Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Okay, so I did up rough drafts of query letters in preparation of my quest for a new agent and publisher. I wasn’t sure if I wanted another agent or to try approaching publishers directly so I’ve decided to do both and see what happens. I’ve got manuscripts that have been written and rewritten several times and are ready to submit; I just need to find one that wants me and is a mutual good fit.

For any aspiring authors reading this, who are getting ready to send out your own writing, you should always be sure that the publisher you’re approaching publish the type of writing you’re sending them. Don’t just shoot it out willy-nilly. And the query letter is important, that’s why I did the roughs up today and will look them over again when I get back from TO.

In the future I’ll most likely be getting into the trials and tribulations that I went through (and am going trough) in regards to writing/publishing. And maybe even a little more personal stuff, too. Writing, as one author put it, is going into a room, getting as naked as you can, and then coming out and saying, “So, what do you think?” And while we all need our dark little corners to hide in, I can’t very well encourage my students to come out of theirs if I remain tucked tightly in mine.

But right now, I’ve got to look over my lesson plan for my class on poetry and lyrics tomorrow. I’ll be reading sections of Nick Cave’s The Secret Life of the Love Song, which is sure to knock holes in, if not completely destroy, any image of happy-ever-after that Disney ever put into their heads. I figure the more I lower their expectations, the longer their relationships are going to last.

2 comments:

  1. That's helpful. We covered query letters in College (print journalism), but I'm rusty. I'm sure there are some tips online or something.

    I'm good with naked.... lol

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  2. There is a few sites on query letters and the samples in the front of the Writers Market are really good, too. They show you both the does and the don't.

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