All Things Middle Grade

Sage

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Cheering you all on!
Haven't gotten any bites on my queries for my Christmas MG. I would gladly say that my query must suck, except so many authors told me they loved it. I suspect hoping for requests on a Christmas novel anytime before, say, next fall is probably going to be a waste of time.
 

playground

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Sorry Ms. Judy, Sage, and Sheila. I have like 8 rejections stocked up and one full request. It's hard not to get your hopes up when a full's out, I know how that feels now. It really is. This is only my first time getting a full request so when it gets rejected it's probably going to sting...a lot.
 

MsJudy

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Thanks for the hugs, everyone. You're right, it's much too early to give up on Agatha. Actually, she's the one I won't give up on. If I can't find an agent for her, I'll try one of the small presses or self-publish. I suppose that's why the rejection stung so much--because I really feel like the plot is strong, and I can't imagine rewriting to the extent the agent suggested. It just wouldn't be the same story at all.

But as for the WIP... I don't know. It isn't demanding to be written the way Agatha was. So I wonder if there isn't something else I need to be doing...

I'm going to open myself up to new ideas for a while and see what happens. The WIP is far enough along that I can come back to it later if I want to.

Sheila, Sage, group hug, 'kay?
 

sissybaby

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Wow, I wish I hadn't posted over in the bouncy castle now. But I'll probably be over here needing hugs soon, too. I'm sorry Sheila, Sage and msJudy.

Judy - you can't give up on Agatha. So what if someone thinks it's quiet - sometimes a quiet book is just what a reader is looking for. And I don't think she's all that quiet, IMO.

I know there are a lot of authors who have heard from someone that their book wasn't right for some reason or another. Then they turned into a blockbuster when the stars lined up right.

Don't any of you give up. And don't decide that self-pubbing is the only option. Things are changing every day, and epubbing (I don't know if that's one b or two) is becoming more and more popular. For the prices, I'd download all of your books!
 

Morrell

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Quiet? Quiet is in the eye of the beholder. I just read an amazing MG about scrabble, for crying out loud! Hang in there, Judy and Sheila and Sage--you just haven't found the right agent yet. It's probably less about the manuscript than about finding that exactly right fit. Maggie Stiefvater talked about this topic recently on the blue boards; her post (and the rest of the thread) might be of interest.

http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php?topic=59834.msg695462#msg695462
 

playground

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And I forgot to add. I guess it would be one thing if everyone's ideas were just kinda there, but all of your ideas are great! It's not like they are run of the mill. It's amazing that not one agent wants to take a stab at them, if I were an agent those are the unique ideas I would be crawling to try and get.

Let me know when you do publish them though, I definitely will contribute in buying your book as I really want to read them!
 

Ferret

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Judy and Sheila, I really like what I've read of your books. Don't give up on them!
 

MsJudy

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You guys are wonderful! You're right, I was just feeling crushed for a little while. I'm back and bouncy now!

Actually, turns out the rejection was just the kick in the pants I needed. My WIP wasn't going the way I wanted it to, I wasn't falling in love with it, but I didn't really want to admit it. Stewing about the rejection all day yesterday helped me figure out what I wanted to do. I started running through the mental file of ideas I've been meaning to get to but haven't found a place for yet, and things gradually shifted into place.

It means a whole new direction for the book, but it has that sparkly feeling! You know, when you have no idea where the story is going but you just can't wait to find out. Where you fall asleep thinking about it, and you hop out of bed in the morning ready to get to work. Between pieces I've salvaged from the old version and new things I've done, I'm already at 3K, and I haven't even eaten breakfast yet! (oh, wait, that might be why my tummy's grumbling...)

So, life is good again. I'm going to send out some more queries today for Agatha, and go to the fabric store and get stuff to make a new skirt because I've lost enough weight that nothing I own fits anymore, and by bedtime tonight I'm going to try to reach 5K.

Thanks for all the cheering me on, guys!
 

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Congrats on losing weight. It is kind of annoying to have to buy new clothes every two weeks though. I'm in that boat right now. Good luck with writing today :) I'm glad you're excited.

Keep trying Playground King. I'm rooting for yah'.

As for me, I get to wrangle puppies today. We found out the pit bull that has been tearing up our trash for the last three weeks had a litter in my mother-in-law's barn. I left food for them, but they are pretty much feral and don't like me poking around their home. We can't leave them back there though. Before and after that I get to edit MMD.
 

SheilaJG

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This place is so awesome. Love the support and encouragement. You guys are great.

So sorry, Playground King. Don't let it get you down!

Yay on the recovery, Judy! Yay for sparkly feelings! And 3k before breakfast!

Good luck wrangling those puppies, Kidd. Hmm, not sure I'd want to mess with a pit bull mama protecting her litter. Wear some thick gloves. And maybe body armor, or something. "Feral Pit Bulls" sounds like a good horror title, it's so scary.

I am feeling better, too. I got a little down because I keep having the same problem over and over - how to introduce my "world" without boring the reader with too many details, or leaving them confused with too few. How to introduce those details in the context of the plot and story, so they seem organic and not "tell-y." And why would a kid think he's a werewolf when he's not? ("Because he does" doesn't seem to cut it as an explanation. Rats).
 

Marzipan

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I am feeling better, too. I got a little down because I keep having the same problem over and over - how to introduce my "world" without boring the reader with too many details, or leaving them confused with too few. How to introduce those details in the context of the plot and story, so they seem organic and not "tell-y." And why would a kid think he's a werewolf when he's not? ("Because he does" doesn't seem to cut it as an explanation. Rats).
What makes him think he is a werewolf? Are there signs (pointier teeth/ears, a desire to eat raw meat, a yearning to become a wild animal and live in the woods away from people?) Even if he isn't a werewolf, what are some things that may make him think he is? As for your world, in Janice Hardy's 'Shifter' books the reader just learns as they go. Her world is extraordinary in the details and magic involved, but Janice has done a great job at showing the reader what her world is like instead of telling them. Maybe you could buy the first book and see what you think.

*Update On Puppies: The mom dog came back and she is with them now. I couldn't go out to the barn because I wasn't willing to take the chance of getting jumped. I do bring my shot gun with me each time just in case, but I would much rather avoid hurting her, I know those are her babies. The barn is old, and all grown up in a pine thicket, so that makes it even more dangerous. I have to get out there soon. Not only do I need to get the puppies, but the fencing material I need is stored in the barn. I was suppose to spend the weekend reinforcing my MIL's fence, but now I'm at a complete loss. We live in the country, and we don't have animal control as far as I know.
 
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MsJudy

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I. Kick. Butt!

Revenge queries rule!

Sent out 3 new queries before lunch. Got a request for a full by 3:00!

Now comes the hard part...this agent wants to know a little bit about what else I'm working on. And since I'm only just figuring it out... I'm going to have to spend a few moments trying to make "vague idea" sound exciting.
 

Sage

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Yay, MsJudy!

I love when they ask that kind of stuff :)
 

SheilaJG

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What makes him think he is a werewolf? Are there signs (pointier teeth/ears, a desire to eat raw meat, a yearning to become a wild animal and live in the woods away from people?) Even if he isn't a werewolf, what are some things that may make him think he is? As for your world, in Janice Hardy's 'Shifter' books the reader just learns as they go.

Great questions. He does have reasons, I just was taking my time sharing them. Too much time, apparently. So I fixed that. I have read Janice Hardy's book (I have the first two), but I haven't read them in a while, so thanks for pointing them out.

Yay Judy! Good luck with the full, and I'm sure you can make your WIP sound great. How great that the agent even asked that!
 

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Full! Full! Full! Wooooooo! She wanted to know what else you are working on? That's amazing.
 

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This has probably been asked before, but should MG books have their own subforum? When I think of children's books I think of ages 1-8. When I think of YA books I think of 15+. An upper children's or lower YA category (MG) would be nice. Books which do not hold back on vocabulary, but also would be appropriate for anyone of aged around 9 and older. Harry Potter would be an example, of course.

Personally this is a category I like very much because it has such huge potential appeal. In some ways it is the most popular, and yet seems the least regarded for its own area on forums!
 

Amarie

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Congratulations, Judy! I think in this sort of market you just have to query as widely as possible.

Wordcraft, it seems as if many people who frequent this subforum write both picture books and MG, so I think it works to have it all in one place. Also, it's a fairly small community and I'm not sure a picture book subforum would survive on its own.
 

playground

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Congrats Judy. One thing I always tell myself to make me feel better is you only need one agent, not five to represent you.
 

Smish

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This has probably been asked before, but should MG books have their own subforum? When I think of children's books I think of ages 1-8. When I think of YA books I think of 15+. An upper children's or lower YA category (MG) would be nice. Books which do not hold back on vocabulary, but also would be appropriate for anyone of aged around 9 and older. Harry Potter would be an example, of course.

Personally this is a category I like very much because it has such huge potential appeal. In some ways it is the most popular, and yet seems the least regarded for its own area on forums!

:welcome:

Actually, the majority of the threads in this room pertain to MG. And most of the books we discuss in the Talk about the kidlit you're reading thread are MG. I honestly don't see any need for seperate rooms.
 

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Hi :)

Ah, OK. This thread's title gave the impression that the rest of the subforum was for young children's books and this thread alone was for MG...
 

playground

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Quick question. Does anyone here write short stories for reputable websites/magazines where they pay a bit? Or does anyone know anything about such a website/magazine?
 

Morrell

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For online ezines, there's Stories For Children, which I believe is now a paying market. Also, you might try the SuperTeacher website. They buy short pieces (stories and poems) for teachers to use in reading comprehension activities. The pay is low ($10 per piece), but it's something you can use as a writing credit, and they pay promptly. I've got 7 or 8 poems up on the site.

There's always Highlights and the bug mags (Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, etc.) I've sold stories to Highlights and Spider. The editors there are lovely to work with, and the pay is better than at smaller publications. My stories haven't been published yet, though. They work very far ahead, so it can take years before you actually see your work in print.

My best advice is to thoroughly read the publication or ezine you want to sub to, and get a feel for what they're looking for: the word length, type of language, subject matter, and so on. Then look for any gaps--like maybe they like slice of life stories but don't have any about a particular culture, for example--and see if you can fill it.
 

sissybaby

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I'm not trying to overlook your request Playground King, but I had to pop in and congratulate MsJudy really quick! YAY! I applaud you for revenge!