I haven't bothered to write her for a while because there are only just so many ways to say, "I'm still revising. Pardon the dust." But over the weekend, I went to a League of Utah Writers conference that was amazing and really got me back on track with writing. For several months now, I've been working on revision of my adult novels based on an editor's and fellow writers' feedback, much of the time putting it off by doing other writing. I know I need to get serious about that and get it done.
But the morning of the conference, I had the thought that not spending a little extra money to present to a publisher or agent would be squandering a sterling opportunity. I don't make it to the conferences often. Before I could doubt myself, I submitted a request to meet with an out of town agent who was looking for manuscripts for her agency. Middle grade manuscripts. That's when I thought of the series I have mapped out but that, other than the first two books, have simmered on the back burner while I beat my head against my romance novels.
Now, I've sent off materials to agents before. I've presented to publishers and agents at conferences on occasion, and nothing has ever come of it but a polite thank you and a we'll let you know if we're interested. But I figured why not? I've already gotten League feedback on the first two books of the Doomimal series. My kids love what I have so far and are always making more suggestions for my next stories. It was worth a try.
I was a bit disheartened when two freelance editors pointed out all the flaws in the first chapter at that conference, but I was already committed, and the agent had tacked on an extra time slot just for my last minute arrangement. I forged ahead and met with her, not expecting much.
My spirits sunk a bit lower as she informed me I was thinking in terms of the wrong genre, that it's not middle-grade as they usually work with but early chapter books. It turns out middle grade fiction now concerns itself more with darker, more teen or adult issues and tends to be longer than my research suggested and than my manuscripts were. A story about kids and their pets facing off with some mysterious dog of war and her magical army of animals just didn't seem like middle-grade material like I thought.
But then she also told me she thought my concept "had legs" and could go places. For the first time in my life, an agent invited me to submit my manuscript to her agent who works with middle-grade. It's no guarantee since its target audience is a bit younger than their usual, but it's a definite opening, and after I rework the manuscript according to the feedback I've received (as quickly as possible), I will act on this opening. It feels like I'm standing at the cusp of something big, something I've dreamed about since I was constructing picture books for my sisters out of scrap paper as a kid.
I can't celebrate just yet, but this feels like a good thing. A very good thing worth a blog. There is definitely something to be said for conferences and for taking advantage of every opportunity available to get your work out there.
