Monday 10 June 2013

The submission thing

After all my concentrated efforts on editing my first few chapters, I think I'm ready to send off to an agent. Again. The last agent I applied to on 30th January has yet to respond, so I guess that's dead and gone. Looking around the agent listings over the last few days, I notice  many of them now ask for e-mail submissions. Not only that, they have prepared online forms  . Somehow I find these more daunting than the old cover letter, synopsis and three chapters routine. OTOH, it is very clear what they want, which helps, and probably only seems strange because it is new.

I've been trying to discover which agent actually wants historical fiction and pin-pointed one or two who come across well on Twitter - or at least, they come across in a way I like. Not all do, of course. It is interesting to think that agents are - to use that dreadful American expression - showcasing themselves by being on Twitter. I wonder if they think of it in that way? Balancing that and the information they give out on their websites, I have made my choice.

Not all want the historical stuff, unless it creeps under the radar as literary or commercial fiction. I find it difficult to claim that I write literary anything - that is for others to decide. But I think I can claim the commercial tag. Maybe even women's fiction, though perhaps that is too limiting. I'd like to think both sexes would read my book. There are lots of male characters to hold their attention, but there are also two very strong women who have a large part to play in the storyline. The male reaction to having women in any sort of power role back then was so contrary to the general run of things, that it makes for a very interesting time for novelists.
Ah well, off to do that submission thing. Wish me luck!

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