Writing Update: Time to celebrate!
It was really only a matter of time, but the day has come…
I’ve started querying!
When I began seriously writing again back in 2022, I fully intended to self-publish my books when they were done. I believed that it was the best way to get my stories out into the world. It was certainly the quickest! However, after spending the past year (plus) writing five books and finishing two of them entirely (I’m talking, they’re edited, revised and as good as I can get them at this point), I’ve started really thinking about next steps. I want to create a full-blown career out of this, and I want to at least give the traditional route a fair shot. It isn’t that I’d never considered the traditional route. I think I convinced myself that I, as a disabled neurodiverse person, wasn’t the best fit for the traditional publishing world. I’ve changed my mind this past year, which is why I’m now querying agents with my upmarket novel, When Stars Disappear.
Jessica Faust and James McGowan with BookEnds Literary have said more than once on their YouTube Channel that it’s important for authors to celebrate all the things along the way, so I’m giving that a try here by sharing this next step in my writing journey.
What about the Manifold Chronicles?
I’m still moving forward with having my freelance editor work on the Manifold Chronicles series. They did a wonderful job with book one, and I have full confidence that they can help get books two and three where they need to be. Having done a fair amount of research, I feel more comfortable querying my standalone novel than I do querying book one of a series. That’s for a number of reasons, but primarily: I don’t think agents feel super excited about signing a debut author with a series. I could be totally wrong with that assumption, but enough agents on podcasts and in other interviews or videos have stated that it’s a challenge to pitch those kinds of deals with an unproven author. That said, if I sign with an agent and they’re interested in my backlist, it doesn’t hurt to have those books in good shape and ready to send over to them. So, I’m still working on those books and have every intention of publishing them at some point.
Why now?
Short answer: Because I have finished books, and I’m ready to share them with the world.
Long, more specific answer: Because I celebrated Imbolc and figured—what better time to dive in? Imbolc is February 1st into the 2nd and recognizes the coming Spring, so it’s often used as a reminder to release the old and make way for the new. This year in particular, my focus in meditations was on igniting creativity and growing that aspect of my life throughout the rest of the year. That’s why I decided to officially begin my querying process yesterday (February 1st). I sent out a few more today, but now I’m going to get back to work on my other projects and wait to (hopefully) hear from the agents I’ve queried. I’ve been writing constantly, and at some point I needed to take the plunge and put my work out there.
What am I hoping for?
I’ve sent out a total of 20 queries, and for now, that’s all I plan to do. In my most delusional fantasies, half of these agents respond with full requests, and then all of them offer representation! Although my Taurus traits lean towards setting extremely high goals and standards for myself and my life, they also bless me with the ability to get practical and keep my feet on the ground with my dreams. So, I’m fully aware that my actual stats are probably going to differ significantly from what I’m hoping, but I’ll continue to hope nonetheless. I have a handful of dream agents/agencies I’d like to work with, and then another 15 that I’ve researched and feel would be a good fit for me as well.
What’s next?
Now, I get back to writing. I’m about 15k words into another standalone novel, and I think the concept has a ton of potential. It’s got similar vibes to When Stars Disappear, so hopefully if an agent picks me up with this book, they’ll be excited about Curses & Curios as well. Basically, I’m going to keep writing! Whether or not I end up with an agent doesn’t impact that part of things; I’ll write regardless. I’ve got writing groups and critique partners to work with (both on their projects and mine), and am building up the courage to start posting things on TikTok other than writing/word count updates.
Final Thoughts
I truly do hope I find the right agent for me and my writing career. If I don’t find that with this book, then it will be with a future one, and that’s okay, too. I’m not going to go out and query 100+ agents. I’m not knocking the writers who do that, but it’s not for me. I have a very specific vision for who I want to work with, and I don’t plan on querying random agents who I can already tell from my research don’t align with what I want or need in a business partner.
I’ll keep you posted when I start getting responses. Wish me luck!
