AGENT HUNTING

Current work: Agent hunting, synopsis draft for feedback and writing!
Listening to: Chickens clucking contendedly - its lovely
Reading : Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Finding a Home for your Novel
This is never as easy at is is to write. This is the hardest part. I have sent out my novel to (at last count) eight agents, 7 rejections and one outstanding. Now I have had the feedback from my Critique Partner which is very encouraging, I'm about to start afresh. I put it on hold pending her comments. So the trick is to find an agent who likes the genre - historical romance/historical fiction. Then check out if they have any similar stories - probably unlikely to want another. Thirdly do they accept email submissions? This last point is of particular importance to me as an expat living out of the UK. What about international reply coupons I hear you cry! Yes, well, I've heard of them, but no-one in Italy has. This is the same in Spain I believe. Technology allows us to move huge pieces of information effortlessly around the globe. Now, I understand that emailing manuscripts could have financial implications for agents and publishers, but I would guess that they would glance through the synopsis and first chapter to see if worth reading and then if they wanted to print it out. For me trying to post several hefty manuscripts would be a pain, not undoable though and I have not ruled it out. Just that I'm going to check out emails submissions first before I waste paper and postage as well as a chunk of my confidence.

Wilfred the Wise Writing Owl... intelligent thoughts on writing
Yes, I know, I was becoming a bit bored with Confucius so have adopted the sage owl as my muse for writers thoughts - but can't seem to upload the image at the mo. Bear with me.

"The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You're there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing. Everything is useful to a writer, you see -- every scrap, even the longest and most boring of luncheon parties."
Graham Greene (English novelist, 1904-1991)