Welcome… I’m New Here! The Loneliest Chapter of my Writing Career (help a new girl out)

[RedSquiggle]

Aw, everybody says that. And that'sthe beauty of this. It's about the optics. It's reality TV. They want young people.

If your favorite songs are a clue...you've lived enough to have something to say, You have a young daughter. She may be a mother someday .Seriously, what does she need to to know about that journey to and through motherhood? Memoirs have evolved. They dont mean what yu think they mean.

If I write a memoir at this point in my life, people will think I'm going into politics. GAWSH, I really don't want people to think that.

I will reconsider in ten or twenty years. For now, I want my three kids to learn from what I've done and am doing, not what I said I've done. Y'know? And I think I can make more of an impact right now through fiction than I can through a memoir.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

Aw, everybody says that. And that'sthe beauty of this. It's about the optics. It's reality TV. They want young people.

If your favorite songs are a clue...you've lived enough to have something to say, You have a young daughter. She may be a mother someday .Seriously, what does she need to to know about that journey to and through motherhood? Memoirs have evolved. They dont mean what yu think they mean.

But if young daughter is anything like me, she won't want to be a mother. Ever. There's lots of other journeys to know/escape into.

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

Sorry @Bloo, you're outnumbered. Tennant was my favourite Doctor too

 

[Pamela Jo]

If I write a memoir at this point in my life, people will think I'm going into politics. GAWSH, I really don't want people to think that.

I will reconsider in ten or twenty years. For now, I want my three kids to learn from what I've done and am doing, not what I said I've done. Y'know? And I think I can make more of an impact right now through fiction than I can through a memoir.

OK. The point being that if yu want to get published in this day it helps have to stand out in some way. Blogging, competition, reality TV. That's one reason Pete started the blogging feature on here that will be on all social medias. And then there's adventure. Two weeks in Peru all expenses paid with a chance to do nothing but write everyday....

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

OK. The point being that if yu want to get published in this day it helps have to stand out in some way. Blogging, competition, reality TV. That's one reason Pete started the blogging feature on here that will be on all social medias. And then there's adventure. Two weeks in Peru all expenses paid with a chance to do nothing but write everyday....

Or you might meet Paddington and have a very grand adventure.

 

[wrightstuff]

Ah, but aren't they all marginal chances? [She said with a wry smile.]

Have you seen the stats on QueryTracker? We're talking 0.5% positive reply rates for the bulk of agents listed there. So, in a sense, it is still a numbers game--as much as that irks us "right-brained" people.

The issue here is how stats works. It's not cumulative in this case (it's cumulative in very few real-world cases, but let's not go down that rabbit-hole!) EACH query has a statistical probability of 0.5% ON AVERAGE. This is a statistically meaningless number. If you put your head in the freezer and your feet in the oven (it's actually physically possible in my kitchen), ON AVERAGE the ambient temperature is OK. That's how useful averages are in most cases.

Yes, the odds may be long in most cases, but by selecting those agents who meet certain criteria (I will leave it to the more experienced to help there), you reduce those odds dramatically. I have experience of pitching to investors. Similar odds and averages, hence my rant about stats! Find the right agent with the right pitch, and you are in. Possibly.

 

[RedSquiggle]

The issue here is how stats works. It's not cumulative in this case (it's cumulative in very few real-world cases, but let's not go down that rabbit-hole!) EACH query has a statistical probability of 0.5% ON AVERAGE. This is a statistically meaningless number. If you put your head in the freezer and your feet in the oven (it's actually physically possible in my kitchen), ON AVERAGE the ambient temperature is OK. That's how useful averages are in most cases.

Yes, the odds may be long in most cases, but by selecting those agents who meet certain criteria (I will leave it to the more experienced to help there), you reduce those odds dramatically. I have experience of pitching to investors. Similar odds and averages, hence my rant about stats! Find the right agent with the right pitch, and you are in. Possibly.

I'm sure you're right (now that I think about it, it makes sense), but I ended up going indie, anyway. Published my first yesterday. I'm happy with my choice, especially since I knew the odds were stacked further against me because of my presence in political commentary.

Life advice: don't start your writing career in politics. You can end it in politics, but starting it there is painting yourself into a corner---and it takes a long time for that paint to dry.