tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post1930375116570633420..comments2024-01-12T11:26:35.176-05:00Comments on Working Stiffs: The Difference a Year MakesWorking Stiffshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270595837074553752noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-3905795284366801262010-05-20T21:20:15.504-04:002010-05-20T21:20:15.504-04:00Welcome Tamara -- enjoyed your post!Welcome Tamara -- enjoyed your post!PatRemicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-72227891232222508282010-05-19T23:00:48.981-04:002010-05-19T23:00:48.981-04:00Really enjoyed this post, Tamara. Thanks for shari...Really enjoyed this post, Tamara. Thanks for sharing and for the words of advice.Ayleennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-65133218519979296472010-05-19T17:03:59.443-04:002010-05-19T17:03:59.443-04:00Welcome to Working Stiffs, Tamara!
Excellent debu...Welcome to Working Stiffs, Tamara!<br /><br />Excellent debut post. And, yep, I sure have submitted too early. I hear / read somewhere that back in the day, agents expected the ms to be 50% ready for submission. Today it's more like 85%. Like Jennie said, it has to be as close to perfect as possible. <br /><br />Paula MatterPaula Matterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11267473939908195962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-46151229176356025912010-05-19T15:11:18.206-04:002010-05-19T15:11:18.206-04:00Good luck with your submissions, M Pax!Good luck with your submissions, M Pax!Tamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01816106870127354391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-40903424913748718552010-05-19T15:04:51.213-04:002010-05-19T15:04:51.213-04:00Yes, I submitted to early a year ago. Reworking it...Yes, I submitted to early a year ago. Reworking it now to be ready for my pitches in August. I will do better.M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-58810598229172993302010-05-19T11:52:48.368-04:002010-05-19T11:52:48.368-04:00Ah, Wilfred. Good edit. It's what I meant to s...Ah, Wilfred. Good edit. It's what I meant to say, but not what I said. <br /><br />Thank you, and thank you for the welcome!Tamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01816106870127354391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-71612140717622394672010-05-19T10:55:25.594-04:002010-05-19T10:55:25.594-04:00Welcome Tamara.
I'd like to edit one line in ...Welcome Tamara.<br /><br />I'd like to edit one line in your words of wisdom.<br /><br />DO NOT SUBMIT UNTIL YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY READY!<br /><br />DO NOT SUBMIT UNTIL THE MANUSCRIPT IS ABSOLUTELY READY!<br /><br />And not just the first three chapters, the entire novel. We've all made that mistake. It's our nature.Wilfred Bereswillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03019217952304685255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-48297777719192271062010-05-19T10:37:57.895-04:002010-05-19T10:37:57.895-04:00Laurissa - thanks for the comment. I'm honored...Laurissa - thanks for the comment. I'm honored to be a part of your writing pointers collection. When you're ready, I'd really like to read some of your pages. <br /><br />See you soon!Tamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01816106870127354391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-87159798278238577102010-05-19T10:36:45.061-04:002010-05-19T10:36:45.061-04:00Ah, Joyce, the Octopus. Yes. I considered it. I th...Ah, Joyce, the Octopus. Yes. I considered it. I think it may be my next post here in two weeks. I have some ideas brewing, but I felt like I needed a bit more distance from the conference before I jump into that experience. As you know it was a bit jarring!<br /><br />Good luck querying the project this time around!Tamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01816106870127354391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-84267483034858409792010-05-19T09:39:17.787-04:002010-05-19T09:39:17.787-04:00Tamara, I thought you were going to post your phot...Tamara, I thought you were going to post your photo with the octopus?Joyce Tremelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498392016497131719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-39448126525177443032010-05-19T09:38:03.782-04:002010-05-19T09:38:03.782-04:00I've definitely made that mistake. After I was...I've definitely made that mistake. After I was dropped by my former agent, I sent out my 2nd manuscript too soon. It was good, but not good enough. I've since revised it at least five times and I'm querying again.Joyce Tremelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00498392016497131719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-37327219292080241622010-05-19T09:16:10.875-04:002010-05-19T09:16:10.875-04:00Annette - happy to be here! Yes, Tim touched on th...Annette - happy to be here! Yes, Tim touched on this at the conference. Alex Glass did as well. It was the lesson of the conference for me. I've since organized my revision notes into a detailed plan, which I will get to after leaving this comment!<br /><br />Alan, thanks for the advice, but you don't give up either! I love the manuscripts that are rough and waiting, sitting in a drawer - great material for the future. Give it another look. You may be surprised. Thanks for your comment.<br /><br />Jennie - looks like you and I were destined to intersect! You've been envisioning my name for some time now - in many different forms. Thanks for your encouragement. Can't wait to hear more about Tamara Grimaldi.<br /><br />Ramona - fresh perspective is huge. That's great advice. So great to see you at the conference. Thanks for the comment!Tamarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01816106870127354391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-35087215371748998802010-05-19T08:57:09.431-04:002010-05-19T08:57:09.431-04:00Tamara, a very wise post.
At Pennwriters, one age...Tamara, a very wise post.<br /><br />At Pennwriters, one agent said a primary reason she rejects manuscripts is that they are submitted before they are ready. Another said, if she requests major changes and the author returns it in a week, it makes her wonder. <br /><br />It takes less time to write the first draft, edit that draft, let it sit a while to give yourself some space from it, and go back and look at it fresh, than to write it quickly and waste a lot of time and opportunities getting rejected because you did a rush job. Patience really is a virtue.Ramonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00627775403015684868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-24759149004774083492010-05-19T08:47:10.537-04:002010-05-19T08:47:10.537-04:00Welcome to the Stiffs, Tamara. I have a character ...Welcome to the Stiffs, Tamara. I have a character in my new series called Tamara Grimaldi. Homicide detective. Just so you know. I almost used the Girardi name in my DIY series, as well, but then I brought in another character whose name was Gerard, and having Gerard and Girardi in the same book became a problem, so Peter became a Cortino instead.<br /><br />Having an agent/editor request a full or partial manuscript is a HUGE deal. You never know which agent/editor is gonna be 'the one' who really gets what you're trying to do with your book. Therefore, yes, having a product that's as close to perfect as possible is paramount. Most agents don't want to see it again if they've rejected it once, and if you weren't ready, that manuscript has missed out on a chance to impress. Couldn't agree more with your post. Good job. (And no, I've made a lot of mistakes, but that isn't one of them. That's not to say that everyone I queried loved the book or thought it was perfect, but someone did.)Jennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01442754671445893599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-75003826374899754372010-05-19T08:10:51.707-04:002010-05-19T08:10:51.707-04:00Hi Tamara,
Oh yes! I finished a ms and thought it...Hi Tamara,<br /><br />Oh yes! I finished a ms and thought it was really good (and I'd gotten pretty good feedback). So I queried it. More than 100 times I queried it. And I got more than 100 rejections! Ouch! One day, I may go back and try to make it *really* good.<br /><br />Don't give up!Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33226151.post-68915937118203454372010-05-19T07:15:14.903-04:002010-05-19T07:15:14.903-04:00Welcome to Working Stiffs, Tamara! And thanks for ...Welcome to Working Stiffs, Tamara! And thanks for giving a break from posting every week!<br /><br />The problem for me is the manuscript is NEVER ready. Like Tim pointed out in Thursday's workshop...I'm going to be the author doing a reading from her published book and still stopping to make edits. <br /><br />On the up-side, let me just say you've obviously nailed one of the harder parts of the process. For me, writing the book is easy. Sort of. Finding a way to make it sound appealing to an agent in just a paragraph or a sentence is the difficult part.<br /><br />You go, girl!Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02755947919433555176noreply@blogger.com