Print, Print, Print

I know that writer's have always said, "Finishing the book is only half the battle," but honestly I never believed them. I mean, toiling over a novel with sweat, tears, and blood flowing freely (okay maybe it's not that bad but it feels like it) is a pretty hard pill to swallow for the better part of a year. Or two in my case. But now, after the birth of my novel I am still habitually attached to my laptop.

Not only am I diligently going through hordes of agent listings trying to find the right one for me, emailing the ones I'd like to work with, writing query letter after query letter to mail, but I am also printing out what feels like billions of copies of my book for people to read. I realize the more eyes that hit my novel, the better, and I have gotten some very good feedback so far, but my printer is practically on fire.

I realized early on that I would need to spend money on printer ink, paper, and mailing expenses to get my novel read and eventually published but I didn't know I would have to decimate so many trees in the process. I do appreciate though, those agents who request material via email. That has made my life sooooo much easier.

Speaking of agents, I just sent out my first group of query letters via snail mail. It was very exciting going through the process of labeling each one. There was also a feeling of accomplishment that went along with it. I'm sure that will pass when I'm sending my 10th stack of queries and coming home to rejection letters stuffed obscenely in my mailbox.

But for now I am content with the idea of beginning the first leg of my journey.

First time's a charm

Okay so everything I'm reading nowadays says authors need to put themselves out there. Have blogs. Have websites. Have Myspace pages. Whatever happened to just good old fashioned writing? I long for the days when writers were reclusive narcissus' who only crawled out of their holes long enough to buy more whiskey. And publishers were okay with that. But alas, times have changed.

Although I've been a writer since I could, well, write I've never really been one to jot down my thoughts in a diary or keep a journal handy. The only "journal" of sorts that I keep is to write down story ideas when they come to me in the middle of the night or at odd times, like driving on the freeway.

But since the completion of my first real novel The Agency (there have been others but nothing good enough to mention) I've decided that starting some sort of chronicle of my trudge through the murky waters of finding an agent and then *crossing fingers, throwing salt over shoulder* a publisher might make an interesting piece of real life drama. It will hopefully at least numb the pain of rejection. Like everyone I ever talk to tells me, "Did you know John Grisham got rejected (insert ridiculous number here) times?" I do realize it was a lot, 30 something I think, but is that really supposed to make me feel uplifted?

Anyway, I haven't quite gotten to the point where I'm tacking up rejection letters on my bulletin board to help drive me to make it big. I love how rejection fuels ones desire to persevere. But I have finally finished my query letter after numerous edits, splices, and internet research. I think I've widdled it down to be just short and sweet enough to wet the right agents appetite. Now to find the right agent. I guess that my friend's is what they call the rub.