that small break that i had. Writing had always been a complete part of my day and by not doing anything i got back into my bad habits of just procrastinating my stories, because yes i will admit that i could’ve been working on and planning the sequel to this within the whole time i was waiting and that’s something that i’ve come to regret not doing now, but hey ho.

So…i guess right now i’m just going to go from here, where i’m sat with my laptop in front of me and my word document open. Even if i don’t get as much done as i usually would, something is better then nothing…unless there is an extremely high possibilty that i could get distracted by Harry Potter and the Cursed child for a couple of days 😉 but who could blame me?

Anyway sweet ones, i’ll pop back again soon so keep on writing!

Sitting at a stand still

Tuesday 28th June

Well, what can i say? There isn’t really a huge amount for me to be updating on right now. I’m just plodding along doing bits and pieces, editing, synopsis, query letter etc as i wait for the proof readers to get back to me.
A friend of mine who’s been giving it a read should be done with it either today or tomorrow and that’s the review i’m most looking forward to. If she enjoys the book then i know i’ve succeeded and given the characters the justice they deserve.

One of the last things i’m working on within the manuscript is creating a stronger first chapter, which is proving to be difficult. Making such a dull human world seem exciting to readers as they try to divulge themselves into this is proving a task, and i’m hoping that even if i can’t create it as entrancing as i’d like it to become, that people will still push past the first chapter and onto the rest of the adventure.

But we’ll find out soon enough i guess, like i said it’s just a waiting game until i get the manuscript reviews back.

My current reading list at the moment are:On a different note, the two books that are on 

1. Queen of shadows by Sarah J.Maas
2. Shatter me by Tahereh Maf

Both of which i’m highly enjoying but it does feel like it’s taking me ages to get through a book now, after having all that free time before writing where i could spend days doing nothing else but that. I’ll get there though, it’s just unfortunate that the book buying hasn’t slowed down along with it!

The first rejection letter

Friday 24th June 2016

As i posted previously i’d sent the relevent paperwork and the first few pages to a junior agent, not expecting anything i just wanted to gather some feedback, (not that i really know what you can get from the book when you only request 5 pages of the manuscript to read through along with the query letter). 
Anyway, i got a rejection letter from said agent which is fine, i was totally expecting that and i was actually pretty excited to have actually had something. The point is she didn’t say that my book sucked like donkeys ass…just that it didn’t fit her personal reading taste, which i guess is somewhat brilliant!

On a different note my mother finished reading the full manuscript and doing a little editing here and there within three days. She isn’t a reader herself and this was the first ever fantasy book she’s read which, makes her dedication insane! Anyway, she said she loves it, the characters, details, description, world building, which fills me with a little more hope.

I’m looking hideously forward to finding out the details from my other two proof readers before i go any further with this, and whilst i wait i shall edit continuously until we get perfection…oh and i can’t forget to mention the huge amount of planning that is going to be going into the second book. That book is going to be rather hugely and crazily action packed! Woohoo!

Love and light people!

First 1000 words!

Tuesday 21st June 2016

AND WE HAVE TAKE OFF AGAIN!

While i’ve been waiting for imput from agents and more than likely possible rejection letters, i’m starting work on the second installment of the trilogy. Right now as we speak i’ve just finished the first 1000 words, and while this isn’t much compared to the size my books turn out, it’s a starting point; and i’ve forever feeling excited to see where this series is going to take me once again.

Lets hope that i have the same quick positive output with the second one as i did the first.

 

 

Queries and Agents

Tuesday 21st June 2016

I took myself out on a bit of a limb yesterday. I’ve been constructing my query letter for a while to get it just right before i start work on the cover/synopsis letter. So, when i finished it yesterday on my work break, i thought hell, why not just send this off. 
I’d find this Junior Agent a little while ago that seemed hugely optimistic about anything fantasy and she only requested the query letter and a few pages of the manuscript, of course i had both of these, so off they went…

Now my nerves are on edge even more, and i know it’s highly unlikely that i’m going to get a response because of my lack of preparation, but I’m still excited to see if anything happens. The first time sending any of my work to agents, it feels all too real!

Doubting

Sunday 19th June 2016

So, as I’m sitting here with a day of being alone where i’m meant to be working on covering and query letter, I’m just full of doubt.
I’ve sent the full manuscripts to a few people who are going to be my proof readers and now I’m hideously nervous that my book is going to be a load of crud!
I’m now sat here thinking have i just totally humiliated myself in front of a bunch of people, because even though it sounds great to me with all my self doubt, it could actually be a bunch of donkeys ass.

I guess I’m just going to hang around for a bit longer and actually see what the reviews come back like and go from there. Maybe i’ll just start writing the second one and keep positive  like i should be.

I’ll be back to update when i know.