I just got an out of State call, so I ignored it.
They left a voicemail.
Odd.
I checked it...
A publishing company in Pennsylvania is interested in reading my manuscript for a children's book! I have to call "Olivia" back to discuss it. Exciting, huh!?
I'm not getting my hopes up, but I am. However, not so much about this Children's Book. I'm more excited about the confirmation that when I feel set to run with an ACTUAL book that I've poured my heart in to....it could ACTUALLY happen.
That's what these Baby Steps were all about....
I'll keep you posted!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Call Back
Posted by Miss Taken at 1:48 PM
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9 comments:
!!!!!
Like I said, I'm not getting too excited. They may say it's crap. They may like it. They may ask me to put up a thousand dollars to print it - to which I'd laugh and be on my merry way.
I'm just doing all of this with something that I don't particularly LOVE, just for the experience of it. We'll see. Who knows.
Actually, prior to submitting it to them, I rewrote the middle bit - YET AGAIN.
WOO HOO!!
I wish I got a call back...wait, you said you actually sent something out first?
That might be my problem ;)
Typically I haven't - the few times I've done it. But I read somewhere that it may be best to send out a short letter explaining your writing and asking if they'd be interested in reading it. I've sent out a couple of those and BAM, heard back from one.
Rumor has it that this place is a vanity publisher...so, if that's the case I'm not interested. I want work I'm really proud of to be published because a publisher believes in me and that I'll make THEM AND ME money. Whereas vanity publishers are all about YOU forking over the dough to make them money in the end.
Regardless, I am taking Baby Steps. Dr. Leo Marvin would be so proud.
Good research!
As far as queries go, if you're writing short fiction (picture books, easy readers) you can usually send a the whole manuscript, with a good cover letter.
If you're talking novel length, then definitely query, and consider looking for an agent as well.
Sounds like you can write a pretty solid pitch, but if you ever want/need some good feedback, pop over to verlakay.com. The folks on the message boards are great. Really good critiques.
I've totally surfed those boards from your suggestion last month - they're great! :)
Lily, generally I would/will do what you've said. Obviously a kid's book isn't a chore for anyone to read...the query was done online though - they don't except manuscripts unless you sell them on your idea first. Again, not a huge fan of this publisher (as I believe they are vanity) but it gave me something to do! lol
Well I thought I posted this yesterday - but it didn't show up. . .
I have a writer I work with that just sent out a note saying she had her first-ever childrens' book published. When I asked what inspiration she'd have for wanna-be authors I know, she simply said "Tell them to do it!"
She sent out a link to her new book on Barnes & Noble.
Baby steps to writing too! Take the words and the pages and the art and do it.
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