Real Name: Sonny Long Gender: male Member Since: September 29, 2007 Last Signed In: September 05, 2008 Profile Views: 602 Blog Views: 1347 News about the case Waiting is the hardest part Slow and steady Self-publishing: Trials and triumphs Continuing the agent search At least it was quick Writer Beware Expanded outline, part 2 Expanded outline Electronic submissions September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 
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The murder case I am writing about will definitely not be tried in the county where it occurred, Cass. No alternate site has been announced, but by the time the court date rolls around in February, a new location for the trial will have been determined. I have also learned that the defense made a motion to remove the district judge who will preside over the case, Ralph Burgess. It seems Burgess was a member of the firm who represented the suspect's father -- then a deputy sheriff -- in his suit against the county when he thought he was fired illegally because of his alleged interference in the investigation. He advised his son not to take a lie detector test in the early hours following his initial arrest. A judge denied the defense motion, but they are appealing. It seems weird that they would want to dismiss a judge who was in the firm that represented the suspect's father. Wonder what their reasoning was? Anyway...more fodder for the book. Stay tuned. Keep writing. Tom Petty was right. It's only been about 10 days since I sent out my last electronic query to an agent who indicates she takes two to three weeks to respond, but I'm getting antsy. I should know better by now. Am compiling a list of several more agents to send queries to, and this time I'll send them to more than one agent at a time (if they accept simultaneous queries). In the meantime, the waiting continues. Keep writing. I haven't worked on the book in a few days. First strep throat and now what is probably a sinus infection have quelled my enthusiasm somewhat. I'll get back to it this weekend I hope. I do have one electronic query "out there," and I hope to get good news from it. The agent said her response time is two to three weeks, so the waiting game continues. I've identified several other potential agent matches and will work on getting a query letter prepared for them. Keep writing!
I had to laugh as I overheard a discussion of a story we were considering about a local author who self-published a book. I wasn't laughing at the author or his book, just the comments some were making about those who choose to self publish. I recall when I decided to "independently publish" a couple of books -- a collection of poetry and short stories and a collection of 20 years worth of newspaper columns. At the time I had the money and decided to go for it. I remember being told that most people who self-publish end up with cases of their books in their garage, stuck with a product they can't sell for years after the printing. "That's not going to happen to me," I thought. Well, after some initial success the first few months - I think I sold almost 30 copies my first book signing. I was stoked -- then sales slowed...to...a...stand...still. Amazon.com still has the books listed, but I'm not sure they actually have any in stock. But I do. Cases of them. I actually sold a few a couple of months ago during the Third Saturday acoustic jam at the Courtyard Gallery in Cuero, and donated the proceeds to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. So, I guess I'm still getting some good from the sales. Initially, they sold for $7.95 and $9.95...now, I'm letting them go for cost...$3 for one or both volumes for $5. What a deal The phones are ringing now! I guess the lesson here is not to deter you from self-publishing, but to just consider how many you print at one time. Maybe hundreds instead of thousands. Either that or have a big garage. Keep writing! It's an interesting process really, trying to match your project with what an agent says they are looking to represent. I poured over hundreds of more listings Sunday and saved several to go back and query. I did send out one more electronic query to an agent that has on her wish list "narrative non-fiction in any subject area, as long as there is a compelling story with complex individuals and a clear narrative arc." She also lists true crime as a subject area she's actively seeking. I am confident the story I am telling is compelling and the characters complex, so if it has a "clear narrative arc" maybe she'll like it! The wait begins...again. Keep writing! Sent out my first electronic query to a big New York agency over the weekend and had a response back early Monday morning. Although they found the project "interesting" it wasn't what "they were looking for at this time." Hey. At least they answered promptly and didn't make me wait and wonder. It's a numbers game. I'll get some more queries out this weekend, cross my fingers and keep writing. You keep writing, too. I spent several hours this weekend researching agent listings and was reminded of one of the golden rules every writer should know. If an agent charges a fee to read your material...move on! Agents make money on commissions when they sell your book to a publisher, not on reading fees. Writers should never ever never pay to have their manuscript read...period. This is http://anotherealm.com/pred... my favorite site for checking out agents. It's an awesome resource. There are others, too, including www.agentquery.com. Check them out if you are serious about finding an agent. Keep writing! My outline is complete, 12 chapters worth. Am now filling in each one with some expanded content, like the sample I gave last time, to give the potential agent an idea of what exactly is in that chapter. Some of it is going faster than others. My box of newspaper clippings and notes is coming in handy now. Only six months until trial. Keep writing! As I work on my book proposal I am trying something that worked for a previously published book, an expanded outline. Instead of just the streamlined A., B., C. listing, under each major heading I am adding an excerpt from that chapter to give the agent reading it an idea of my writing style and what is included in that chapter. Here's a sample: I. This Isn’t Little League Any More -- Introduction to the case My day began with a routine stop at the police department to check on the weekend’s activities. “Have you been over there yet?” the dispatcher asked as she flipped through the logbook for anything I might deem newsworthy. “Over where?” I asked innocently, thinking there might have been a bad wreck. Traffic accidents are big news in small towns. “You’re kidding, right?” She asked, chomping gum quickly and loudly between breaths. I must have cocked an eyebrow. “They found three bodies in a trailer over on Walnut,” she said matter-of-factly. “That’s all I can say about it.” # I couldn’t get within yards of the simple trailer, tan with brown trim. Two or three pine trees dotted the small lot. A girl’s bicycle leaned against the side of the humble dwelling. Another bike, slightly smaller with training wheels, stood nearby.
I am hoping this approach will work and the agent will want to read more, like complete sample chapters. Wish me luck.
Keep writing!
While discussing proposals and submissions during the last couple of weeks, I forgot to mention electronic submissions. More and more agents are accepting query letters and even proposals via e-mail. Read the agent's guidelines carefully and make sure you follow them to the letter. They are very specific. Most want the letter posted into the body of the e-mail and don't accept attachments. Others, once they've read the query and ask for more material will accept an attachment, usually in a Word document. So, the same rules apply for snail mail submission as electronic ones...do what they ask for and you'll stand a better chance of getting an agent's attention. Keep writing. |
