I feel like I myself have just won a great independence by finishing that third draft of Flynn. I am now free to take a short break, step away from the work, and do other things for a couple of weeks. This will renew my mind and allow me to be more objective when I come back to the novel again.
It also signals the start of my querying agents, which I find both daunting and exciting. I will have to keep this blog updated on the experiences I have while querying. Also, I need to start a filing system to keep track of who I’ve queried, what response I got, what their guidelines for submissions are, and what exactly I have sent them.
Questions abound regarding what sort of submissions agents want for fiction books. Some sources tell you agents only want a query, then a synopsis and sample chapters. Some sources tell you to write up entire novel proposals, although proposals seem to be considered more useful for nonfiction books than fiction. I rented a book about novel proposals from the library, only to find that what they consider a novel proposal is just a collection of things such as the synopsis and sample chapters, etc. Very different from what agents and editors require for nonfiction. I suppose each individual agent may have different specifications for what they want, too.
Later today I will e-mail Flynn to those individuals who have volunteered to read it for me. I’m so excited. And to top it all off, I have two flavors of pie and a pan of brownies to look forward to at tonight’s Fourth of July Festivities. Happy Fourth,
RHDavis
And I have something red and white to add to that dessert list…
I’m very excited to read Flynn!!! I already started it 🙂