Writing • Page 22

As I plot out a new story, I'm realizing it'll be a muuuuch larger project than I initially projected. So I'm giving myself the side-task of also refurbishing an older story I wrote back in high school (that a lot of my friends and family loved) and integrating it with a newer story that just wasn't working on its own. I decided to combine them because it thematically makes sense and I think it would strengthen the original story, but it's tough work... Not to mention revising old shit from back in the day seems like a great idea but then actually doing it is daunting af. But I'm gonna do it. Why the hell not. In the meantime, I'll continue plotting out the new-new one, but this new-old one is gonna keep me busy for awhile. Not necessarily complaining tho.

 

I’m tearing my first novel down to the ground and starting over. It’s...brutal.

 

got 5k words this first week. my goal is 3.5k a week so i’m pretty pleased

 

What brought this about? Editing process?

 

In a way. I tried to get it published back in 2017, but got a resounding wave of rejections. I was gonna self publish it this year, so I sat down to read it before working on that and the next thing I knew I was rewriting the whole thing.

 

how much are query letters? i went back and read your post about submissions. maybe my brain is just crazy but it doesn’t seem like 80 is that many? i guess my personal thought is if i submit to 300 places and get 299 no’s or no responses, but then the 300th says they want to publish my book, that’s the only one that matters.

 

I see. As someone who is looking forward to a wave of rejections as well, what was their reasoning? I have little to no knowledge of the publishing world so I couldn't tell you what they are looking for.

 

Queries should always be free. The general rule of thumb is that with the right research, you shouldn’t need to send to more than 25 agents. There are only about 1600 agents for English speaking authors worldwide, and they all only do certain genres. So, odds are, there aren’t even 300 agents that rep the genre.

Fifty rejections typically means the book will be dead in the water with the remaining 1550.

Agents have alarmist groupthink at times. The system is set up with so many unnecessary gatekeepers, I think.

I got zero reasons for rejection, which is quite common.




I’m actually writing a course on traditional/self-publishing right now for one of my jobs. Getting some major flashbacks of sadness.

 

An example:

My friend self-published the below book after 117 agents rejected it (12 after reading the entire thing—which is a brutal step to reach, I’d think), giving her the feedback that there wasn’t a market.

Two days ago she sold 2,000 copies in one day, beat Stephen King head-to-head in ghost fiction for the #1 spot, and cracked Amazon’s top 200 in sales. She got so fed up with trying to traditionally published she said screw it and now she’s got four out with a fifth coming out next month.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNC5GN6/?tag=absolutepunk-20

 

Triple post, but I’m giving traditional publishing one more chance with this YA fantasy I finished editing recently. After that, I think I’m just gonna go the self-pub route.

 

i'm obviously not an expert in that I'm just looking into this, but a lot about self-publishing scares me

 

I’m very much in the same boat. Thankfully, Melissa (above author) has helped alleviate a lot of the fears by doing so much trial and error leg work.

it’s a ton of work, but if you want the story out there, I think it can be worth it.

 

Self publishing seems to be more and more commonplace, it seems

 

It’s really lost the stigma now that Amazon exists. The Martian was self-pubbed at first.

 

update: I was not accepted @OotyPa

 

Fascinating stuff the last page of posts. I’ve sent about 70 or so queries of my novella to agents and micropresses the last few months and have only heard from roughly 5 of them. I’d really like to traditionally publish but if it doesnt work out in the next year then ill probably shoot for self.

@Garrett sorry to hear you didnt get accepted
Its a tough place to be in, to ask for submissions and only accept a small fraction. We got flooded with submissions in the last week, and ended up getting more than our last issue. Editors had to make some tough calls—I also invited my friend from college to submit and we unfortunately didnt accept him either. Awkward stuff. (Edit:im also just the fiction editor so i didnt vote on your piece)

But thank you for submitting at all. It really does mean a lot and I encourage you to do it again when we open up for the fall issue. I’m sorry again for possibly getting your hopes up!

In case anyone is interested though, our journal has generative writing and feedback-focused workshops (i host some of them) and open mics to develop your craft. They’ve been super helpful in terms of motivation. Check this page out if you’re interested in signing up: https://www.tohopub.com/events

 

Opinion: Authenticity in restaurants – now and post-pandemic - Foodservice Consultants Society International

This was published a few days ago. They asked me to write a monthly bog now. Not sure if I am up to it but I'll give it a try.

For those that are intrigued by the topic, I wrote a lengthy essay on it last year, in which I also address some of the problematic aspects associated with authenticity in food and restaurants:

An Essay on Authenticity in Restaurants — 1520

 

Self publishing has become pretty common in Fantasy, to a point where pretty big series (in the context of fantasy that isn't GoT) are self published

 

How can I save face
Lost in outer space?
Can I feel at home, lost inside my own?
When everything is falling and nothing ever falls into place,
Can you be the one?
My helium

 

Started a multi-session short story class. I was given the assignment to write something new, 6-10 pages by the 27th. Exciting stuff. Haven't been pressured into a deadline like this since college, and it's rekindling something.

 

unrelated, but Toho accepted two of my photographs

 

any idea when the next submission period will be?

 

Congrats @Garrett!!!

@phaynes12 Probably in another month or so. Finishing up the final steps in printing this current issue.

 

I submitted a poem to the New Yorker for shits and giggles and then the pandemic happened so who knows when I’ll hear back.

 

workin on a book of my own poetry. took the advice from someone here and started a wordpress blog. here are a few of my favorite pieces so far:

-Chronus-

-The Last of Us-

-Wild Pegasus-

-Winter Without Snow-