It was always going to end in rejection

Evening gang,

I'm going to open with a positive. I've written just over 20,000 words of the new Mitch and Rupert novel! This week I've managed to tap out a few words at work because I've been in a different, very quiet, office. It took a bit of effort to get back into the story but it's all good now. I've added a prologue to kick start the action. As ever I'm writing in a pretty visual way for when the series is picked up to be a film or on tele (let me dream!!!) and the opening scene is pretty shocking, not so much because it's a bit violent, but because of the way the violence happens. You'll learn more when it's finished!

And now the negative. Regular readers will recall I sent a submission to Simon Trewin in the middle of June. I was pretty cross with myself for doing it as I know that rejection is the most likely outcome. So it was no surprise when I received an email from Mr Trewin's office politely declining my efforts. I won't bore you with the details, a no is a no however you dress it up. I was miffed at first but then realised I had lost nothing and I've been there before.

And now more positives to finish. I've got 1200 Twitter followers, thanks to all of them (a few more retweets of my promo stuff would be nice) and over 300 FB friends so my network is growing nicely. I've also sold a few copies of my Christmas short story which I find amazing given that it's July (much appreciated though). Finally, it's the 50th anniversary of the worlds greatest rock and band. If you need me to point out who, then really, what have you been doing all this time? There's talk of a tour next year and I might, just might, have a sniff of a box seat to see them at Madison Sqaure Garden in the Big Apple.

Night...

Another agent submission

Morning gang,

I've only gone and done it again. Fresh from submitting a chunk of the Jazz Cafe to Simon Trewin in mid June, last night I sent the same package to Carole Blake at Blake Friedmann.

Twitter is once again responsible. I found Carole via Simon's follower list and, of course, recognised her name from past rejections and because her agency is a big one. So I followed her on Twitter and she's pretty prolific. I then found myself repsonding to a tweet and, shocker, she replied. Nothing major, just a comment on something someone else had said. I replied to that and she replied again.

That started me thinking I might as well send something in and, after pondering it all day yesterday I finally sent off the submission last night via email. Then I went to bed...

I awoke this morning to a read receipt from Carole at about 8:30. I know I know, it is likely either an automatic response or one of the staff, either way it's keen to get a response on a Sunday. Of course, much like the submission I sent to Simon Trewin, I will now think about little else for the next fortnight. Hopefully this will be the last time I submit because I always feel miserable afterwards.

Right, I'm writing for a couple of hours before the Wimbledon final. I suspect this one might have the highest viewing figures since the early 80's when Borg was about. Murray vs Federer. History made either way. Readers of this blog know who I want to win but I hope it's a classic.

The Stone Roses and Agents

Evening folks,

It's been a very lively few days and in all the excitement I forgot to mention I went to a concert on Friday night. Myself and a few friends went to see the Stone Roses at Heaton Park, their first gig of any note in over 15 years. I won't bore you with the details because if you're interested you were either there or have watched the videos on Youtube. Suffice to say, in years to come I will be able to say I was there and it's something that I and my friends will talk about whenever we meet up.

Aside from that the wife turned 40. I went large with the present budget which seemed to be the right play. Lots of tears and talk of it being the perfect weekend. So that's not done me any harm long term.

One thing I haven't done is write. Not a word in weeks. It's a particular shame because the new Mitch and Rupert book was pouring out of me. I've decided to print off what I've done so far, read it and try to get back into the flow. Fingers crossed.

Still no response from the material I emailed to Simon Trewin, but I've let it go now. On the other hand I did get a couple of Tweets from Carole Blake so I'm toying with the idea of sending something to her. Humour me, I have a blind spot when it comes to rejection.

Sales remain steady, if a little slower which I'm putting down to it being summer and my doing less promo. Mind you, the British summer has been so bad I'm surprised more folk aren't indoors reading.

Until next time...

Emails and Venice

Evening groovers,

As predicted I've been over thinking the submission I sent to Simon Trewin. That said, it was a bit strange. I sent the email around midnight and received a read receipt at 6AM. So I awoke to find it waiting for me and was immediately a bit excited and then a bit curious as to who on earth was opening emails at that time.

Later, at about 10:30AM I received another read receipt for my email which made me more curious and a bit more excited.

I also spent a bit of time thinking about Carole Blake (of Blake Friedmann agency) because she is on Simon Trewin's Twitter list so I know she is on holiday in Venice. I have just booked to go to Venice so I began to wonder if this was a sign that submitting to Simon was the right move.

You see how these things mess with my mind? This is exactly the reason why I was so unsure about sending anything in the first place.

In other news I've sold a few books today which is good and the revisions for the paperback version of All the fun of the Fair are progressing. I've done about half the book so it should be ready early next week. Needless to say I'll post updates on here.

Sadly I've not written much but I'm just too damn tired. I managed a couple of hundred words of fairly meaningless prose last night and I've just not had the inclination tonight but by the time I got in from work and shopping and had tea I fell alseep on the couch and that was it. I've got a couple of days in the Lake District booked at the end of the month though so hopefully that might help the creativity.

Until next time...

The need for submission

Morning folks,

I thought I was cured. I honestly thought it was behind me, that I had rid mysef of the demons and that the darkness had lifted. Tonight, however, I succumbed and gave myself over to desire and embraced my weakness. Tonight, loyal reader, I submitted a letter and novel extract to a literary agent.

I know, I know, it's pointless, futile, humiliating. My only excuse is that I could not help myself.

After years of being oh so close, after having my own agent, after contact from one of the biggest publishers in the world and then nothing, I thought I had learned. The advent of Amazon's self-publishing option seemed to scratch my itch. I was able to sell my books, even in paperback, worldwide and it felt good. My mother is proud of me. I am a published author who recieves royalties each month.

So what happened? A single Tweet from Simon Trewin. Who? He's a partner at WME in London. He rejected my earlier work years ago when I didn't know any better. But the world is smaller than it's ever been.

I started to write crime fiction. Simon tweeted that he'd like to see some. I was unable, perhaps unwilling, to resist. Despising myself, I attached an extract to an email and sent it off within the last hour, knowing in my heart that Simon will never even see it. One of his team, a subordinate with two less degrees than me, will glance at my email, the attachment might well never be read. Later, perhaps in 6 weeks, maybe 2 months, I will receive a standard reply thanking me for my submission but politely declining. They will wish me luck elsewhere and I will be despondent.

Until then I will think about the submision every day, outwardly claiming not to be bothered, expecting rejection, while inwardly praying for acceptance.

Amazon's self publishing option has allowed any author to make their work available to a global audience. I have sold my books in Germany, the UK and America, in ebook and paperback. The reviews have been, without exception, fantastic. My social network is growing exponentially.

Would I change all of this for a leading agent and a publishing contract with Random House (or similar)?

Let's wait and see what Simon says.