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A bit of Sparkle (a long and sad tale)

edited June 2006 in - Writing Tales

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  • So, said in an American style presenter like way: 'Here's the thing':


    Two years ago I wrote a book, it was begun with a published author, and for that reason a contact was made at Times Warner. An editor read it, loved it and passed it round her colleagues for consideration, the manuscript came back to me with the feedback: The concept was great, the characters strong, and the writing good, but it needed work.

    I thought about it and thought about it, could I afford another year of coming home at 7.00 writing for hours and not going out. No development was offered but the editorial feedback was so positive, I felt like I had to go for it, give it my best. So, I did, I did everything that was suggested, most of it, I happened to agree with, although I suspect some of what was good was lost in the re-write as well as loosing some of what was not good.

    I returned the manuscript, to my elation the editor tells me I've done a fantastic job. The book is passed around and then I’m given the news, it's being given to the commissioning editor. You can imagine the excitement. With people at Times Warner liking it, my friends loving it, how can it fail?  However, there is a snag, when the book was begun, it was begun with a published author, and although his input was minimal, had his name not been there I would have been unlikely to be looked at all.


    However, once it was re-written by myself and re-read and approved, I thought great, the book had been called ‘fantastic’ on it's own merits and although the published author was now out of the picture it wouldn’t' matter as it had already been seen by someone within the company and would now be given a fair chance.

    I had taken a gamble, a gutsy, greedy gamble: I went part time to complete the re-write.  It's virtually impossible to work in a London City school and not return too drained to do a thing afterwards, especially in a first year of teaching. Writing has always come first for me.

    So, with lots at stake, I was left waiting (as you would expect) for a decision, the editor is hopeful, I'm hopeful, my mum is hopeful as is my Dad, my man, my dog, my fish, and my pants-we're all hopeful. After a couple of months, I’m told: The commissioning editor has made notes and is going to send them on.

    Sensing a knock back. Getting notes doesn't sound like getting an advance does it? I prepare for disappointment. The notes don't come, so I ask and I wait and I ask and I wait. Is getting notes good, or bad? Nobody seems to know. Sounds quite important: Notes, from a chief commissioning editor at Times Warner.

    Finally I get news, no offer will be made; the book needs a little work. Disappointing of course, but I prepare for some constructive criticism. This commissioning editor will know something after all, and after a year's work and a big let down I'm desperate for her expertise. I'm desperate to know, that there is some kind of process with some kind of integrity, that having a few people like quite a bit of my book, I’d got somewhere quite fantastic. 

    From the point in which I had been told that no offer was being made, but notes had been made and were being sent, there was a six- week wait. I was even told that the notes had been emailed and bounced back.
    Finally two weeks after the alleged bounce back, the notes arrive.

    The notes say, the book needs a bit of oomph, a bit of sparkle. There was nothing at all specific to the manuscript; nothing to suggest it had been read at all, only a suggestion that for an unknown writer to be read it was better to have work submitted through agent-books given through an agent must take priority in being read. In short my manuscript had not been read at all.

    I know this note is slow and laborious and probably makes anyone reading think 'that explains the rejection'. You probably even doubt that that is the case, but I know that is exactly the case. The ms, is not slow at first, perhaps in the middle, certainly not at the beginning. And what writer doesn't know a book needs oomph? What writer doesn't know that you have to capture your reader's interest from the offset? I tell year 7 pupils that in English lessons; you would assume a writer of a book knows that, even if they hadn't achieved it.

    I am sorry if my notes here are too much to take but whom else if not you could be interested in the writer's plight? And importantly, What do I do? Have I turned my rant skilfully into a query? Perhaps.

    I have a great story, I know I do, and a very publishable book. Yet I've tried every agent and despite having an extremely positive response from a few have failed to be taken on by any. According to the chief publisher you need an agent, and you can't get an agent without a publishing deal?

    I think I know one possible answer. What I think I’ve learnt is this: I feel now, more than ever that whilst it's our jobs to keep going, get better, and deal with criticism and rejection, you also have to be your own critic in some ways. Listen to the guidance of your favourite writers, both the dead and the living. Whose to say some big wig on a salary who can't be arsed to read a script because it hasn’t come though a good sales person has really something more significant to say than your mum?
  • Sorry to hear you've been having a spell of up and down with this project.
    Get all the angst out of your system first.
    I don't think TimeWarner are being very adventurous,like a lot of publishers at the moment they are scared of taking a chance on anything, and are falling back on the agented submissions, as it means someone else has said it's okay.
    What we know, and they don't, is that they are the ones losing out by their need for a security blanket.
    Don't let this get to you, believe in yourself. Persevere, as writers are always being told.
    Hope things look brighter tomorrow.
  • Hi Carol, that's very sweet, I was expecting people to recoil away from such a torrent; it certainly feels better to let go of it. I shall persevere, there's no alternative is there? I'm sure things will look brighter again.
  • Keep at it catbox.  Don't give up.  Persevere.  Everyone needs to vent one in a while.  And we're always here to lift you up again.   
  • Hi catbox!
    Don't give up! Never! Just know that there are people here on Talkback who care for fellow writers, me being one of them. I can only dream/hope of getting as far as finishing my novel.
    Hang in there!!! Enjoy the sunshine today. Drink some wine and be grateful for the things you DO have.
  • Lots of sympathy Catbox. A cautionary tale indeed. I can imagine your disappointment having got so far. I did wonder if there had been any change in personnel down the line? Is the first person who liked it the one who eventually said no? Don't know what genre you've written but it might be worth approaching one of the groups that specialise in your area EG Crime writers association might run competion for first novel. The Romantic novelists association do and for £90 they critique your whole manuscript. If its any good they send for second reading and might send to agents. Or try the Macmillan new writers scheme. They will read whole manuscripts. No fee.
    I have stopped trying to find an agent. It's virtually impossible. I'm now going to work on the principle that I have to interest a publisher with the first three chapters which is marginally less virtually impossible.
  • catbox, you must be gutted.  To be given all that hope only to have it taken away must have been such a wrench.

    Take solace in your friends here (and that's what we are, after all), keep writing, because that's what you do, like the rest of us, and don't let the bastards get you down.

    Someone will take on your book.  If you like it, if you think it's marketable, then there's every chance someone else will think so, too.  David Bowie works on the principle that if he likes what he's done, what are the chances of no one else liking it?  Virtually zero.  Think of it that way, and you'll just carry right on until you get lucky.

    Chin up.
  • They really messed you about! I never found an agent, but I did find a print-on-demand (not publish-on-demand) publisher who are very good.
  • Don't be disheartened.  Well done on completing the ms, on  gaining some positive responses from agents, and for having enough faith in yourself to say you know it's a good story.  Hang on to that self belief.  If you believe in yourself and you keep working away, looking for other markets and opportunities, I'm sure you will get there. 
  • Could you use your experiences as a theme for your next book?

    A publisher would get plenty of publicity (which leads to sales) if they published a novel about callous publishers!
  • Want to thank you all for your replies, they mean so much, such an array of excellent and helpful considerations.

    As for the last suggestion-using the experience-funnily enough I was feeling so mad I was wondering how many angry mad writers there must be out their who feel blighted and cheated. It wouldn't really be my genre (i'm scared to think too much in horror) but it made me think of a 'phone booth' scenario, where some writer has a vendetor against a publisher. 

    I'm definately considering the self-publishing, and 'slightly virtually less impossible' routes
  • Sorry you had all the hassle and pain.

    You read all the time how people have been given contracts and taken on by an agent ages after the initial MSS been sent, but its the people on the streets that determine if a book is a success or not, and many authors only get offered a % not an advance if they are lucky enough to get an agent.

    We'd rather have the whole profit from sales (over 1500 books as of today (£7485.00 gross, and just over £4000.00 net profit after printing and expenses) and thats since the start of this year..........if we waited years hoping for an agent, then got a 10% commission on a 'fingers crossed' shop sales basis............ then we'd be pretty poor! 

    It depends what you want,. if its fame and fortune straight away then you'll have to keep trying for the top brass agents to hopefully take you on, if you want to see your work on display and actually being bought, self publish and get out there and meet the general public, they're a freindly helpful bunch.

    Try to avoid POD unless it is a really good deal, after all the 'add ons' (plenty of people here will help you avoid the bad ones) etc

    Good luck whatever you decide.

    Gary and Carol :O)
  • Don't give up catbox. There is some excellent advice in the above replies. Lots of bestselling authors have had their early work turned down by people who are afraid to take a risk. I'm sure you will get there eventually. Don't let your faith in your own ability be shaken by this.
  • Hi Catbox,
    Please carry on and just submit it again to any relevant publishers/agents. It is heart-breaking and cruel for publishers to ask us to spend hours and hours of our time, energy, research and writing only to then say, sorry, it's not quite right for them. This happened to me too, I added 30,000 words to the book and new chapters and all sorts. When I'd done, they said no.
    I do have a publishing deal with another (better IMO) publisher for my non-fiction now, so it can be done, persevere and good luck next time.
  • 'A bit of Sparkle'? It would be nice if they could define this. Goodluck Catbox!
  • Thank you all for your supporting comments in empathising with the sense of disappointment and in the supportive comments too perservere. One of my fellow writing friends reminds me that no writer worth their salt has not experienced a fair share of rejection. In this case i genuinely didn't think it was the rejection i found so hard, but the dishonest and patronising cotempt betrayed by the email i got.

    i was wondering if jay or Gary could give me any idea how much someone self pulishing would be looking at spending. I don't intend to do it yet, i think some time on other writing projects and then perhpas a revision of the novel would come first. But, in the climate we live in, self publishing certainly holds an attraction. I also notice that Balzac who is my favourite writer went down this route. Can't imagine what that must have meant for someone born in those times-although he did work in printing and probably got a good deal.
  • Hi, Catbox. I'm not self-published. My publishers are BeWrite Books, and I haven't had to pay them a penny even though they do editing and proof reading and sort out ISBNs etc. I pay only for books I order, and receive royalties on all books sold. I think the majority are via Amazon. Good luck!
  • sorry, wonder why i thought that. Interesting, i was just answering your query on the other page.
  • Catbox

    I am a ass sometimes!!!!!!!! (no need for others to verify that!)

    I just emailed you :o) and put our website as '[email protected]'  it should be 'www.puddledocklanebooks.co.uk'  sorry :o\

    lol

    Gary.
  • Gary, I just checked my email addess, but didn't receive your mail. I was wondering how do you find a members email?
  • Its a bit tricky but once you know ;O)

    Click onto 'Members' profile' in the oblong box above you, then look for the name you want to email, you will see a + above a - and if you place your mouse's cursor over it, it will say contact member, click onto the + or - symbol and then you can email :o)

    I think Webbo sends any email from talkback direct to your personal email (I think) it should auto send emails to your personal email I would think.

    Failing that click onto our site and you can get my email there :O)

    Gary.
  • I mean a * above a - not a + above a -


    Gary :o)
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