I'm very close to sending out query letters for 13th Summer. I'm excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time. The last time I sent out query letters for a book was in 2006 and it was for Fool's Gold, which I have since taken the time to revise and will take another look at after I finish things up with 13th Summer.
I sent out seventeen queries the first time and I received three or four requests for full manuscripts and one request for partial. All in all, I felt that there was a certain measure of success in those requests. Each one did end up being rejected, but the experience was priceless. I had one rejection that I received that taught me more about the writing process than anything else that I've been involved with. I'll talk more about that in a future post.
Now that time is really ticking away and I've resolved to get 13th Summer out the door, I keep having second thoughts about it. Did I miss anything? Does it read well? Are there any typos? It's beginning to feel as if I can look at those questions and actually answer them appropriately. I never felt that way about Fool's Gold. I was so excited about sending a manuscript out to agents that I didn't even think about what I was doing. Yes, I had spent time researching which agents I should send it to and I spent time crafting my query letter, but I hadn't really taken the time to tighten the manuscript down.
As a writer, I tend to let my feelings lead me around sometimes. This is the main reason that I get so caught up in the emotion of doing something. That's what happened with Fool's Gold. I think there are a lot of people out there who are just like me in that regard. So, the lesson that I learned is this: Take the time to sort out the details. I've done that with 13th Summer and I really feel good about it. I just hope it pays off.
That's all for now.
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