Prix Robert Cliche

I've just received two more rejections... But thankfully, I had something to keep me busy:

VLB publishing is having a contest called "Prix Robert Cliche". It's open to anyone aged 17 and more who has never published before. The price is $10 000 and the publishing of that very first book.

http://www.edvlb.com/prixrobertcliche/
(in french only, sorry!)

So I've sent my manuscript today (at the very last minute of course). I have no idea if they will consider my bilingual version, but hey, I have nothing to loose except the shipping price. They wanted the manuscript to be single page, 12 point font and double spaced... So now my novel is suddenly 625 pages!

Who cares about the trees, right?!

More submissions

Today I've send ten more submission of my project to various literary agencies. I'm halfway through the list of agencies I have, so that means I still have a lot of work to do. But it also mean that my chances of finding someone interested in my work are still good!

I've crossed my fingers for such a long time now that I'm getting cramps... At the very least the rejection letters have stopped coming in. Perhaps the remaining agencies will take the time to read what I have sent.

I've spent the last few days in a little countryhouse in the middle of the woods and I've taken the timne to re-write the last chapter of the book. I finaly have a much more satisfying version.

I can't wait for people to read it.

Four.

Two other negative letters this morning.

One very generic, but the other more personalized: she says she's sorry because she just took on two new clients and want to given them her full attention. And then she suggests I purchase her book "From Pitch to Publication", so I can learn everything I need to know about publishing my novel in Great Britain...

Ok, thanks!

Two for two...

Second rejection letter today.

Oh, well.

At least things are moving?

The first of many?

I just received my first rejection letter this morning. The agency takes very few new clients and they fear they would not be able to sell my project to a editor, and bla, bla, bla...

I'm not sure how I feel. It stings a bit, but on the other hand, I knew this would happen. I'm surprised it arrived so soon. I mean did they even take a look at the text or just the query letter?

Anyway, I can't give up on account of one letter... It won't be the last, that's for sure.

I have to keep on trying other agencies. I just have to listen to the training montage song from Rocky IV and I'll be good to go!

Out in the world

I have sent my project to 11 literary agents today.

It might not seem like a lot, but it is. Every agencies have their own specifications and requests so I had to customize what I was sending for each and everyone. It took me five hours to send all eleven!

I will keep on going tomorrow morning (that is around 11am for me... ;) ), I'm onto agencies starting with the letter H.

I've also put aside names of agencies that only take mail submissions. Those I will do at the end, since it requires printed copies, envelopes and stamps...

It is a weird feeling, submiting my novel to all those agencies. Depending on the tone of their websites, I was either full of hope or completely depressed. Some websites are so hostile, it's even a little scary! Most of them ask for patience, around 4 to 8 weeks for a reply.

So now I wait...

In the beginning...

Tomorrow morning, I will begin my search for a litterary agent. I've been looking foward to this since completing the novel in August. I will use this blog as a kind of progress report on my project.