RE: Reply to emails on google groups

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lynne pardoe

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Jul 19, 2013, 11:30:46 AM7/19/13
to Alexandra Weston, jackie ladbury, Jo Walter, Helen Rolfe, Julie Heslington, deirdre...@aol.com, lorraineh...@googlemail.com, helen...@btinternet.com, thewrite...@googlegroups.com
Hi all, thanks for listening earlier in the week about mum. Suffice it to say she behaved better yesterday, cos she was alone with me and there were no other competing family members around. She will go in a book one day!

I just wanted to add what agent Laura Longrigg from MBA agents said when I went to the woman's weekly day she said sometimes books are rejected for no better reason than an agent already has one in a similar setting or whatever. It isn't necessarily about being badly written. I hadn't really realised that and thought that there was some sort of magic, poetic just right way of putting the words down which would guarantee sale, but Laura said even badly written books sell if the idea is good/different. Maybe they edit it together?

I think I heard about the festival of romance in beds before, I think it was for readers but I could be wrong.

I'm the same with baking, just not very good at it. I do love eating it though!

Lynne x



 

CC: jowal...@yahoo.com; helen...@hotmail.com; juliebear...@yahoo.co.uk; lynne...@hotmail.co.uk; deirdre...@aol.com; lorraineh...@googlemail.com; helen...@btinternet.com
From: alexwe...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Reply to emails on google groups
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 09:49:20 +0100
To: ladbur...@gmail.com

Hi Jackie
Sorry I meant to send you the Piaktus Entice information earlier this week but I've had insanely busy week at work and not had a minute. I promise I'll get it over to you this weekend. 
Love
A
xxx

Sent from my iPod

On 19 Jul 2013, at 08:46, jackie ladbury <ladbur...@gmail.com> wrote:

Aww Jo what a lovely email. I was told last year that a book set in England will always sell well as the whole world loves England!! 
 I've never particularly fancied reading a book set in Australia ( except for A Town like Alice) but it wouldn't stop me from reading it if it was a good book- Could always change the setting? Reminds me of the time Carole Matthews was asked to change the car she'd written a book about, so she could get funding from Ford ( and she made a mint out of it) Turned her Beetle car into a KA.
Rejections are hard but even harder when I read a rubbish book and think, why has that been published? Luckily for you lot I have to go to work now as I could feel a bit of a rant coming on!! 
Has anyone been sent information about this Festival of Romance in Bedford -autumn time? I'm really not sure who it's aimed at and what it's for. Can any one enlighten me? I do see that it has the Piatkus info on it, tho. Alex did you say you have some inside information it, as I'd quite like to send two chapters but are not sure what they are specifically looking for.
Have a cool day everyone!
jaxx


On 19 Jul 2013, at 08:20, Jo Walter wrote:

Hi Helen
 
I agree the rejections can be disheartening, but there were some things from the conference that it might be worth you bearing in mind and one thing I thought of in particular for you.  Anna Boatman, from Piatkus, spoke about the need for books to have global setting and themes.  Although the theme element is the most important, she specifically mentioned that books set in Australia do not currently sell well in the US or UK markets.  Of course, as with everything, there will always be breakthrough books and books that buck the trend, but as aspiring writers we are pushing our pianos uphill anyway...  So, it maybe worth bearing in mind with your next setting and also worth remembering that the rejections may have nothing whatsoever to do with your writing, themes, plot, characterisation or voice (all the really important bits, which I am sure you are great at) and the decision not to accept the MS may hang on something as simple as the setting, given the market we're now in.  On the other hand, Choc Lit have just taken on a book set in Australia and that writer has done well in the past, so there is no reason why yours won't find a home *:) happy.  All I wanted to say was not to be too disheartened, as there might be a really good reason why you shouldn't take your rejections personally, since they almost certainly have nothing to do with your ability.  My baking on the other hand is dire, but less disheartening to have a Victoria sponge that has taken you half an hour to make turn out to be a flop, than it is a novel that's taken considerably longer!  Hope you get some wonderful news soon.
 
Jo x


Apologies for sending via email but I still can't reply via the google groups...
 
Hi all, it sounds as though the conference was a lot of fun and a good learning experience for you all.
 
Wow, 9 months now for Choc Lit is ages! I did submit to them early this month so I have a long wait to find out anything. I now have 8 rejections out of the 24 submissions I made (agents apart from choc lit). It's very disheartening I have to say...I can't fall back on baking like you, Jo, as I don't think I'd be good enough at that! Most agents are just sending standard responses that they have to really be a hundred per cent in love with a book to take it on.
 
Pitching to Mills & Boon would be a good experience whatever the outcome - I've heard they're very particular about what they take.
 
I've no idea what "Middle Grade" is either...sounds interesting!
 
Thank  you to everyone who sends links about competitions...I head straight for terms and conditions now because often they're only for UK residents. What a pain, would've loved to enter the Marie Claire comp.
 
Anyway, I have procrastinated enough today, gossiping with another school mum for an hour at the end of the driveway! So on with the writing...
 
Helen R.
 
Subject: Re: Replies to google groups
To: helen...@hotmail.com; juliebear...@yahoo.co.uk; lynne...@hotmail.co.uk; alexwe...@gmail.com; deirdre...@aol.com; jackie...@aol.com; lorraineh...@googlemail.com; rdt...@gmail.com; helen...@btinternet.com
From: jowal...@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 22:19:20 +0000

Hi All

Contacted Rhoda Baxter tonight to pass on our congratulations about her announcement on ROMNA that she has signed with Choc Lit and asked her about doing an interview. I also cheekily asked how long it took for her to get the feedback and she advised almost six months to the day. That would put me in September and Deirdre in January before we hear. Not sure about Helen R's submission date, but a long wait all round I suspect. So, if you are thinking about them even as a possibility, it might be better to do it sooner rather than later and just keep sub'ing elsewhere in the meantime.

Congrats to Helen P too for getting all those words down! Looking forward to seeing most of you the day after tomorrow and wish the rest of you could make it, but we will drink to you in your absence!

Jo x
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
From: Helen Rolfe <helen...@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:59:09 +1000
Subject: RE: Replies to google groups

Hi all,
 
Google groups still not working for me so I'm replying via usual email. I can read all the mails though which appear in my mailbox.
 
Well done everyone on getting those manuscripts out there. I'm sure I was far more positive before I actually sent mine off! I have 5 rejections under my belt now...also have a full out with choc lit but I understand they are very slow to get back with an estimated waiting period of 4-6 months and sometimes more.
 
I have also turned to chocolate and it is not good! I said to my husband last week that if they could at least space my rejections out a bit then I wouldn't be scoffing too much every day, but when they come in I do get in a bit of a bad mood and the sweet stuff seems to give me a bit of a lift! It's school hols here and we made chocolate cupcakes yesterday...I ate far too much!
 
I hope you're all excited about the conference and that you get loads out of it. I can't wait to hear about everyone's experiences. Are many of you doing pitches?
 
Looking forward to hearing all about it, and Helen P, well done on the 5000 words - I saw your update on Twitter!
 
Helen R.
 
 



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