Risking Your @$$ and Tim Tebow

I didn’t plan to return to Fiction Dish this week, but guess what? It’s happening.

 

That’s right crack open a can of Tecate and fire your pistol into the air, no one’s favorite blog is back.

 

I took a little hiatus but for very good reasons. As promised there are more pages, some helpful links that will be updated, as well as a brief description of the novel I’ve finished and begun submitting to agents.

 

I’ve heard all along at what a scary, disheartening process submitting to agents is to writers and although my chin is still up it’s not too early to say I know what they mean. I know exactly what it’s like spending months hunched over a key board, writing until you feel like you’re fingers could bleed, just so you can reach that moment that you’ve fantasized about forever – typing, “The End”. I’ve finally reached that moment and finally know what it’s like. It truly is amazing but I knew before I reached that moment that if you plan on publishing your work it doesn’t last long.

 

This is the reason why my manuscript sat in a drawer, untouched for months. I’d finished it. I’d written an entire 72,000 word novel that I was very happy with which was my only goal as far as writing was concerned. I’ve met a lot of people who have far more experience than me writing and publishing and I knew the road ahead of me. I knew it would be several more grueling months of hard work before I ever began to see the fruits of my labor if I decided to publish. It wasn’t laziness. I was just satisfied.

 

Finally, the newness of having completed my story wore off and I decided to look in to getting it published. I started sending letters out last Saturday. I got my first rejection today and believe it or not it was exciting! Even the best writers sometimes get hundreds of rejection letters before they get a bite, so I was just excited to feel like the process had officially begun.

 

It has been a little taxing. There is a lot of work involved which I will detail in another blog and there are a lot of disheartening moments. (Last week I submitted my work to an agency whose query email address was slushpile@wellknownfreemailprovider.com) It isn’t easy putting yourself out there but I guess until someone calls me terrible, I’ll still be doing better than Tim Tebow.