Effectively waging the war - Writers Forum

McParadigm · 01-12-2006, 06:35 PM

I recently completed a literary manuscript, and have been firing off query letters. Fifteen total. I have no previous publishing experience, but I've been writing my whole life, and I've put a tremendous amount of time and effort into this work...in preparing for the possibility of rejections, which of these would be my best move in continuing to press for publication:

1. Publishing short stories in journals and magazines so I can list previously published works.

2. Firing off ever more query letters, possibly even to places that I have already submitted to (I'm not sure why this last part might be a good idea, but it does seem like the market for mainstream literary fiction is less expansive than more genre-oriented writing).

3. Continuing to revamp the query letter (any help with this would be appreciated, by the way).

4. Beating my head against the wall.

5. Something I haven't thought of or listed here.

Shade53 · 01-12-2006, 07:07 PM

all of the above... just be careful with #4 as you may find yourself having to patch up said wall.

~S

McParadigm · 01-12-2006, 07:29 PM

Thanks. I was hoping for maybe a little more direction than that, but thanks.

For example, how much does it actually help to have published short stories, even one or two, when trying to attract attention to a manuscript?

Where is a good place to turn to get criticism on a query letter?

Do I really want to send query letters to places I've already been rejected from? What's the function of this, and how different does the new query need to be?

SeattleGhostWriter · 01-12-2006, 08:55 PM

I would seek out literary mags, query and start getting some of your work published. Keep sending out query letters to literary agents for your work and begin to work on another project. Some good literary presses you may want to check out is Glimmer Train, Ploughshares, Ghettysburg Review, etc. These are either quarter or bi annual mags, but Glimmer Train pays 700.00 (either upon publication or acceptance) for short stories. The three listed here are high end literary publications, so you may want to read some of the work published in them.

mammamaia · 01-13-2006, 02:04 AM

you don't say what the 'literary ms' is... is it a book?... a mainstream novel?... something other?...

as for your questions:

Quote:

For example, how much does it actually help to have published short stories, even one or two, when trying to attract attention to a manuscript?

...depends on what the ms is... if it's a story, then yes, it helps a great deal if you've had other stories successfully published in known venues...

...if you're trying to sell a novel, it doesn't help all that much, but it does tell the agent or editor that your writing is good enough to have been published... if the places you've been published are not well-known/thought-of, however, it's best not to mention it...

Quote:

Where is a good place to turn to get criticism on a query letter?

...i help folks with their queries all the time and would be glad to give it a look if you email it to me... you can also post it here, for a public critique...

Quote:

Do I really want to send query letters to places I've already been rejected from?

...you might want to, but i wouldn't advise it...

Quote:

What's the function of this, and how different does the new query need to be?

...are you asking if you should send a query about the same work a second time?... that would be foolish, imo... if not suicidal, since you might be remembered and become the latest joke passed around at publishers' conventions... if you do it anyway, i wouldn't mention the prior submissions and pray no one remembers...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

McParadigm · 01-13-2006, 06:51 AM

Thanks for all the help! A few things:

1. I've been sending short stories out to places like Glimmer Train, and will continue to do so. I figure previously published shorts is better than nothing at all.

2. The manuscript is a novel.

3. I will definately be sending you my query letter, and will appreciate any assistance with that.

mammamaia · 01-13-2006, 06:50 PM

any time, mc p!