Every first Wednesday of the month, the IWSG (Insecure Writer’s Support Group) engages writers to share their fears, thoughts, progress, struggles, excitement, encouragement, or anything really, about their writing. A different question is posed each month as a writing prompt. Answering it is optional. For November, the question is: “What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story?”
This amazing, supportive group of writers was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Today, the co-hosts are Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie. Feel free to swing by their sites!
My answer to the question
As a non-fiction writer who mostly shares personal experiences, my research is quite boring and usually involves fact checking, consulting my diary, or searching for photos in my archives to get a better picture – Do I have that location correct? Is this name spelled right? How long was that distance again?
I imagine fiction writers have much more exciting answers, so I’m looking forward to reading about their strange Google results. It should be fun!
My book progress
In the last few months, I browsed 780 agents on The Directory of Literary Agents. That was after scouring the Manuscript Wishlist website in the beginning of the year and submitting queries to the people of my choice there. While on #MSWL, you have to open each agent’s page separately (and I didn’t know that I could select “memoir” as a genre back in January; I remember weeding through every profile to single out agents representing memoir, before reading on), The Directory of Literary Agents allows you to expand the bio of each agent, so you can have a look at 27 agents per page. There are 29 pages… This task took a while.
Some of them provide heaps of information, others just one line. I was attracted to agents who enlightened me about what they are actually looking for, more than all their accolades, best-selling clients, and lifetime accomplishments. I’m not impressed by their achievements as much as by their personality, dedication, and personal interests that might align with mine.
It takes about half an hour to scan/read one page with 27 agent bios. I’d select the names I’m interested in and copy them into a spreadsheet. Then, I find their email addresses, guidelines (on the website of their agency), and add what I like about them into separate columns, in order to personalize the query letter. That’s as far as I got, after my parents left and before we departed Newburyport, Massachusetts in our camper van Zesty. We’ve been on the road driving and sightseeing again for the last ten days.
What’s next?
I now have a list of 130 potential agents, of which I unsuccessfully queried 80 throughout the year. I’m determined to contact the other 50 in 2019 as well. But… my query letter needs revising. Again. That will take time and inspiration. Plus, creating 50 more query letters is no joke either. And, I read somewhere that agents won’t touch anything between Thanksgiving and the New Year. So, my deadline is November 28th, three weeks from now. Until today, I thought this was possible, because Mark and I are settled in the same spot – a campground in Kentucky – for the rest of the year. Alas (or not), other, paid, work is flooding in, which always takes priority.
Anyone willing to place a bet whether I reach my agent submitting goal by the end of November?
November 6, 2019 at 13:27
Goals need to be flexible. Even if there is a holiday lull, it might be wiser to wait until after the new year anyway. That way your letters will reach agents who are refreshed and ready to re-engage, not ones who are scrambling to wrap things up for the holidays.
November 6, 2019 at 17:06
That’s a good point, Janis. I’m often too demanding (and then disappointed) in myself. While I’d hate to “waste” another two months without progress with this memoir, it would make my other tasks – and life in general – less stressful.
November 6, 2019 at 13:36
Speaking from experience, the publishing world practically comes to a standstill during the holidays. Waiting until after the new year might be a good idea. People often have a new, more fresh mindset at the start of a new year. You’re doing great, Liesbet!
November 6, 2019 at 17:10
Hi Jill! You are such a fantastic cheerleader! Since you speak from experience, I’ll have to believe you. 🙂 I know last year, I purposefully waited until the beginning of the year before I started querying. Maybe I’ll try to get just a few more in this year, after reviewing my query letter and start fresh myself in the new year. If conditions are favorable for computer work. You never know with us. November and December will mostly be spent inside, hence my initial hopes to get heaps done…
November 6, 2019 at 17:15
I believe in you, Liesbet! Squeaking in a few before Thanksgiving is probably fine. It seems the time between the end of November and the first of the year is really slow. I understand you wanting to take advantage of the indoor time. Maybe you can start writing that traveling on shoe string budget book! 🙂
November 6, 2019 at 17:24
Haha! I wish I could, Jill. Really. But, in the next three weeks, I have a 22,000-word translation from English to Dutch to start and finish, five blog posts to create and post, two books for others to proof and beta read, three magazine departments to edit, and a dog to exercise as my husband will be working a ten-hour night shift. I also have about 100 article ideas and four other book ideas to start on. I’m so glad we are settled at a campground right now, and I don’t use those words lightly, being a boondocker who prefers nature and privacy to electricity, internet, and water. 🙂
November 6, 2019 at 14:48
I bet you will submit to some of them! What you don’t, catch next year. Don’t give up hope.
November 6, 2019 at 17:11
I think you’re right, Alex! I should be able to send a few more out this year and then, get cranking again next year and join the IWSG Twitter pitch party. Again!
November 6, 2019 at 15:52
I have to agree with the first two comments. Even agents take a break this time of year. When you do sub your material, I hope you have good luck with placing it. I love good non-fiction.
November 6, 2019 at 17:12
Thank you for the advice and the encouragement. I have no idea how authors – and quite a few IWSG blogging friends come to mind here – manage to write one book (or more!) a year!!!
November 6, 2019 at 17:30
Zesty! What a great name for a camper. I wish you the best of luck with your agent search. Yeah, that’s a pain, but it sounds like you’re taking a very organized approach. I bet you’ll reach your goal.
November 6, 2019 at 22:42
Hi Rhonda! Thanks for swinging by and for the support. With time on my side, I will reach my goal. 🙂 The brand of our camper is a Mercedes Sprinter Westfalia, hence his name “Zesty, the Westy”!
November 6, 2019 at 18:28
You might want to check out https://www.agentquery.com/ to keep all your queries straight. Good luck.
Anna from elements of emaginette
November 6, 2019 at 22:44
Thanks for the tip, Anna! I will have to check it out later this month.
November 6, 2019 at 19:38
I admire your assiduously applying yourself to agent hunting. Emaginette, above, seems to have a good link for you. Truthfully, I’d probably be dead by the time an agent wanted to take a chance on me because of my age. While this sounds, flippant, I don’t intend it to be. I read the workload your anticipate in your answer to Jill’s comment. What will get you through these tasks and one day publish your book is dogged determination. You have what it takes. I wish you happy, good luck in ALL your pursuits!
On another note, the Pennsylvania state capitol building is regarded as among the most beautiful, both interior and exterior. You know I wish you the best – and a great big ((( ))) too!
November 6, 2019 at 22:51
I think you used the perfect strategy and approach for your memoir, Marian. While I read and heard enough how long it could take to find an agent, I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. And, probably like every other aspiring author out there, I thought “maybe I’m different and I’ll get lucky quicker.”
I can’t thank you enough for your continued support and cheering me on! It means a lot to me how much you believe in me. And, you’re right, I’m not one to give up easily. Is that called determination or stubbornness? 🙂
I have to say I was incredibly impressed with the Pennsylvania Capitol – the interior and exterior – but I had no idea it was known for being a beauty. As you might know, we don’t plan or read much but swing by these places quite spontaneously. Unfortunately, having Maya and little time, we didn’t go on a tour.
November 6, 2019 at 23:50
Hi, Liesbet – I agree with Janis. Setting the New Year as your goal may help you catch agents who are feeling refreshed and not scrambling into the yearend. It may also give you a bit more breathing room.
November 9, 2019 at 20:49
Thanks for the input, Donna! With my current work load, I don’t see it happen that I reach my goal, so the breathing room might be just what I need! 🙂
November 7, 2019 at 01:28
Wow, a daunting task indeed! Even if you don’t get ALL the submissions done, you’ve already accomplished a lot.
As a fiction writer I’m always researching oddball stuff on the internet, so much so that “oddball” begins to feel normal. I actually wrote a blog post on it a few years ago – the top oddball searches then were “do bees defecate” and “can bears vomit”. (Yes, I used the results of both those searches in the book I was currently writing.) This is why I love fiction-writing!
November 9, 2019 at 20:54
I can only imagine the research you have conducted and come across on the internet over the years, Diane! I am glad that you are finding the answers you need and I’ll have to check out that blog post of yours one day. I’m sure it’ll crack me up, just like all your other blogs!
November 7, 2019 at 16:28
Looks like you’ve gotten some great advice, Liesbet, to wait until after the holidays to get those letters out! I’m feeling like an insecure writer these days, too, as I shared on Jacqui Murray’s post earlier in trying to put the finishing touches on my fitness book. But my paying job and other distractions of my own making are vexing me! I’m hoping to take a blogging break in late December, early January to not only take another road trip but to write along the way…and I see how well (haha) that works for you! I get like you and make up my mind about deadlines and then…STRESS!! I’ve given myself a goal to self-publish the book for a summer launch although I was hoping for February while fitness goals and New Years resolutions are still a big deal. Love your pics as always and enjoy Kentucky–I read it’s awfully cold there!!
November 9, 2019 at 21:02
I wish you all the time, opportunity, and determination to write along the way on your road trip, Terri! Unless you are able to do this while Hans drives, it might be tricky. You’ll be too busy visiting with family, sightseeing, taking care of the dogs, taking photos, writing down impressions and blogs, or just sit and listen to music or stare outside, as life on the road can get exhausting.
That being said, I hope you can get back to your book soon. I know from experience how these projects get pushed to the bottom of the list. I’m so proud of you for how far you’ve come, all things – and especially the teaching – considered! And, I totally hear and feel you about stress. While nobody probably expects it, I’m constantly stressed!
It’s easy for others to tell you to not be too hard on yourself and to ease the deadline, but, without deadlines, we won’t get anything done, right? 🙂
It’s been crazy cold here in Kentucky and there’s more freezing to come. But, I think in about a week or so, it will get a bit better.
November 7, 2019 at 21:47
That is an impressive list and lots of research put into it too. Great Job. Happy Belated IWSG
November 9, 2019 at 21:10
Hi Juneta! I might have gone a bit overboard with my list of agents, especially since I don’t see light at the end of the tunnel and I’m not getting any luck snatching one of them. Thank you for reading and commenting!
November 7, 2019 at 22:10
Dear Liesbet, You’ve made such excellent progress already, I wouldn’t bet against you but hope that the daunting workload ahead will leave a little room for you to work toward all your goals. Your blog is such a bright spot of adventure and commitment. I appreciate your commitment, enjoy your photos, and will hope for good news on your progress. Pet the dog for me and may November be your best month!
November 9, 2019 at 21:13
Hi Beth! My work load has become gigantic right now, so I have to focus on my current translation project, which consists of 22,000+ words and requires 10-hour days behind the computer for a little while… So, you called it about little breathing room for anything else. 🙂 Thank you for appreciating my blog and lifestyle, for the encouragement, and for the pet on the head (that’s Maya thanking you for that one).
November 8, 2019 at 09:58
You are doing great… Keep going, and I am sure your will achieve all your goals in time
November 9, 2019 at 21:13
Thank you for the encouragement, Damyanti! One day, I will be a published author as well! 🙂
November 8, 2019 at 11:25
That just means you don’t have to worry about watched by the FBI than the rest of us do. 😉
November 9, 2019 at 21:14
You got that right, Patricia! Although, maybe the FBI is after me for other things in real life… 🙂
November 8, 2019 at 13:06
50 query letters seems like a lot to write up in three weeks. I’m sure you can do it if you really want to but I imagine after awhile you’d get a little query weary. I admire you determination!
The pic with the body on the gurneyis a bit creepy. Looks like you visited some interesting sites in “Almost heaven, West Virginia.”
November 9, 2019 at 21:18
Hi Duwan! Remember when Mark did a quick search online to see what there is to do in West Virginia and he mentioned the Asylum? I guess we made it there – and it was a creepy (and ice cold) place – but not to the Penitentiary. I truly liked “Almost Heaven, West Virginia” and listened to that song ten times on the road. 🙂
And, you are right. 50 query letters is way too much to handle, especially since I got a massive translation project I didn’t count on. Good for the money, but that memoir bites the dust again! So much to do, so little time!!
November 8, 2019 at 20:45
I have faith you can pull it off! Good luck!
November 9, 2019 at 21:26
Thank you, Shannon! I am reconsidering the amount of queries this month, however. 🙂
November 9, 2019 at 14:05
Liesbet, you always amaze me. You can do anything you put your mind to. You go, girl! All best to you.
November 9, 2019 at 21:27
Thank you, Victoria. The problem is that I put my mind to too many things, so I never reach my goals… 🙁
November 11, 2019 at 20:46
I admire your tenacity on sending out so many queries and the time-consuming looking them all up. Heck you could have published your own book in all this time, lol. So I wish you luck that you hit the right one soon! <3
November 12, 2019 at 00:04
Aren’t you rubbing it in, Debby! 🙂
You are so right, though, with all the time and effort involved in all these agent pursuits and creating a complete book proposal I could have published my own book. But, I’m a perfectionist and have no idea how to improve my memoir manuscript at this point, except by finding a publisher or paying (big money that I don’t have) for a professional editor. Besides I’m one of those people who has to try it the hard way first. Or, better, who has to try it every which way to then settle on one way and regret trying all the other ways. 🙂
November 12, 2019 at 10:49
I totally respect that! 🙂
November 13, 2019 at 21:10
🙂
November 15, 2019 at 20:12
That many would take me a year or more, so full marks to you and good luck. Well done, for getting this far. (I’m just slow these days.)
November 16, 2019 at 19:40
Hi Roland! Better late than never… 🙂 Thanks for including me in your IWSG rounds! Some time has gone by since I posted this industrious goal of mine and so far, I’ve had ZERO time to even think about my memoir pitch, let alone create more queries. At this pace, it might take me a year as well! On the up-side, I’ve been extremely busy with “real” work, so at least I have been making money these last two weeks. 🙂
December 22, 2019 at 15:06
Oh Liesbet, reading about your efforts with agents makes me dread that stage when I get to it myself. As you know, I have taken a detour from revising my book and started another novel. An avoidance strategy?
Good to hear that both you and Mark have some paid work at present. Although it takes up precious time, I’m sure the extra money helps reduce other anxieties.
Jude
December 22, 2019 at 18:21
Yeah… the writing and editing is much more fun than this part of trying to “sell” the book. And, I’m not looking forward to start all over again and research the self-publishing route, plus professional editors and cover artists. Sigh!
If I were to do it over again, I’d have skipped this entire process of finding an agent, which cost me an entire year! I would start with contacting niche publishers, which is now my next step.
Making money is always good. Enjoy your writing and rewriting projects! 🙂