Hope To Hear From You

It’s been a busy week, Modern Philosophers.  There’s been snow, frigid temperatures, and now I seem to have caught a cold.  The last one is nothing major, but there’s been some annoying coughing and disturbed sleep.  Don’t worry, though, I stopped on the way home yesterday to buy cough medicine, cough drops, soup, and ginger ale.  If that doesn’t cure me, then I’m a horrible doctor!

I’ve also been busy sending out query letters about the Detective Bruno novel.  I’m lucky to have some writer friends who have taken the time to shepherd me through the process.  One of them was kind enough to introduce me to the magical kingdom that is the Manuscript Wish List, which has been an incredible resource for discovering agents to query.

As I’ve written before on this blog, I am not good at selling myself.  I’m an introvert and just want to be left alone, but apparently, if I want to get a book published, I actually have to reach out to total strangers and ask them to be a part of my life.  I’d complain to whoever came up with that brilliant idea, but that would mean having to reach out to another stranger, and that’s not happening.

I just want people to read my manuscript, work it out amongst themselves as to who’s going to represent me and who’s going to publish the book, and then get back to me when it’s all been decided.  This having to ask (beg and plead) with people to read my writing does not make me happy.  In fact, it causes high anxiety and is probably the reason I’ve fallen ill.  Sure, I’m being dramatic, but focus groups have told me that you guys enjoy a little drama mixed in with the humor on here.

Regardless, I’ve done my best.  I’ve spent what felt like the past decade perfecting my query letter and polishing the manuscript.  I’ve finally decided to put myself out there, and I’ve done so with vigor.

Thus far, I’ve sent out about twenty-queries and have received only a single rejection in return.  Now I just have to wait.  And I’m not good at waiting.  So I send out more queries.  And now I have to wait to hear back on those.  It’s a never ending circle of anxiety.  Why am I doing this to myself?

The important thing, though, is that I’m doing it.  I posted on Facebook the other day that querying agents is a lot like using a dating website.  I weed through all the bios in search of a perfect match.  Hell, I’m just looking for someone willing to take a chance on me.  Then I send an email to some total stranger and try to convince him or her that we’d be great together.  Finally, I wait for replies and grow increasingly frustrated when they don’t come.  And then I swear off dating forever.  Wait, now I’m confusing myself.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m still here and haven’t forgotten about the blog.  I have put the current serial on hold because the recent rewrites of my manuscript made me realize I had to make some changes to the new story.  Don’t worry, though.  Aspen, Tex, Champ, and the rest of the gang are eventually going to get an end to their story.  After all, it’s going to become the second book in the Detective Bruno series.

Well, it’s about time for my next coughing fit, so I’m going to wrap up this post.

Hope you’re all doing well.  If any of you decide to become literary agents, please let me know so I can send you a query letter.  Please just don’t make me wait three months for a reply…