Carolyn's Blog

Friday, August 11, 2006

The Great Search Report #1

Since this blog is about what it's like to be a writer, I suppose it's only fitting that I should report now and again on my search for new representation. Yesterday I sent 4 email queries to agents. Today I got two responses with requests to send my proposals to them. So, that's cheering. I'm not so sure what to do about agents who don't accept email queries. Emailing makes it easy to introduce myself and ask what they'd like to see from me. Snail mail strikes me as altogether different. If I send a letter without pages and synopsis, 1) it wastes time getting them what they need in order to decide and 2) I'm likely to be rejected by the assistant right off the bat (that's what happened last time I had to do this). But imagine you're an agent and some dufus writer queries with 4 proposals attached (more than a hundred pages). Not good. But I'm writing in more than one genre, and the stories are different. Argh!.

Do I just send one and ask if they want the rest? Should I call? I hate phone calls. You can't backspace over a verbal typo. I know me. I'll sit there staring at the phone: You should call now. But what will I say? They'll hang up on me or tell me to get lost or I'll just get voice mail and leaving a voice mail is stupid. I'll sound like a dork. I'll wait an hour and call then. Maybe. Maybe I'll just send the first 5 pages of the proposals. That's only twenty pages. Doh. I'm such an idiot.

I haven't done any writing yet because I've been writing cover letters and printing pages. And obsessing. There is much soccer to attend this weekend and I haven't got chapter 3 of Possession adjusted yet, and I have to do that before Monday so I can send those pages.

Good news for anyone who read this far: Liz Maverick posted to her blog! Hurray! Green and black stockings. Check it out.

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