January 2013 Update

I heard back from Donald Maass. His client list is full. I appreciated the relatively quick turnaround time on my query, though. There are still two other agents I'm waiting to hear back from.

Nick Enlowe's annual Novel Push Initiative is over. All three participants acquitted themselves admirably this time. I captured the coveted Highest Words Written Total thanks to a sudden fit of fevered inspiration on the final day, but this is one contest in which all of the contestants can truly be called winners.

December Update

Just a bit of necessary blog maintenance:

-Agents queried: 4
-Replies to queries: 2
-Rejected queries: 2
-Form rejections: 2

Also, I've submitted a pitch/synopsis/first 40 pages to Tor. With any luck, my submission packet is in their slush pile as I write this sentence.

This week the agent hunt continues, as does my ongoing revision of Souldancer. As of this writing, I'm on chapter ten.

In closing, here is sage advice from John C. Wright.

Nethereal Final

I'm pleased to say that the final version of my Nethereal manuscript is done. The final draft is far leaner and smoother than the others, weighing in at 541 pages (compare that figure to 720 for the original). That's without deleting any chapters or scenes; just making smarter word choices and using more concise phrasing. The shift to third person variable perspective also helped to weed out excessive description and exposition while adding dialogue.

I don't plan on making any further changes unless a professional editor orders them, so the next step is to start querying agents. I'll keep everyone apprised of how my search goes.

Beta Geminorum Featured at Drunken Zombie

First a quick update: the most recent Nethereal manuscript revision is fast drawing to a close. I've had some slumps in productivity but should be able to make my end of the month goal if I stay disciplined. When the manuscript is done, I plan to start querying agents.

Of more immediate interest, the fine folks over at Drunken Zombie have graciously featured my first short story "Beta Geminorum" in their 31 Days of Halloween short story series. Zombie inebriate in chief Bryan Wolford has assembled an impressive catalog of shocking tales both classic and contemporary, and it's an honor to be included in his list among luminaries like Ambrose Bierce and H.G. Wells.

Also, be sure to check out Bryan's gripping short story "The Incident at Bowling Ball Tree". It's a macabre coming of age tale in the tradition of Stephen King's "The Body" and is well worth your time.

Submission Update

I just heard back from Pyr, who have opted to pass on the Nethereal manuscript. I was hoping for a little feedback, but as mentioned on their submissions page they didn't have time to give details.

Still, the turnaround time of only six weeks for a slush pile submission is pretty impressive. I'd prepared myself to wait for months. Now I can safely shop the book around without fear of simultaneous submissions.

The latest revision has reached chapter 28. It shouldn't be long before the manuscript is ready to be sent out again. I'll keep you posted as always. 

Third Person Variable

I haven't been resting on my laurels since submitting my manuscript. On Nick's advice, I've decided to switch my novel's viewpoint from third person omniscient to variable third person limited.

The first reason I'm overhauling the manuscript's narrative mode is the original version's tendency--pointed out by Nick--to stray toward third person limited. Secondly, the story derives much of its effect from suspense. It's difficult to justify withholding the kind of information that proper tension-building requires when the narrator knows everything.

The experiment is working out well so far. The narrative flow feels much tighter and more streamlined, and describing the observations and thoughts of only one character at a time helps the reader identify with each POV character more strongly.

First Novel Submission

After 18 months and three full revisions, I decided that it was finally time to market Nethereal. Following careful research, I chose to send my first submission to Pyr. They're a subsidiary of Prometheus Books who've got a pretty robust presence in the industry. Most importantly, many of the titles in their catalog come close to the tone and genre of my book. Even better, they accept unagented electronic submissions of the whole manuscript--not just a query or a sample.

We'll see what happens in the coming months. I can tell you that my search for an agent will continue in earnest.

Having submitted my manuscript is no excuse to slack off, which is why I'm glad that Nick Enlowe has agreed to work with me on polishing the narrative structure and general presentation of the book. As stated above, the text has been through several revisions; but the results have been clearer, tighter, and just plain better every time.

I keep putting myself through the wringer because I believe in this story. It took some convincing, especially after the somewhat ambiguous initial feedback. But the test readers (to whom I am deeply grateful) all report that basic plot and theme is solid. I can work with that, if nothing else, and I've got a feeling that my esteemed colleague's help will draw out a great deal more.