Goal: Do Not Quit

jamiehall · Jan 11, 2008

I'm querying for the first time since 2005. Over the past two days, I sent out seven queries, one of which was rejected 15 minutes later, one which triggered an email auto-responder saying to query again on a particular date, and five that are still out there.

My goal is to stay in the querying game until I get an agent or run out of appropriate agents to query. I don't want to quit again until/unless it is clear I must quit.

StoryG27 · Jan 11, 2008

Wow, this sounds eerily like me. I have quit for a while, but I hope to "get back on the horse" soon. I want to finish writing my newest edition to my dusty manuscripts first though. Now, if I'd actually work on the dang thing, maybe I could get myself to where you are.

Best of luck and please let us know how it goes!

scarletpeaches · Jan 11, 2008

storygirl! Where ya been?!

CaroGirl · Jan 11, 2008

Good for you!! That's excellent news. I hope this search is fruitful and an agent grows quickly on your agent-tree.

Best of luck!

KTC · Jan 11, 2008

I wish you the best of luck. Remember to keep us posted.

jamiehall · Jan 11, 2008

Thanks to everyone who wished me luck! If I get an agent, I'll certainly let people here know. I'm also entering the info into QueryTracker as it occurs.

justme · Jan 11, 2008

Good luck!

jamiehall · Jan 18, 2008

Rejected: 7
Still waiting: 8

MsJudy · Jan 18, 2008

I think every writer should quit at least once in their lives. I quit for about 7 years total--newborn babies, bipolar husband, two and three jobs, who could write a grocery list?--and now I'm so thrilled to be doing it again that the rejections don't really matter so much. Besides, if we don't write, what will happen to all those voices in our heads?

Best of luck, and welcome back to the loony bin.

jamiehall · Jan 18, 2008

JudScotKev said:
I think every writer should quit at least once in their lives.

I quit writing twice. Once when I was an engineering major and couldn't find the time, once when I was so deep in promoting my vanity-press book that I didn't have time (and I was in ill health, too).

Pike · Jan 18, 2008

Me, too. Wow's to JSKev. That's a lot for any person to function through. Hope thigns have settled for you.

Jamie - One of our beloved posters, JoNightshade, had the same mission, and scored just recently. Check some of her posts. I never considered trying to hit an agent. It scared the hell out of me, but Jo got me thinking and I'm starting to get the nerve up. Kudos and good luck on your quest!

Pike

astonwest · Jan 19, 2008

jamiehall said:
I quit writing twice. Once when I was an engineering major and couldn't find the time...

Weird...when I was an engineering major (and now as an engineer), the writing is the only thing that kept me semi-sane.

Almost.

jenngreenleaf · Jan 19, 2008

Good luck with your goal! I'm looking forward to reading your updates.

Saundra Julian · Jan 19, 2008

Hang in there and break a leg!

jamiehall · Jan 29, 2008

Update:

I got a full request (however, this is from an agent who requests a lot of fulls, according to QueryTracker, so it might not mean anything).

:e2thud:

Qui · Feb 1, 2008

It's still a full! I'm sure there are plenty that never get requested!
/gives everyone cookies and tea

KikiteNeko · Feb 21, 2008

Who requested a full? Please keep us updated too if it pans out

jamiehall said:
Update:

I got a full request (however, this is from an agent who requests a lot of fulls, according to QueryTracker, so it might not mean anything).

inkkognito · Feb 21, 2008

Keep going!! As Dory says, "Just keep swimming...just keep swimming." Sounds like you're getting close and closer to the destination!

I was a quitter too, for 15 years (got corporate job, got married, got doctorate). Life goes in cycles...it's the nature of the beast.

AmyDoodle · Feb 21, 2008

Congratulations on the full. Keep it up and keep us posted!

TheIT · Feb 21, 2008

Good luck, and hang in there!

:Sun:

Susan B · Feb 22, 2008

Good luck on that full! And don't give up!

jamiehall · Feb 22, 2008

tomothecat said:
Who requested a full? Please keep us updated too if it pans out

Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger.

Right now (in this new phase of querying, not counting my previous attempt in 2005) I've had:

11 rejections of my query letter
1 request for a full
4 with no response yet (but it has only been a little more than a month)

If the 5 non-rejections turn into rejections, then I think I'll send another batch of queries out (I believe I've still got about 40 agents on my list as possibilities, pending more research).

Thanks to everyone who has been encouraging me. It has been very difficult for me to get up the courage to start querying again. But this time I'm determined to keep querying until I get representation or until I run out of legitimate agents to query who represent my subject matter.

And even if I end this process without getting an agent, I plan to then complete one of my partly-written books and start the query process again with that next book.

jamiehall · Feb 25, 2008

Sara Crowe rejected the full today.

joyce · Feb 25, 2008

Sorry to hear about the rejection. I also had to slow down for a bit. Then that old craving hit again and well......I'm back to sending out those lovely little query letters again. I hate the rejections but I feel like an addict, I have to write.

KikiteNeko · Feb 25, 2008

Writing is safer than speed, although you lose about as much sleep doing either.

joyce said:
Sorry to hear about the rejection. I also had to slow down for a bit. Then that old craving hit again and well......I'm back to sending out those lovely little query letters again. I hate the rejections but I feel like an addict, I have to write.

Goal: Do Not Quit

Bereaved Snarkling

Miss Behave

Living the dream

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Bereaved Snarkling

Well butter my biscuit!

Bereaved Snarkling

Bereaved Snarkling

Chivalry ain't dead

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

Here to network and learn.

A work in progress

Bereaved Snarkling

.

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

I'm a Bajaffe!

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Accordion Dreams

Bereaved Snarkling

Bereaved Snarkling

I'm really shy...

.