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The business of the biz (and a busy week on the way)

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We've got a nice juicy week ahead here at Boxing the Octopus. On Monday, Colleen's going to be visiting with the marketing manager from her publisher, following up with Q&A. Wednesday, small press publisher Lou Aronica stops by with an insightful interview. If I can get my tech on, booksellers from the Barnes & Noble flagship store in Houston will weigh in on the anatomy of a successful book signing, and we'll hear from the movers and shakers of Nuestra Palabra, where Latino writers have their say. There's a lot going on in the industry right now, and Colleen and I are ramping up our effort to provide a platform for smart soapboxers, industry pros, and emerging writers.

We want to hear from you. Let us know what you're doing and who you want to hear from. Flip us an email at boxocto@gmail.com or post a comment below.

Comments

Dorothy Hagan said…
Thanks for the invitation to ask, so here goes.

I have Manuscript One finished and published by Iuniverse in 2000. MS Two is finished but would need big revision to submit. MS Three is about 40k words with a good plot going. MS Four is in its infancy but has a VERY good, TIMELY plot. Best effort yet. I finish teaching school in May.

Questions:
I need representation, but I am not sure of the best approach to make this happen. Should I submit any of the completed ms, or not do anything until I complete Four? Should I try to market the published book? Will it hurt or help to have MS One published by POD technology?

I hope I am not hugely imposing on your knowledge but since you asked...thanking you all effusively! Looking forward to learning a lot this week.
2:23 PM
Colleen Thompson said…
Hi, Dorothy,
Generally, unpublished authors must have a completed, polished manuscript ready before querying an agent. I say unpublished, because, fair or not, most agents will not consider a POD novel as relevant. (Unless you're one of the very, very few who's sold 10K or more copies on your own. Then it becomes a Really Good Thing.) The POD experience won't hurt you, though, in this day and age.

That said, I think you need to complete and polish one of the latter two manuscripts. Since a completed adult novel is generally at least 85K, it sounds as if you have some distance to cover.

I hope that's somewhat helpful. Best of luck to you! Sounds as if you have plenty of enthusiasm for your projects, which is terrific.
4:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks a ton, Colleen. I will take your advice to heart.

Dorothy
1:11 PM
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