Submission Time

Well friends, it's happened.

This morning at about 7:11, I pressed that foreboding grey button, and thrust my works into the hands of metaphorical wolves. Not real wolves, publishers. That would be cool if they did print it off and feed it to wolves  though if it's bad. Then I might feel alright about it if I get rejected as long as one of the wolves was wearing a Go-Pro camera or something.

Yes, the partial manuscript, synopsis, and query letter for BATTLE FOR HISTORY: THE GUARDIAN'S WEAPON has been given to Shadow Mountain publishing. In their courteous notification email, they informed me that it would probably take 12-16 weeks for them to respond to my submission. Ah well. While I bang my head absently on any solid surface near me, I'll also be doing some edits on the original manuscript.

What I did was submit two or three chapters, choosing to go the "partial manuscript" route instead of the entire thing. So while I'm waiting three to four months, I can make sure that the entire thing is absolutely exquisite!

You know, even if it doesn't get accepted by a publisher, I'll be alright with it. I might have a tiny bit of a breakdown for a week or two after the rejection, but there won't be any permanent emotional scarring. I'll move on. Maybe do some self publishing after I polish it up a little. The great thing about going to Shadow Mountain, is that they are a subsidiary of Deseret Book, along with another publisher called Ensign Peak. (Caters to more LDS Audiences) In the submission guidelines, it states that all three publishers use the same submission channel, so my manuscript will technically be going to three different publishers, three times the chance of acceptance!

Oh, and now I have a sonic and a bow tie, it's been a pretty good day.

TJ Meanea

The Query

Authors, listen up.

Arguably (and I'm sure arguing it) the most important piece of any manuscript submission is the query letter. Now don't get smart with me, of course you need a solid manuscript to send in, but in order for your publishing company of choice to even look at your story with any amount of seriousness, you've got to grab their attention, lasso it with a rope of intrigue and brilliant writing. They've got to instantly be dialed in to your query letter from the first sentence.

Now, I'm not going to write an entire guide to writing these book maker/breakers, I'll let others who want to put in a lot more effort than me do that,  but I will offer a couple pieces of advice. The first one?

1. Follow a widely accepted format. You're not going to grab attention with a complicated and hard to understand letter. All you will do is tick of the people you want to be on good terms with. Logic tells us this is not the best course to take, like kicking a sleeping chimpanzee in the mouth that just had its wisdom teeth removed.
2. Get to the point quick. Don't use fifteen words when ten will do just fine. You want to be clear, but concise. Tell the story of your book in the summary in full. Publishers want to here it. Though you want to be careful that you don't spoil the end. Leave them wanting more, but wanting it because the story has interested them, not just because they don't know what happens really at all. 
3. Match the tone of your book. If your submission is non-fiction, then type a business-like formal query. If your book is a humorous fiction piece, then write the piece in a funny way, while still adhering to the basic guidelines for a query letter. 

Yup, that's pretty much it. If mine gets accepted 12 weeks from now, I might post it up here for you guys to see. Because by then, it doesn't matter if it's completely barbaric or not, because it got accepted. Assume if I haven't mentioned anything about it, it's because doing so would cause severe emotional trauma for me (it having been rejected) , and possibly you. I'm sure I could find a way to sorrow about it through a blog post, and neither of us wants that. 

Tata for now!

TJ Meanea

Works Cited

Most advice for writing these letters came from the following websites. Visit them for more info. 

http://markjayharris.weebly.com/the-secrets-to-writing-a-killer-query-letter.html (That one has language) [as in bad language, of course all pages have language you smart alec!]

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/03/secret-strength-of-killer-queries.html (This one is funny)

http://diannej.com/blog/2012/09/3-keys-to-a-killer-query-letter/

Do What You Love

Did you know that writing a book is really  hard work? Well, if you didn't, you do know. Congratulations.

The reason I bring this up is because I have been researching all the different ways to get a manuscript ready to send to a publisher. (Small time publishers. If you want to go big, get yourself an agent buddy) So, first you write your manuscript. This could take a couple months, or it could take years. That is some serious work your putting into it. Then comes the agony of editing, which I've monologued about before. Yowza. Then you have the mind-bending anticipation and anxiety of sending off to a publisher (or agent) and waiting endlessly for a reply. Sometimes it feels like you want it to come back, but then you think that you might be rejected and thus fear for the arrival of a response.

Physical, psychological, and emotional exertion are required for this process.

The point?

Do what you love. Writing is a lot of finger straining work, and you'd better enjoy if you want to be a novelist. You've got to love it, and love what you write. Make it your story, or it'll be no good at all.

And watch out for USB cables. They seek the downfall of humankind. Just something to think about...

TJ Meanea

Excitement

That title looks so appealing, doesn't it? If the title is "Exciting", then it should also be exciting! That's just a word. Maybe if I put some pictures of small dogs up there it would excite some people. I don't know. Despite the lack of POW in my title, I am extremely excited today!
Do you know why?
Because I just received one hundred pages worth of edits to my manuscript yesterday! I know, I know. I just barely finished bemoaning the existence of edits, so why would I be bouncing off the walls about it?
Because after these edits, I have the option of finally submitting my preliminary chapters of manuscript to my publisher of choice to accept for publication!
YIPPEE!
Yeah, CAPS lock might've helped the title, but it's too late now. Yes it's true. These edits are pretty much all that stand in the way between me, and the submission of my manuscript.
Just wanted to step in and let you all celebrate with me! (Party music playing in the background.) It's awesome to have such a skilled friends like Zack Hall and Laura Hall, they rock! Deseret Book here I come!

TJ Meanea

Hydrogen Peroxide...?

Story

Do you know the feeling when you get a cut on your hand, and your mom grabs the hydrogen peroxide and douses your hand. It only takes a moment for the tickly-bubbly feeling to turn into a searing pain that makes you wish that you could just detach that particular limb and be done with it.
She tells you that the little pain is worth it, that it will turn out better in the end, but you're just gritting your teeth and trying not to smack your hand on the door frame.

Why?

Wondering what the moral of the story is? Well, some people say that some kinds of pain are good for you.
For instance, the pain of editing the life out of a manuscript that you poured your heart into. If your editor has done a fantastic job, as mine had, you might pass out at the sight of how much red the paper is soaked in. It looks like someone used it for a strawberry cutting plate. Fear not, this is a good thing.

Then

Slowly, ever so slowly, as I get further and further into the edit, I discover that my manuscript is a metaphorical Phoenix, it rises from the ashes of ruination, even more majestic than before. 

I give you a thumbs up if you laughed at the image of me speaking so poetically. 

Anyway, editing hurts, sometimes real bad, but your editor took the time to put this much work into it, probably killing of a whole package of red pens,  because your manuscript was worth it!

Be thou not discouraged fellow authors, press on! Just thought I'd pep talk you all for the day.

Ta-ta!

TJ Meanea