Today, I realized I would have to pull out of PitchWars but for the best reason possible. I was offered literary representation by Deidre Knight, senior agent and president of The Knight Agency. It was actually a result of my last and final submission of STATUS: POSITIVE on PitMad. After having written an Adult SF entry that made it into PitMad but didn't get any requests, I wasn't going to pitch S:P on the Twitter feed. At the last minute, I changed my mind. You never know who might be watching.
I've been doing Twitter pitch contests as a way to get into the writing community and network with other writers/editors. Honestly, I didn't think anything would come of it. There have been many close calls, but the requests started to trickle. Then, I did a complete rewrite and went in a different direction with the manuscript. It needs a lot of editing, which I'm ready to do. I've spent so long working and perfecting ZIRKUS with the intent that it would go into PW or go out to query. Now I'm looking at S:P with new eyes. Oh, my. Why did you write that, Dill? Fix. Fix. Fix.
It's taken six years of writing, working, editing, and I don't know how many years of querying off and on. At least four. Oh, I hope the agents I first submitted to can forgive me. I didn't know. Bless my heart, I didn't know what I was doing. Even now, I'm still trying to figure it all out without constantly doubting myself.
The buzz around ZIRKUS is still going strong, and I hope to have this little queer circus book on the shelves one day! The fact that so many people like it really gives me hope. I can write on more than one idea, and people like it! Wee! Look at me, crossing genres and age categories like I know what I'm doing.
To celebrate, my partner and I did what all adults who have their acts together do--went to Target. It resulted in buying a board game and a Lego playset featuring elves, magic, and dragons. I am pleased.
I've been doing Twitter pitch contests as a way to get into the writing community and network with other writers/editors. Honestly, I didn't think anything would come of it. There have been many close calls, but the requests started to trickle. Then, I did a complete rewrite and went in a different direction with the manuscript. It needs a lot of editing, which I'm ready to do. I've spent so long working and perfecting ZIRKUS with the intent that it would go into PW or go out to query. Now I'm looking at S:P with new eyes. Oh, my. Why did you write that, Dill? Fix. Fix. Fix.
It's taken six years of writing, working, editing, and I don't know how many years of querying off and on. At least four. Oh, I hope the agents I first submitted to can forgive me. I didn't know. Bless my heart, I didn't know what I was doing. Even now, I'm still trying to figure it all out without constantly doubting myself.
The buzz around ZIRKUS is still going strong, and I hope to have this little queer circus book on the shelves one day! The fact that so many people like it really gives me hope. I can write on more than one idea, and people like it! Wee! Look at me, crossing genres and age categories like I know what I'm doing.
To celebrate, my partner and I did what all adults who have their acts together do--went to Target. It resulted in buying a board game and a Lego playset featuring elves, magic, and dragons. I am pleased.
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