Believe In Me
To the agents and the publishers who've given me the nice rejection letter that invariably states, "World War II is a hard sell" or "we're not looking for this type of story", I have three words:
Believe in me.
That's all I ask.
I've done my homework. I've studied my craft. I've written a terrific query letter. I've written a detailed synopsis. I know all about marketing. I worked in a book publishing marketing department for two years. I have written more than 500 back cover copy blurbs for fiction and nonfiction. I have a blog. I network. I have attended writing workshops. Belonged to writing groups. Have critique partners. Entered contests. Wrote two novels - complete and finished, not drafts. I've read and read and read. I keep up on the industry. The Publisher's Lunch email lands in my inbox every single day. I read published authors' blogs. Read agents' blogs. Make deadlines for myself. Have writing friends who encourage and support me. Have a family who encourages and supports me.
I write. And I write some more.
I don't write what's hot - I write what I love.
Believe in me.
Take a chance. Read it. Start a new trend, a trend that features the Greatest Generation because that's what I, and many, many others - write about: the Greatest Generation. I write about their struggles to live in a world at war. I write about a war that drew the distinction between good and evil. I write about good triumphing over evil.
Believe in me.
Believe in me.
That's all I ask.
I've done my homework. I've studied my craft. I've written a terrific query letter. I've written a detailed synopsis. I know all about marketing. I worked in a book publishing marketing department for two years. I have written more than 500 back cover copy blurbs for fiction and nonfiction. I have a blog. I network. I have attended writing workshops. Belonged to writing groups. Have critique partners. Entered contests. Wrote two novels - complete and finished, not drafts. I've read and read and read. I keep up on the industry. The Publisher's Lunch email lands in my inbox every single day. I read published authors' blogs. Read agents' blogs. Make deadlines for myself. Have writing friends who encourage and support me. Have a family who encourages and supports me.
I write. And I write some more.
I don't write what's hot - I write what I love.
Believe in me.
Take a chance. Read it. Start a new trend, a trend that features the Greatest Generation because that's what I, and many, many others - write about: the Greatest Generation. I write about their struggles to live in a world at war. I write about a war that drew the distinction between good and evil. I write about good triumphing over evil.
Believe in me.
posted by Melissa Amateis | 2:15 PM
6 Comments:
I hope they do believe in you! We get such mixed messages from publishers. Write from the heart, but write to the market. We love it because it's unique, but now change it so it "conforms to our editorial slant."
As a reader, I wish they would believe in you. Don't give up!
cheers,
Pauline
(((Melissa)). You will make it. I believe in you. I'm praying that publishers/agents/editors' eyes will be opened to believe in you too.
Love & hugs,
Sue
xx
I believe in you!
I believe...!
WWII will be the next hot trend! Vampires are out! Regency is out!
WWII is it!!!
Phillippa Carr has some fabulous books set during WWII. You can too!!
Thanks, all, for your warm thoughts. They made my day!
if only i knew an agent...
and thanks for your pov on the blogging vs fiction voice. i really appreciate it.
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