Just wanted to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about my experience so far on trying to get published. I've been a newsstand journalist for years, but I've written a novel and currently trying to get an agent. I did have one agent (Carole Blake)looking at the whole book, but she took a year to finally reject me! She did say, however, that she 'agonised' about it and really liked the book, but just not enough. Ho hum. Anyway, I edited it a bit more and then sent it off again. To cut a long story short, another agent is now having a look at the complete manuscript. It's a painful process, isn't it? I'm trying to put it out of my mind, knowing how long it can take, but it's hard!
thanks for listening!
Caroline

Hi Caroline, welcome to WW.

I just had to write .…A YEAR??? That’s crazy and ridiculous.

Okay rant over.

Good luck with the new agent. Crossing my fingers for you.

Dawn,

Welcome, Caroline.

I agree with Dawn. Well done for getting someone of Carole Blake’s reputation to read your work but a year is outrageous. It’s totally unacceptable to keep a writer’s career in limbo for so long.

Good luck with the other agent. Let’s hope they don’t take so long.

It would be nice to see some of your work if you stay with us.

Dee.

Thank you! I do feel in limbo again, although I'm trying to take my mind off it by writing my second one. At least this time, I've been given a fairly definite time frame, which means I should hear any day. Yikes!
C

Thanks Dee.
I'm a bit scared to do that as yet, so I might hang around the site a bit to get used to it first,
cheers
C

Welcome Caroline, and there's no need to be scared - it may not seem like it but it's a tremendous achievement to get one agent to read the whole 'script, let alone two. It sounds as though you stand a good chance of success with the feedback you've received already - good luck! And if the first agent is anything to go by for response time, and as long as the second hasn't asked for an exclusive reading, I'd say that you'd be justified in submitting simultaneously to others.

Nell.

Welcome Caroline,

Sorry to ehar about your experience. It always strikes me as a little unfair that an agent can say they agonise over your work, and yet not be willing to see a revised version, or even let you know what was wrong with it.

Anyway, you're in the right place. Uploading my work here has helped me improve my style loads. I only make my words available to memebers, and remember, anything you post here is completely copyrighted anyway - down to the date!

JB

Hi from the poetry side of things Caroline! Do you indulge?
We'd love to see your work if so...even if not so. Don't be afraid to upload something, it's a smashing place to be.

I know little about the conventions of agents/publishers but if I had to wait a year I think I'd die of frustration.
Catch you later I hope
tc

Hello
Thanks for all those responses. It's really wonderful to have a forum to discuss this kind of stuff. I'll have to work on my extreme paranoia before I download anything though! I find myself analysing praise to death (you know, just in case there's a criticism hiding in there!) and being floored by genuine criticism when it comes to my writing. Daft considering I've made a living from writing for 14 years, but journalism isn't important to me in the same way. I'm being painfully honest here - I know it's pathetic and that the ultimate goal is to have millions reading my work, with all the bad stuff that might come with it. But I am working on this. Hope no-one minds if I just kind of chat for a bit and get used to the site to start with.
thanks again for all those nice reponses
C
PS...bit of a heathen when it comes to poetry I'm afraid

Caroline, I know how you feel. Before I joined this site my only experience of praise or criticism came from a couple of local writing groups where we were so desperately polite we almost imploded.

One of the benefits – one of the joys - of WW is that you will realise there is an unwritten code of practice. We not only share our knowledge of writing, we also learn to give constructive and helpful criticism.

We are all writers. We know what it takes to upload a piece of work. (to be honest, it becomes addictive)

You will find, on the whole, that praise is genuine and criticism is considered and constructive. Usually all in the same piece of work…

Dee.

Caroline, I know how you feel. Before I joined this site my only experience of praise or criticism came from a couple of local writing groups where we were so desperately polite we almost imploded.

One of the benefits – one of the joys - of WW is that you will realise there is an unwritten code of practice. We not only share our knowledge of writing, we also learn to give constructive and helpful criticism.

We are all writers. We know what it takes to upload a piece of work. (to be honest, it becomes addictive)

You will find, on the whole, that praise is genuine and criticism is considered and constructive. Usually all in the same piece of work…

Dee.

I might get my courage up to post something soon then - I've started a new novel and finding it harder than I expected to get going!
C

Caroline,
It struck me you might enjoy the Random Line Generator, (RLG) which we do on WW at the begining of each month.
A designated member gives the rest of us a line which then we have to use as the opening line of a piece of writing. The lines vary wildly, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, stark, evocative, parrotts...you name it we've had it.
The writing can be anything that you're moved to do having read the line, long, short, prose, poem..anything, as long as it starts with the RLG line. It usually throws up some excellent pieces, and gives people a break from their own projects, specially if they're struggling a bit.
Oh, and it's great fun!

Why not keep a look out for the thread at the beginning of August, if you're about? Its usually posted in the Writing Exercises Forum, though you also should find it on the main Forum Board, because lots of folk will be joining in. No pressure, no time limit, and a good way to meet other WWers.

tc

Great - thanks, I'll give it a whirl!
C