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In the Trenches: My Old Frenemy Depression
I’m at a cross roads and frankly rather depressed. The world seems stacked against me. You know the feeling, nothing is going right, everything seems to be harder than it should be. The type of days where the septic backs up, the dog is sick over the floor, your credit card is declined, and shoelaces…
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Out of Left Field: It Really Isn’t a Surprise
I told myself, “Self, no political essays. Not one until you have your novel off to the editor.” “No, put the pencil down.” “I mean it.” And various other bribes and threats. All in vain in the wake of this headline https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russian-general-admits-ukraine-just-a-stepping-stone-to-invade-europe/ From the article: “I think there’s still plenty of time to spend. It…
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In the Trenches: Late Response v No Response
When do you call a late response a no response? This brief note is a bit of a follow up to the last post. I got curious and so went and looked at the stats I am generating off my database for queries. The longest query still open is *drumroll* 331 days old. So that…
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In the Trenches: OMG- 240 days
It’s an all around win, where everyone loses.
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In the Trenches: Harshing on Hope, the Hamster Wheel
Well, I can at least report some progress. Areas of the website are being updated to make sure that all images and photography are correctly attributed. yesterday was spent surveying possible agents. I think after four weeks of working on it, I may have a better query letter ready to go out. There is no…
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She Who Became the Sun: An Unsurpassed Dazzling Creation
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan Shelly Parker-Chan’s novel of yearning and becoming carried me along effortlessly. The prose transports the reader from one idea and image to the next with a simple clarity of purpose. If the reader is looking for soaring prose that plays with images, meaning and meter, they might…
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In the Trenches: How to Avoid Troll Bullies and Scams
You might notice my website has a new look. I could claim I was going for a new zen-like vibe, but that’s not it.
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In the Trenches: The Great Agent Shuffle
One thing I am learning while I am spending my time here in the querying trenches is that the publishing industry and the agents are constantly in flux.
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In the Trenches: Latest Editing Update
I’m working my way through Chapter 12. That’s the good news. I have 18 chapters to work my way through. That’s the disheartening bit. I might have to go back over Chapters 1-11. That’s the crushing reality. But, the really crushing thing, other than being so poor I can’t afford my own Ramen without selling…
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In the Trenches: In Querying No Death, No Surrender
In brief, it’s late June and the world is grinding to the summer halt. Except, of course, if you are querying a novel. There is no Armistice Day in these trenches. I’m guessing I am about mid-point through my entire list of ‘potential’ matches. There, of course, have been additions and deletions along the way.…