Last year I told you about my first time at The Philadelphia Writers’ Conference. I told you all about my first pitch and how the agent requested the first three chapters of my book. What I neglected to tell you, because I’m so into blogging consistently, is that I sent the chapters late.
This is what happened. I wrote a manuscript 10+ years ago. It took me 6 years to write, and yes, it’s complete. At the time, the goal was to complete the project. Needless to say, it’s high up on the “this sucks” pole. But, what did I have to loose by pitching it at the conference. In the very least, it would be good practice. So, I pitched and she wanted to see the first three chapters. On queue I went into panic mode and read the first three chapters and wailed in despair. There was no way I could send her those chapters!
I recruited my co-worker, who writes & edits, to help me whip the three chapters into sellable condition. A month later, it was done and ready to go. I sent the chapters with a note and waited. And…waited. And waited some more. Finally, I emailed Jonathan Maberry, who is Philadelphia’s Stephen King, to ask about follow up etiquette. He suggested I wait three more months and then follow up. Last October I sent out another email to the agent to inquiry about the manuscript. You know, something light and no pressure to say “hey I sent those chapters you requested. did you get them? did they suck so much that you temporarily lost you sight?”. The response? Nada. Rien. Nichts. Niente. Nothing. Does this mean she’s not interested? I have no clue.
Well, I’m going to the conference again this year. I haven’t worked on the manuscript since last year and had no plans to pick it up until he summer. I haven’t worked on my craft, but I have been reading. I plan to pitch the book again to a different agent (the first agent isn’t there this year). Which means I need to finish writing the second draft of the completed manuscript. I also need to practice my pitch so I’m clear and not all over the place this time. What will be different is that I plan to shop the manuscript this year. What do I have to loose right? Right!
Any advice for a writer in training?
