#tradpub

Are you ready for SIDE QUESTED IN BOOK FORMAT?!

Because YES! It's gonna happen!

And me and @kbspangler are not even talking about a Kickstarter, it will be via TRADITIONAL PUBLISHER!

I'm really excited to have such a positive response, but I'm also not sure yet how to implement her feedback. She said that the aspect of Wallace & Mirsky being outsiders in their societies by virtue of being sexual & ethnic minorities was "buried" and that it needs some work to bring it to the surface. I thought it was already on the surface! I'm gonna do some thinking and solicit some more feedback, but I do think I'm gonna try to revise & resubmit to her standards. I'm just not sure how to go about it just yet.

My next step was going to be to write a synopsis (of the current draft) to submit to a bunch of other agents who require synopses, but I'm not sure if I should do that if I'm going in for another rewrite? Like should I continue submitting draft six to other agents while I'm preparing draft six for the revise-and-submit agent? I'm not sure if Draft Seven will be like, objectively better/more publishable, just more catered to this specific agent's tastes? but maybe it will be more publishable?

AHHHHHHHH thank you so much! Yes, I often feel like an anthropologist studying modern-day America just by dint of reading so many books and comics, and watching so many films set there! It's a fascinating place. This book is my thesis paper!

I can only claim partial credit for my portrayal of the good ol' US of A - my initial draft was crammed full of international spellings and silly assumptions (there was originally a functional train system in Sunnylake...) that my marvellous Betas, agent, editor and proofreader helped me weed out!

I'm really glad you enjoyed the story! Thanks so much for letting me know!

Buy my book here (USA)!

IT FINALLY HAPPENED! Y'all, you can now pre-order my first book! It's called Carnelian, it's being published by Inked In Gray press, and it ships on Sept 23rd. There is some really RAD MERCH along with the pre-order if you get the whole package, like goth-style notebooks, stickers, etc. And more to come!

When Jesse Westchurch finds out he’s dying, the last thing he expects is his old college roommate, Lucy Callahan, to climb through the second-story window of his quaint Long Island house and turn him into a vampire.

Millennial vampires are killing the killing industry by refusing to sacrifice humans, so Jesse doesn’t even have to drink blood. The ancient vampire government, Carnelian, offers distilled blood pills. But they come at a price: you work for them, you get your supply of pills. Sure, sometimes the work is dangerous, but they are sparing innocent lives.

The truth comes to light when Jesse figures out that Lucy and his sister, Ciceline, are Carnelian’s most skilled assassins, forced to pay off a century of debt for their blood pills.

I have a whole YA fantasy trilogy coming out from Peachtree Teen, but it wasn't easy getting to this point. I was rejected A LOT!

If you'd like to learn more about my debut novel, click on the link below.

Sky's End by Marc J Gregson: 9781682635766 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The ten things I've learned on my journey:

1. The industry is so subjective

What one person loves, another person may hate. A rejection doesn't mean you've written a bad book. It might even be great! A rejection simply means it is not the right fit for the other person. Put yourself in a bookstore, and imagine that you're only able to buy just ONE book. You better love the one you pick, right? That's how it is for publishers. They have a big selection, and they get to be very choosey.

2. You don't have to agree with the feedback your agent/editor give you.

BUT be very careful about just disregarding it, too. These are industry professionals who have likely spent many years building their expertise. If they find something wrong with your manuscript, maybe you don't make the changes exactly the way that they ask, but maybe do them a different way.

3. Keep an open mind to feedback.

Whether this comes from your beta readers, your agent, or your editor. NEVER close your mind to possible adjustments. If it helps improve your book, you should consider it. And if you're not going to make the changes, come up with a stronger answer than, "I don't feel like doing it." In my experience, agents and editors alike will allow you to "push back" if you have strong, valid reasons for doing so.

4. Perseverance is key.

If you want to get published, you will get rejected A TON. It's just the reality of the business. There are a lot of people who want to get published, but there are only so many open slots. It's tough. You have to write something great, and write it at the right time, and send it to the right person just when they're looking. There is some luck involved, but if you've written something truly great, you always have a chance.

5. You're going to have to give up on some books.

This is the unfortunate reality for most writers. They spend six months to several years on an individual project only to watch it get rejected by everyone in the industry. It's disheartening, but rejections are not an indictment on you, your writing, or your books. Nearly every great writer had to put away several books before they got published. Brandon Sanderson, who earned 55 million dollars last year, and is an enormous success in the fantasy genre, wrote SEVENTEEN books before he got his first book deal. Me? I wrote SIX books before I got my first book deal, and my sixth book required some massive revisions after I signed with my agent.

6. Getting a literary agent is incredibly difficult.

If you want to get traditionally published by a major publisher, you're going to generally need a literary agent. And literary agents act as the first "gatekeeper" into the industry. Without an agent, a major publisher generally won't even consider your project--unless you're lucky enough to know someone at a publisher. But the good news is, once you get a good agent, you're very close to getting published. It's MUCH easier to get a book deal once you have an agent, than it is to get an agent when you're first starting out.

7. Every book you write will have its own set of challenges.

As your writing ability grows, you'll find some parts of writing becoming much easier, but you may discover that you need to challenge yourself in new ways. Character arcs, multiple plotlines, non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, themes. Writing a book is very complicated, and difficult. Keep challenging yourself and pushing your writing to be the very best you can make it. Eventually, you're going to build up so many skills that you'll be doing things that you wouldn't dream of five years earlier.

8. Build good writing habits

Set a schedule for yourself if possible. Maybe you write every day, or a couple times a week. Write when you're excited to write. Write when you're not excited to write. Write when you have lots of energy. Write when you have none. Write when you are happy. Write when you are sad. I've found some of my best writing has happened right after something bad happened to me. It's cathartic, and I've found my writing to have an extra level of emotional complexity, too.

9. Never compare your journey with other writers

It's easy to compare, but comparison steals all happiness. There's always going to be someone who is more successful than you are, who got an agent quicker than you did, who sold more books, whose books reviewed better than yours. Comparing is only going to make you miserable. On the flip side, it's not a great idea to compare your successes to another person's failures. You are on YOUR journey. It belongs to you and to you alone.

10. You are your best asset