I DID IT!

I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT! Have I mentioned that "I DID IT"? Wow, what a rush. Yesterday I re-read my query letter (yet again) and made what I think are really good changes. True, I had to dig deep for something to mention in the "me" paragraph, but I managed to toot my own horn a bit. When the letter was to my satisfaction, I pulled my synopsis back up, re-read that and managed to make it tighter and more to the point without losing the "sense" of what my book DEADLY LETTERS is all about. Finally I grabbed my Guide to Literary Agents 2009 and started going back over (for the 4th time) each and every one of the agents listings.

I only got through the "A's". I did say "started". You can't just read the agent's info, quickly scan to see if they are interested in your genre and then rush off that query. Have some respect for their position. You need to really "study" the agent's data. Go to their website where you can get a feel for who this agent is and details on how they want to receive submissions. Make sure that you are sending them exactly what they are asking for. Some agents only want the query, some want you to include your synopsis and some even want anywhere from the first 10 pages through the first 50. Every agent is different in their requirements. A few listed in the guide don't accept unsolicited manuscripts. I just moved on to the next one whenever I saw this notation. I also skipped any who didn't except electronic inquiries (just for now). I'm hoping when I incur mailing expenses it will be because an agent requests a copy of my entire manuscript to read.

I found what I felt were two good matches for what I've written and for what that agency is looking for. I'm still a newbie and this is a "debut" novel, so sometimes that hump can be tough to get over, but I know in my heart that there is an agent out there willing to jump off that cliff into publication with me, holding my hand the whole time and to whoever you are...I am eternally grateful.

The last major step in contacting agents...push the SEND button. Whew...that part was scary. But ya can't win the lottery if ya don't buy a ticket. Today...I start on the "Bs"! See ya on Monday!