Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Not Writey Tighty?

It's funny how the old adage "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't" gets hammered home repeatedly when you're a writer. Doesn't matter if you're a newbie, a semi-newbie like myself or even an established writer, we all have come across items/companies that on the surface, look to be good/legit, but upon further research, really aren't.

This particular point was reaffirmed over this past weekend when I decided to dig a little deeper about a particular publisher that I had recently queried and submitted to. The trigger mechanism? A rather quick response to my query and a promise of response in four to six weeks.

So I checked out the publisher, which I had found listed at Duotrope, at a website called Preditors & Editors, and sure enough they had popped up as a vanity publisher. For a brief moment, I thought that this couldn't be right, so I dug a little deeper on the publisher's website and was able to turn up something that led me to believe that the Preditors & Editors website is correct.

Disappointed that one of my leads turned out to be a dud (again), I nevertheless have created a response to them should they deem my manuscript "acceptable" enough to make an offer:

Thank you for your offer, but I must decline as I've decided to go in another direction with my novel.

Now even though this puts me back at square one with the submission process, the writing news isn't all that grim for my novel.

This past Sunday I started the process of doing another round of editing and implementing the solid feedback that was given to me from the publisher that I had written about a week ago. Hopefully when all is said and done, the manuscript with be tight enough to submit for reconsideration to that same publisher.

I also took the liberty of writing a brief memo explaining in concise detail what changes either were or were not done to the manuscript.

As for my other writing project, I've made some great headway with it. I'm at the final climatic scene, and because I'm armed with the knowledge of knowing where I want to go with this and how exactly I want it to end, I should be able to wrap this up another week or two once I get back to it.

When all is said and done, it should crap out at under 80 pages/40k words, which is something I'm actually quite proud of, because the last new story I'd managed to complete prior to this novella was in fact Line 21 in the spring of 2011.

With that being said, where did I put that c.d. of mine?

9 comments:

  1. I got some information on a not quite kosher local publisher just the other day. Disappointing and just more work added to our jobs.

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  2. Charles: And how.

    I actually had chosen it out of a group of three that I did find about a month ago because the other two were more erotica oriented.

    Really does bite.

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  3. I love The Offspring. And I think your reply letter is a good one. Keep us posted!

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  4. Well, as tiresome as it is, the research does pay off.

    That's awesome about you wrapping up the other project, G! Isn't it sweet when the writing flows like that?

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  5. At least you found out at the right time. And I counter your video with Weird Al's "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi"

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  6. M: Thanks.

    It's funny how writing business correspondence (letters & e-mails) comes in handy when having to compose a memo for a publisher.

    And I will definitely keep everyone posted.

    Talon: It is great when research pays off, I just wish it wasn't paying off in the negative when it matters all the time.

    It's pretty cool when the writing does flow like that. I've been very blessed with this latest project in that for all the times I've had to put it aside for when life comes calling, I've been able to continue where I'd left off at previously.

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  7. Darth: My sinceresly apologies as I got sidetracked while answering the other commenters this morning and completely forgot about responding to yours.

    I may have found out at the right time, but its still disappointing just the same.

    And that video I will simply have to check out, 'cause you know I just love Wierd Al.

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  8. There are so many of the bad publishers out there- Hope not too much time was wasted, at least. The reseaech is the toughest part.
    When I studied writing for children, The school published a guide of the publishers updated yearly, n described what each was interested in n what they wouldn't accept. But I ran out of bux to buy the guides every year, so I'm out of date again.
    Maybe check out some writing program schools for available guides? Just a suggestion which may save time-

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  9. Snaggle: About three weeks or so, since I do things in piecemeal nowadays. But it is what it is.

    Good suggestion. I do have access to the database at Query Tracker, but that website annoys the heck out of me 'cause it's so heavily tilted towards YA, so I just stick with Duotrope.

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