Decided that I’m going to go out on Friday for a drink, because, other than needing one (I’m not an alcoholic but I seriously need to let my hair down after the pile of stress that’s fallen on my head lately), it’s going to be a late birthday drink. I plan on taking my new camera (who is called Jeremy after a character in a book that I’ve read) so I can snap some lovely photos of the pandemonium that will undoubtedly ensue. Besides, I rarely see people. I’m working on the recluse thing… but I guess I kind of like a bit of human contact once in a while.
‘I guess it’s just a silly song about how I loved you and how I lost you and your brown eyes…
Your brown eyes…’
This song makes me think of somebody but we’ll forego the usual tag as if he ever reads this it may make him feel self-important and that’s not what we want, is it? I was talking to a friend earlier and she mentioned a particular date. It took a moment for me to register quite why it had made me stop. Then I realised that it was because, last year, it was the date of the first foam party I went to. It was also the day before he dumped me. It’s branded on my brain, I guess. To be honest, though, I hadn’t really thought about it until my friend mentioned it. When she did it felt like getting hit over the head with something. I was suddenly peculiarly dizzy. It was probably just a moment of silliness.
I completed editing Chapter 7 of Dark Side of the Moon. It’s improved immensely. If I had some proper free time, then I would get on and start Chapter 8. I want to get it all edited and straightened out so that I can send it off to a literary agent. It’s urban fantasy, so I’ll need to research some urban fantasy agents first, but it would help to have the manuscript finished off to a higher standard before I even contemplate that again. I mean, I tried before but I had no idea what I was doing. If it hadn’t been for the introduction of twitter, I think I would have just blundered on regardless, so I think I owe Andrew McCluskey (NAL) a thank you, there, as he was the one who tried to get me to join and eventually succeeded… and now I have more followers than him in a shorter space of time – not that anyone is counting!
Anyway, yeah…
If I hadn’t joined twitter I wouldn’t have seen what the literary agents around the world were saying about the queries and submissions that they received. It’s opened my eyes a lot more to the world of seeking publication. There are so many helpful authors on there, too. In fact, what I would suggest to anyone seeking to submit like I am is the following:
- Join twitter
- Add authors & literary agents on there (you can usually find them by sifting through the lists of other authors & publishing houses or shops like Waterstones & WH Smith)
- Get involved in some of the hash tag conversations such as #litchat and read hash tags such as #queryquotes – they will give you a better understanding.
- Buy The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook and Writers’ Market
- Then buy Wannabe A Writer – all three of these books are really informative from the technique of writing to contacting agents/publishers and their contact details to do so.
If you’re reading this and you’re trying to get an agent or a publisher then good luck and I hope that helped. It’s helped me so far – but I’m not signed yet… so I may still be wrong.
If you have any tips you’re willing to share with me then please feel free to comment!
Where: On my bed
Listening to: Brown Eyes – Lady GaGa
Tabs open: SD chatroom, Facebook
Programs open: Msn, Chrome, WMP, MSWord
(Lyrics in the title are from Brown Eyes by Lady GaGa)
