Sunday 24 May 2009

What now?

I've literally just completed the second draft/rewrite whatever you want to call it of BTL and now I don't know what to do. Do I go through it again? Or do I pluck up the courage to send it out to the six agents that I have on my list?
There may still be things that need changing/correcting but I think you could go on doing that forever. Should I trust that there will be enough there for someone to see it's potential or my potential or do I go through it again and change things for the sake of it?
Answers on a postcard please.

3 comments:

Caroline said...

I'd stick it in a drawer for at least eight weeks and start something new. Come back to it in a couple of months' time and read it with fresh eyes - anything that needs fixing will leap off the page at you then.

Annie Wicking said...

P.D James told me, 'You never send your work out unless you are truely happy with it'. It must be remember here that she never suffered a rejection in her writing career, but that was because she was lucky enough to have had her work read and taken on straightaway by a publishing house without having to go through the slushpiles like the rest of us.

I would make sure you are happy with the first three chapter and your synopsis before sending them out Once you have then work back through the rest of the manuscript again after having a break from it for about a week or two. Remember it may be up to six months before you hear anything back from the six agents.

Good luck my dear friend, (((Hugs)))

Colette McCormick said...

Thanks ladies, that sounds like good advice. The plan was to have it ready to send out to agents before the end of the year so I have plenty time to play with. A couple of months sounds like a long time Caroline but I'll do my best. Lord knows I have plenty of other stuff to be getting on with.
I don't think that there is much that I would change I'm quite happy with it but like you say Annie I shouldn't send it out until I am truly happy with it. If it was good enough for P.D. James it's good enough for me.