Stumbled here after falling down a Googlehole

M

Twenty-two Rules to Perfect Storytelling

M

Help! Odd Request

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

David Steele

Guest
You know how it is. Sunday morning arrives and there's a rejection letter from your favourite magazine thanking you for your interest but telling you that (after careful consideration) your short story hasn't made the grade.

When this happens, I generally
1) Make coffee
2) Sulk for twenty minutes
3) Do some weeding*
4) Grab the Writers and Artists Yearbook to look for a promising agent.​

*You can tell how badly or how well writing is going by the amount of dandelions on the front yard.**

When I get to item four, it at least feels like I'm doing something positive if I can get a well-written submission away to a suitable agent. I don't overdo this, and like to spend a few hours getting to know an agent before bothering them. By the time I'm ready to press send, I've usually already committed something of myself. I've made my mind up that they might well be "the one" and that it's probably going to work out nicely.

It's pretty much like dating all over again, without the aftershave burn.

Anyway, one of the agents listed in TWAY seemed rather cryptic (Barbara Levy Literacy Agency) because it didn't have a website listed... I decided that there was no point in discounting anyone for not listing their url, so headed to the Googleplex to find out what I could dig up.

It's at times like this that you have to tip your hat to the gods of optimization, because I somehow found myself on the submissions page of Redhammer. For an orderly mind like mine, that's a worrying state of events, because I was only looking at "L" today. "R" isn't for another month at least.

But I read anyway, because advice is free and Peter Cox knows how to sell Litopia. Here I am. A most unexpected pleasure to meet you all!

I'm David, a British SF/Fantasy writer who grew up on Bradbury and Heinlein. Most of my reading is via audiobooks these days (I spend about fifteen hours a week on the road) although I do read "like a grown up" as well.

I'm currently trying to find a champion for my novel "Marris and Wade - Demon Bound", which is a Gothic fairytale story of magic and tall stories in which 19th century charlatans attempt to hoodwink their way to riches but find every ridiculous claim they makes ends up coming true.

That said, my current focus is to try to build some sort of credibility as a writer by getting short stories taken up, smashing a few competitions and single-handedly saving the world from invading darkness. Of these three options I think the latter might be more straight forward.

** There are currently no weeds on my front yard. This makes my wife happy. She doesn't understand.
 
Last edited:
Hi David *waves* Scottish Mythical Fantasy here :)

We have all been there. I'm one of many unagented authors myself, though ever the positive soldiers we... marching toward our goal. Oh Hell!... my garden's over run with Dandilions! My daughter calls them her sunflowers and pitches a fit if I attempt to pull them. But then that's 4 yr olds for you.

Your novel sounds intriguing... I do love a Gothic tale so I do.

ANYWAY... Welcome to the colony! We are a happy bunch so we are, if a little mad ;) I'm sure you will feel right at home ;)
 
Hi David *waves* Scottish Mythical Fantasy here :)

We have all been there. I'm one of many unagented authors myself, though ever the positive soldiers we... marching toward our goal. Oh Hell!... my garden's over run with Dandilions! My daughter calls them her sunflowers and pitches a fit if I attempt to pull them. But then that's 4 yr olds for you.

Your novel sounds intriguing... I do love a Gothic tale so I do.

ANYWAY... Welcome to the colony! We are a happy bunch so we are, if a little mad ;) I'm sure you will feel right at home ;)

Congratulations on being my first reply. I guess this makes us blood brothers / sisters, or something :)
 
Congratulations on being my first reply. I guess this makes us blood brothers / sisters, or something :)
Or something ;)
Fantasy seems to be a difficult one to get into. Have you sent to Rok and Ace? They are imprints of penguin that as far as I know accept unsolicited manuscripts. In my top 20 publishers for new authors thread :)
I'll probably end up self publishing once the series is complete. I doubt anyone is brave enough to take the risk on my stuff without the backing of enthusiastic readers and proven sales. But hey ho, I'll carry on regardless.
 
Thanks for the tip. I haven't approached any publishers directly yet. I've submitted to six agencies over about two months, with only two rejections so far. I willl add them to the top of the list, though..
 
You know how it is. Sunday morning arrives and there's a rejection letter from your favourite magazine thanking you for your interest but telling you that (after careful consideration) your short story hasn't made the grade.

When this happens, I generally
1) Make coffee
2) Sulk for twenty minutes
3) Do some weeding*
4) Grab the Writers and Artists Yearbook to look for a promising agent.​

Welcome! Heinlein, Asimov, Scalzi fan here, American, SF and attempting Fantasy.
 
Thanks for the tip. I haven't approached any publishers directly yet. I've submitted to six agencies over about two months, with only two rejections so far. I willl add them to the top of the list, though..
I think for book 1 I am up to 20 odd rejections including agents that don't reply to reject.

Fantasy + specialised theme Inc taboo issues + my writing style = rejection

Seen as I won't be changing my writing style (my readers love it) I am pretty much resigned to ending up self published. Not that thats a bad thing at all, just a different approach from the one i originally wanted. Didn't stop me submitting to David Fickling though. By the way if you are going to do that you only have 2 days left to submit. http://www.davidficklingbooks.com/Submissions.php
 
Welcome my fellow literary wanderer, ever searching for that elusive 'One' to make your publishing dreams come true. I'm not sure what my writing classes as, I call it generic fantasy- Gods, dragons, quest to save the world and so forth. Though I devotedly wish I had a garden to weed, I'm sure my husband would say 'You've got enough to do already'. Writing, reading, drawing, learning to work a sewing machine, I have plenty to distract myself from rejections.
 
Hiya MM65 and JS. Sorry to have missed Asimov out of the list! I think the Robot books were the first second-hand books that I bought for myself. You know the kind of used books that are so yellowed they smell like a forest floor? Happy memories.
As for wishing you had a garden... Be careful what you wish for - writing and dandelions don't mix! (unless you're Ray Bradbury).
 
Hiya MM65 and JS. Sorry to have missed Asimov out of the list! I think the Robot books were the first second-hand books that I bought for myself. You know the kind of used books that are so yellowed they smell like a forest floor? Happy memories.
As for wishing you had a garden... Be careful what you wish for - writing and dandelions don't mix! (unless you're Ray Bradbury).
LOL! Yeah, there is that! I've had plenty of second-hand books in my life. Brings back the memories.
 
Hi David and welcome. Just a quite dash by me, off to the ol' US of A tomorrow, but my area is (currently) fantasy set in 16th century Britain, kinda close. Enjoy the site, lot's of useful info and people ;-)
 
Lovely intro... thank you for sharing your journey so far. I am writing a sci-fi series for children aged 8-12. Being a visual learner, I like to show off some of my characters as avatars ;)
 
Hello :) Marris and Wade...different century but something in common; will you be watching Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell?
 
First of all, I made a mistake with my first post. M&W is a 19th century story, not a 17th! Sorry, I had one of THOSE moments.

I most certainly will be watching, although I read the book a few years ago and it took AGES! There is a similarity of flavour, but I won't pretend mine's in the same league!

The main difference is that M&W are accidental magicians with no control over their actions. It's funny at first but the consequences are quite profound by the end.

I must admit that I hope Norrell & Strange start a trend. With any luck it might just help me get through the door somewhere... By the way, I wrote the first draft of M&W in 2004, so at least I was there first!
 
Accidental magicians...interesting. Well, why not. I think Hermetics is borin'. Do they acquire/develop a craft/mode if only to rein it in? Runes, hermetics, simple will-power?
 
Actually, Katie, you've just made me realise - I haven't even uploaded the blurb to my own website yet!

Since you've been kind enough to show an interest, here's the current draft:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Marris and Wade, purveyors of the unusual! For your delight and amazement, we have sights to bedazzle you, wonders to inspire you and terrors to haunt your dreams! For just a few coins, let us transport you away from your sleepy lives to the furthest edges of the world.

“Roll up! Forget your daily drudgery for a little while, suspend your disbelief and let your imagination run riot!”

They came home from the war without their drums, left only with the clothes on their backs and a dislike of being shot at. Marris, the quiet one, had lied about his age to join Wellington’s Army, and then there was Wade, who had cheated and gambled his way out from the gutters of London to secure his place as the Regiment’s lucky talisman, so blessed by good fortune that grown men would fall over themselves to touch his golden hair before stepping into battle.

Wade never lost a bet. Everyone knew it, even General Wellington. The Lucky Drummer was touched by magic.

But magic in the fog of the battlefield and magic in sleepy Yorkshire hamlets are very different things. Words have a terrible power, and people are fragile. It isn’t easy being a charlatan when every word you say comes true.

'Marris and Wade - Demon Bound' is a vibrant Gothic fantasy of tragedy and tall stories, of demons and enchantment, of love, loyalty and lies.
 
Actually, Katie, you've just made me realise - I haven't even uploaded the blurb to my own website yet!

Since you've been kind enough to show an interest, here's the current draft:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Marris and Wade, purveyors of the unusual! For your delight and amazement, we have sights to bedazzle you, wonders to inspire you and terrors to haunt your dreams! For just a few coins, let us transport you away from your sleepy lives to the furthest edges of the world.

“Roll up! Forget your daily drudgery for a little while, suspend your disbelief and let your imagination run riot!”

They came home from the war without their drums, left only with the clothes on their backs and a dislike of being shot at. Marris, the quiet one, had lied about his age to join Wellington’s Army, and then there was Wade, who had cheated and gambled his way out from the gutters of London to secure his place as the Regiment’s lucky talisman, so blessed by good fortune that grown men would fall over themselves to touch his golden hair before stepping into battle.

Wade never lost a bet. Everyone knew it, even General Wellington. The Lucky Drummer was touched by magic.

But magic in the fog of the battlefield and magic in sleepy Yorkshire hamlets are very different things. Words have a terrible power, and people are fragile. It isn’t easy being a charlatan when every word you say comes true.

'Marris and Wade - Demon Bound' is a vibrant Gothic fantasy of tragedy and tall stories, of demons and enchantment, of love, loyalty and lies.

Where can I buy a copy? I must read this!
 
Welcome!

I'm sure that the right publisher is out there for your book. You just have to find the right one. Quoted from DailyWritingTips:

'Then there is the story of Orwell’s novel being rejected by American publishers because “American readers don’t like animal stories!”

...

Two books devoted to the subject give details of now embarrassing reasons given for turning down writers who have become household names:

Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews (1998), Edited by Bill Henderson and Andre Bernard. (“You’re welcome to Le Carré; he hasn’t got any future.”)

Here, with the number of times the book was turned down, are some examples to give you courage next time you receive a rejection letter. (Note: the figures are taken from websites and not directly from the books.)

Auntie Mame, Patrick Dennis (15)
Carrie, Stephen Kng (30)
Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfeld and Mark Victor Hansen (140)
Diary of Anne Frank (16)
Dr. Seuss books (15)
Dubliners, James Joyce (22)
Dune, Frank Herbert (23)
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell (38)
Harry Potter book one, J. K. Rowling (9)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach (18)
Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl (20)
M*A*S*H, Richard Hooker (17)
The Peter Principle, Laurence Peter (16)
The Prncess Diaries, Meg Cabot (17)
Watership Down, Richard Adams (26)
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle, (26)

End quote
 
You see, any normal person would look at that list and feel motivated.

They were proper writers, weren't they?, says the inner voice. What chance would a bumbling amateur like me have?

My inner voice is not my friend. Shut up, inner voice.

And get some work done.
 
Marris as in maris, the sea, and Wade as in what wades in water? I'll pass on buying the terrors to haunt my dreams though. I can have those for free, hehehe.
 
Welcome David! I'm the new New Member — just signed up as well.

Awesome logline, by the way. One sentence, and I already want to read it. This sounds to me like an urban fantasy re-imagining of a Brother's Grimm parable. I would ask for a chapter, if I was an agent. Of course, if I was an agent, I would publish myself too, which I didn't 'cuz I can't. Anyway.

I'm a brother-in-fantasy — 12th century traditional fantasy, myself. Nine rejections / no-responses.
 
You know it really bothers me to hear that agents don't respond. Even if it's a circular - manners cost nothing!

Nice to meet you, Jason. 12th Century eh? Wowzer. Have you read any Karen Maitland?

For what it's worth the current draft of my first chapter is available at my website. I say current draft because every time I even look at it I end up taking a knife to it.
 
I know what you mean, there. Like when you just want to read that part you wrote that turned out just right, and bask in your own magnificence, and — oop, another typo. I'll just fix that. There's another one.

I read the chapter, and I love the staccato, frame-jumping style of shifting perspective. A few things you do very well:
I can tell you really like the time period, and are very familiar with it. You're talking about things that actually happened, like the Anglo-Spanish War. I know when I read it that you did your homework, and you're presenting something that "could" have happened, demon-possessed brooms notwithstanding. That is very important to me for my own work, as well.
I can also tell you're going to weave a very complicated tale, spread between different people in different times, all culminating in one spectacular conclusion. Like Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain.

Crap now I need to read more.
 
Karen Maitland was a name I knew, but to which I had never had any real exposure; I've definitely got some reading ahead of me, now!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Twenty-two Rules to Perfect Storytelling

M

Help! Odd Request

Back
Top