Here's Your Sign

Karen Scott's blog is well-known for pot-stirring. And yes, I read it weekly. Usually when I'm bored or during my lunch hour. She's good for gossip and trainwreck-i-ness in the publishing world. *shrugs* I also read TMZ -- daily -- for trainwreck-i-ness in Hollywoodland and abroad.

Anyway, an author's romantic suspense novel was rejected by Samhain Publishing. What does the author do? BLOGS about it! AND mentions the editor by name!! (BTW, Karen is questioning the use of a villan's POV in a novel, not whether the author made a error in judgment with her blog.)

If the internet has taught us nothing, one should always remember Google is King. Here's a tip (or two): If you send a submission my way, I'm going to Google you. If you have a blog, I'm going to read it. (I hope I'm not the only person who does that.)

I'm also finishing a novella which -- guess what -- starts with the villan's POV. But I LOVE this villan. So, I'm going to include his POV at least 3 times over the course of the novella. If my first-choice publisher rejects it, I'll be sad, yes. Then I'll send him somewhere else ... once I stop pouting.

Rejections suck. I receive 'em; I write 'em. Both sides of the coin are difficult to deal with. Seriously. Does that get easier? I don't know.

Everyone has an opinion. What works for one editor or agent may not work for another. Same goes for readers. Same goes for authors. Frustration, waiting, cruddy cover art, deadlines, and even drama are all part of the business. I think business may be what's forgotten in the equation. It's not personal; it's business. Of course, it is difficult to remember that mantra when something isn't going your way.

Getting Slammed

And I don't mean slam dancing, for those of us young enough to remember that mosh pit craze. My high school best friend and I participated on several occasions; I can't remember which one of us would be the first to get knocked out. Since I can't remember, I'm going to assume it was always me.

No, I'm talking about slammed with work. This week has been c-r-a-z-y, especially at my real life day job. Which means I'm brain dead when I get home. Which means I don't feel like doing any of the other jobs that must be done. And I'm woefully behind. I'll catch up, of course (this weekend, I'd imagine), but my To Do list makes me want to have a drink -- or several.

Attn. Ya Writers

From Nephele Tempest again.

Attention all YA writers:

In honor of the time of year, I'm am issuing a special, short-term invitation for YA authors to query me directly through this journal, on this thread. That means, you get to post a query to this thread for whatever YA project you want represented. You get to bypass the traditional Knight Agency submissions process and I will read and respond to all queries posted. Comments are being screened, so no one else will be reading your material, and I will respond to you by e-mail whether or not I wish to see more.

So, what am I looking for? All types of YA fiction, though I'm particularly in the market for some great urban fantasy. Please only query for projects that are completed. Also, please do not query on anything I've seen previously. New material only. In addition, if you wish to have your material reviewed by another member of the Knight Agency team (Deidre, Pamela, or Elaine), you should submit a standard query through normal channels, as I'm not going to be passing any of these queries along to my coworkers.

Please include the following:
~One paragraph summary of your project.
~One paragraph on you, your writing background, etc.
~Your name, title of work, and an e-mail address at which you can be reached.

If you have a web site, you can include the link, but I don't promise to visit. Please keep your queries to the list of items mentioned, and your paragraphs a reasonable length. (I won't keep reading endlessly, just because you forget the location of your return key.)

I haven't quite decided what or when my cut-off for this will be. In part it will depend on how many responses I get. It's safe to assume I'll leave this offer open for a week, which would mean you have until approximately 5 pm PT on Friday, Sept. 14th to post your query. However, I reserve the right to cut you all off if things get out of control before then. Regardless, I will edit the entry to keep you updated regarding the deadline.

So, go polish your query letters, and good luck!

Weasel Words

I snagged this little gem from Nephele Tempest. Like she says, it applies to every writer.

Go forth and learn!!!