Hi Karris
Regarding question 2 - I read a quote somewhere else on this site by agent Theresa Chris. I can't recall her exact words but she basically advises very strongly AGAINST contacting an agent before the MS is complete. She compares this to an artist who has a half-finished painting and is trying to convince a buyer that the finished painting will be really good...!

Sheila xx

The dangers of having a novel accepted before it's finished are perhaps exemplified by the winner, a couple or so years ago, of the Richard & Judy novel writing competition. The winner had only written about a third of her novel and had taken 18 years to do so; she had to write the rest of it within a very tight deadline. The result was a highly uneven novel that received dreadful reviews - and as far as I'm aware the author has had no other novels published. Within the publishing world, I'm told, the whole thing was considered a disaster.

Cor, daisy, that's a cautionary tale if ever I heard one. Huge sympathy for the author, too.

Emma

Coming late to this but I'd say that first question is the most interesting, because when you are at the stage to submit, and you get twenty or more rejections, it really might be worth considering that there is something wrong with the writing, or what you are writing about. It doesn't mean scrapping it, but it might mean checking your writing style and your approach to the subject.

I think there is loads and loads of time to consider pen names. I never really considered it, but my agent brought the subject up with me after we'd been working together for several months.

It's so easy, when you're starting out, to convince yourself that you really are onto a winner, and you need to move fast. You do need to finish though, because it isn't until the novel is complete that you know if it works or not, if it was what you set out to say, or how much you want to change it now that the first draft has surprised you.

On a personal note, I completed a big rewrite of a novel four weeks back. This has been through several drafts and was finally polished. Put it down, waited a week, then realised half of the chapters were in the wrong order, so had to pull the whole thing to bits. I don't think I would have spotted that any earlier in the game (actually, someone else helped me spot it).

Colin M

Thanks for all the replies on this and apologies for revisiting

I am at the stage now where I have a full out on novel 1 and three partials still out after 10 weeks. I sort of feel like I have lost interest and, as so many of you advised, can see flaws now in novel 1. This is mainly due to what i have learned on this site, its been so informative.

I am about half way through novel 2. I think it will take me a while to complete. So this quesion is academic really, but just say I complete and polished novel two and novel one was still out, would you treat novel 2 like an entirely new project or refer to novel 1 if its still out? I suppose what I am trying to say is do you hide your failure to secure a deal on novel one or mention the first one in order to evidence your commitment to writing?

Re the pen name, I have a difficult to remember name AND I am published in non-fiction in my field (only a bit but ongoing - I have some chapter and articles and I am negotiating a deal for a text book). I haven't fully analysed why as yet, but I'm not keen on my non-fiction readers knowing I write novels! I see the novel writing as entirely different to my academic writing. That's one reason why I would like to use a pen name!

Another reason is that I think writing in a pen name might allow me more freedom, as if my anonymous POV could add to my fiction writing in a way.

Anyhow, thanks for any replies.

Karris xx

would you treat novel 2 like an entirely new project

Yes.

or refer to novel 1 if its still out?

No.

They are different projects so keep them seperate and don't refer to either of them in covering letters unless it is to an agent who has shown interest in novel one and asked if you have anything else they can look at. Don't think of Novel 1. as a failure, especially since an agent has requested a full - that's halfway to a success!

As for the pen name, yes I agree it would be a good idea if you have an akward name to remember and are already writing in another genre, but save it for when you have the publishing deal.


- NaomiM

I suppose what I am trying to say is do you hide your failure to secure a deal on novel one

Yes, as Naomi said. The book trade are like sheep, and you want to avoid any whiff of 'failure' - even merely that some other agents didn't fancy a completely different book - hanging round the sample you send of the new one when they pick it off the slush pile.

or mention the first one in order to evidence your commitment to writing?

The commitment is assumed - you don't have to tell them that, and it'll just raise questions about what happened to the first one that at this stage you don't want raised. (Have you dropped in on the 'being serious about writing' thread - that discusses this issue?).

Emma

Hi Karris

I could have written your first question myself: I've been sending out partials since February and so far have had nine standard rejections and no feedback.

I'm half way through my next book but, realistically, it will be the end of the year before it's finished.

I don't have any answers, I'm afraid, just wanted to let you know that you're not alone!

SG