May 2009I’ve finished my chicklit novel A Proper Charlie. To me it’s perfect and ready to submit, but I’m getting conflicting reviews on YWO.
I’ve found an editor,Johnny Hudspith, who will look at my ms for me. We’ve agreed a price and I’m sending him a couple of chapters a month via email.
June 2009
I’ve four chapters back to work on, and Johnny’s edits are easy to read, and I’m glad to say not that many! He’s picked out silly typos and continuity so far.
August 2009
The first few chapters of Charlie are polished enough and so submitted to Eugenie Furniss from William Morris Agency in London, which represents romance and general fiction. This agency prefers submissions by post. Going by agents’ standard rate of replying I figured Johnny and me will have plenty of time to get the rest into shape if I get a thumbs up.
I never multi submit. I always give a month exclusivity, so shall carry on with my edits while I’m waiting.
September 2009
Sent the first three chapters to Luigi Bonomi agency this month. This is the one. I can feel it!
October 2009
Charlie’s finally all finished and edited. Johnny mainly checked for continuities, spelling and grammar. He genuinely found it funny too, which is what I was aiming at.
I spotted Kate Schafer Testerman, Founder and Agent of kt literary. The submission guidelines said I could enquire by email, which I did. They also specialised in romance and women’s fiction, which A Proper Charlie is.
I wrote my query letter, polished my synopsis and clicked send. Sounds easy doesn’t it? But honestly I sweated blood over the synopsis!
Kt Agency rejected Charlie by return email. Standard rejection, no gloss.
Charlie also came back from William Morris agency today, but even though it was a refusal it was positive – if a decline can be positive!
It was a longish letter letting me know Charlie had been open for debate within the agency – so in that case (to my understanding anyway) it’d NOT been open and read by the junior and turned down by that one person, but passed on as a possibility. A rejection but a nice rejection.
Even though I got two rejections in one month, the latter has left me on a high. Easily pleased?
Sent Charlie to 3 Seas Literary Agency via email.
November 2009
I’m submitting Charlie to Caroline Davidson Literary Agency (CDLA). This has an interesting policy where you send the first 50 pages and the last ten of your ms. They ask for as much detail about the book in the query letter as possible, and want a CV and a synopsis (yeh!!! I LOVE writing synopsis – not!). They also aim to reply within 10 days so that’s good. Fingers and everything possible will be crossed.
S’funny, even though I’ve a box full of rejections (from other novels) I always feel optimistic when I’m pushing the brown envelope into the letterbox.
Had a rejection from LBA (Luigi Bonomi agency) today. A disappointing standard rejection letter. To be honest though, I think I was more disappointed in receiving a poor review from YWO after getting some excellent ones. The reviewer pointed out some errors, which I’ve now put right but then went on to comment negatively about Charlie being a mixed genre. It’s definitely not! Not heard of sub plots? Still the review was constructive and the reviews can’t all be brilliant!
December 2009
Had a rejection from 3 Seas Literary Agency, somehow though (and I know I shouldn’t) I don’t take email submissions as the real deal.
I had a brilliant review on YWO this time. Isn’t it strange how people can read the same story yet have opposing views?
I’ve written to CDLA to follow up on my submission. Just a few lines asking if they’d made up their minds on representing me or not (or had they lost my proposal? Hey, it happens!).
If I haven’t heard from them within two weeks of posting the letter, I’ll start sending out again. Wish me luck!
January 2010
Not heard from CDLA at all. Not sure if that’s good or not, but can’t wait around forever. Sent a submission by email to Makdan Publishing
I received my Writers’ News magazine the other day and on page two I saw Aurora Metro was seeking submissions – very unusual that any agency “seeks”. Had a goosey at their website and it looked very professional and “proper” and so I thought I’d give them a go.
Aurora Metro is an independent publishing company originally set up by a group of women wanting to publish work from their writers’ workshop, and it’s flourished from there. They publish ten titles a year, and seem to be very much a hands-on agency with sounds absolutely ideal for me.
Can’t believe we’re half way through January already. Anyway, not heard a peep out of CDLA. So disappointed as their website boasted they’d reply within 10 days. They haven’t even acknowledged my second letter asking politely if they wanted more time to consider the ms.
This is what riles me. It’s hard enough receiving rejection after rejection, but to have no reply at all?
Now, critical advice from a publisher is rare indeed, and something a true writer should cherish and learn from. I haven’t re-read Charlie since trying to get it published in October, having wanted to concentrate on my next novel, but I will now.
February 2010
I printed off Charlie and reading through it I can see where they thought it “choppy”. I’ve re-edited and hopefully put it right.
Should you laugh along at your own work? Is that ethical? I still think Charlie is as funny as it’s intended, but it’s set in the “real world” unlike other chick-lit where the characters are usually rich and famous. I’m not going to send it out again just yet. I want to read through it and try to look through it as though I’m an agent out to sell it.
I’ve sent a reminder to Aurora Metro, because I haven’t heard from them. A polite email asking if they need more time to consider my proposal.
I think Charlie’s ready to go again. I’ve made a few changes. Tightened the flow, and I could see what Makdan meant when they said, “choppy”.
March 2010
Sent Charlie off to Marjacq Scripts, and was careful to follow their guidelines.
A quick rejection from Marjacq Scripts. Did they even bother to read it I wonder? The cover letter wasn’t removed from the envelope and the rest looked untouched. But at least they replied!
OK, so I packed it off with the synopsis to an assigned reader. Now to sit back and bit my nails… no, I cracked on with my next novel.
May 2010
Charlie came back with a six-paged report. Basically, my chapter endings aren’t strong enough (lots on openings being strong, never endings!), apparently mine doesn’t keep the reader wanting to turn the page. I’ve a strong storyline, it’s funny, characters are strong and likable and my dialogue is excellent so said the reader. Part of the book was a little too slapstick and Charlie needed to be less ditzy. Also, I’d mentioned the Spice Girls (in the opening main character Charlie was going to a fancy dress party and she and her friends were going as the Spice Girls) and was told this dated the story.
But she also said: “I think you are a gifted writer and would like to keep an eye on anything else that you write. However, as I’m not 100% convinced that I would be the best salesman for A PROPER CHARLIE I will have to regrettably pass. But you could submit yourself. I think it’s strong enough to catch an agent’s eye who might fall in love with it. Thank you for waiting for my response and please do keep in touch.”
June, July, August 2010
I’ve pulled Charlie to pieces, and am ready to submit again. I’ve given myself a deadline. If I haven’t found an agent by November 2010 I’m going to POD Charlie with YWO.
I want to get on with my new novel, and I can’t with Charlie still lingering about. Time to draw a line, but not defeat. Charlie doesn’t deserve to be banished to the cupboard-of-rejected-manuscripts. She deserves a cover and an ISBN number.
September 2010
Charlie’s gone to Patrick Walsh, at Conville and Walsh. He agents comedy romance, and so I hope he’ll like Charlie.
October 2010
Happy with my edits, I sent them the PDF.
During all this process, I’ve become a media whore and blogging all and sundry about my new novel. I’m also organising a press launch and book signings.