I sent two more queries out yesterday to slightly warmer prospects. They are both agents who represent friends of mine. One has written two well-received literary fiction novels, the other has just written her first nonfiction humor book.

Hard to say whether or not it will be either person's style, but we shall see.

I will keep you posted.

At dinner the other night, my son Frank held up his index finger and informed us that it was his finger's birthday. We sang 'Happy Birthday,' but since this birthday was a surprise, we didn't have any cake.

The Cold Submission

I sent what I call a cold submission to an agent a week or so ago. I had no contact with her, no personal connections, and I had not done a ton of research except online and in the Writer's Market. I sent my query letter (since revised twice) and the first three pages of the manuscript.

Three pages was all she wanted. How can you get an idea of a book in three pages? I certainly never would have made it through lots of books just based on the first three pages. Gravity's Rainbow anyone?

But at the same time, three pages is more than most agents want. They just look at your letter, usually including just a one- or two-paragraph letter. Is this intriguing? Is this something new? If so, they'll ask for the first 60 pages. If they like that, they ask for the whole shebang. Even then they might pass, of course.

Not even sure if the agent I sent the stuff to even got to the three pages, because she sent me a 'pass' within a few days of receiving it. I understand it is the first of many rejections, but I think I will focus on making any more cold submissions a little warmer. I need to continue to research and find someone who has represented a humorous book or two from a new author in the recent past.

That's my task. If you've read any fiction recently that made you laugh, please send the title on to me!

The response to the mass email has been fantastic. I blame you people for my lack of a recent post. I've heard back from people who used to work at publishers, from people who have published their own books, and from friends saying they know no one in the industry, but wish me luck.

So now I have the book out to a few people to read, I've sent three queries out, and I'm trying to write a synopsis, a 3-4 paragraph summary of the plot. I've had problems doing that so far. Everything I have written sounds hackneyed, thought my novel is not hackneyed. Does that make sense?

It's a similar problem I had with writing my two-sentence synopsis. It just comes out as a list of things that happen. I need to delve a little deeper and find the motivation and the comedic turns of events that make the story engrossing. yes. That's all I have to do. Just that.

I'll post it tomorrow when I'm done writing it.

Next: The Mass email to friends and family

I have sent out the first 60 pages of my book to a friend who had promised to pass it on to her agent. Additionally, I sent a query to a friend of a friend, an agent in L.A. We will see what happens.

My next strategy is to send out a mass email to many of my contacts to see if anyone knows of any literary agents, or anyone who has a literary agent. Chances are you, gentle reader, will get one such email from me within the next few days. I will report back on the success or failure of this effort.