S.M! A few questions from your new friend in the desert!
Q. Did you/are you looking for a literary agent too or just going right for a publisher?In truth I went straight to the publisher. Tor Fantasy is one of the very, very few publishing houses that still accept unsolicited manuscripts. That is a rarity indeed! I really would like to be published by Tor. They have published some of my heroes (Steven Erikson, Terry Goodkind and Sara Douglas), so I would consider myself to be in good company if published by Tor. Of course, with such a big publishing house, my chances of getting an offer are next to nil, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway.
The problem is the waiting. They did say that it would take between 2 and 6 months before I got word from them. As of the 25th of this month, it will officially be 3 months. Now, I did tell Tor that I would wait until I heard from them, or until the 6 month deadline is passed before I try and sell my work elsewhere. I intend to stick to that. Of course, once that's over with (or I get a rejection before hand), I intend to solicit any publishing house that still accepts unsolicited manuscripts and I will query every agent I can find.
- After I've started reading George R.R. Martin's stuff, though, I would like to be published by Bantam books also (Never mind that they've also picked up Erikson). He's an excellent writer, and also brilliant company to be involved with.
- I flatter myself.
- Strange, this urge to get published....
Q. Did you publish your first series? (you probably answered this on your blog, but I'm asking anyway 9-)
I haven't published my first series. The Great Man was the first series I have ever written and as an unknown, it's going to be ridiculously difficult to get it published. Yet I am determined. I hope I have thick enough skin for the rejections....
Q. How do you find time to write 3K words/day? I can barely average out to 1,000 (life always gets in the way).Well, Gerard, I'm about to make you very envious. I write at work... during work. You see, I work as a receptionist and it isn't the most demanding, or even interesting, work in the world. In fact, when I was hired, I was told that I was welcome to bring a book to read. I thought: 'Brilliant! I'll bring a book to write!' So I did. I hadn't finished The Great Man series at that point (and I had no idea I had written four books either). I finished it at work, started my blog, and then a brand new story, which is flying along at a fantastic pace, as you know.
- It takes me roughly three hours (give or take - including phone call interruptions and so forth) to write 3 000 or so words, so I'm usually done my goals by midday (that's 12 noon for the North American folk). There are some days when I just can't seem to work up the necessaries to write. With all the kittens finally being given away, I'm hoping that won't happen any more. Writer's block may eventually happen, but so far hasn't and as of yesterday morning, I'm a little passed half-way done.
I'm also very fortunate in that I don't have any children to look after, or a husband, or even a boyfriend for that matter. Most people wouldn't view that as a bonus, and most days I don't either. The one silver lining that it does have is that without all those distractions, I have plenty of time to write and dream.
Given the same life demands as others out there in the writing world, I'm sure I would not be able to manage 1 000 words a day, at all!
Best,
g- Thanks Gerard! I hope I answered all your questions to your satisfaction.
- If anyone else has questions for me, please feel free to post them in the comments, and I'll answer them as soon as I can.
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