So, update on my waiting! Yesterday was one of those great days where everything you're waiting on flows in at once!
Julie Amper let me know she read my Nightshade City edits and thought I did my rats proud! A few minor changes here and there and she thinks will be all set! So no more long AQ's asking for clarification or big changes, just a few things in the margins and some line edits! Yay!!! I was so nervous, it being my first time out! Julie's direction for the manuscript was so valuable and helped me so much. As writers, I think we all get too close to our manuscripts and it's hard to see the forest through the trees, as to what needs work and what doesn't. Having her guidance was fantastic!
Marietta, my agent, called me too. She finished Edwin Copperpot and couldn't say enough about it, luckily all good! Yet another big "phew" and sigh of relief! I always get goose bumps when I talk to her and this was no exception! She is a very inspiring agent and really has encouraged me to work that much harder, not to mention, she cracks me up! So Edwin will be going to NYC as soon as next week!
This time last year was around the time when Craig Virden wrote me asking for the full manuscript of Nightshade City. Little did I know, just one year later I'd be finishing up its edits for Holiday House, with two more complete manuscripts under my belt and Nightshade's sequel well underway.
It's odd how life can change so much in such a short amount of time and how much you can owe one single person for taking a chance on you. For all you writers out there searching for an agent or submitting to editors, remember, you may get hundreds of no's, I certainly did, but it only takes one YES!
Long story short--KEEP WRITING!! Seriously, I'll set my rats on you if you don't! ;)
xoxo -- Hilary
Yes, life changes in the blink of an eye. How exciting for you!
ReplyDeleteHilary you are an inspiration! Your talent and positive energy are always going to bring good things your way. Congratulations!!!! Can't wait to see what happens with Edwin!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hilary! I'm in the partials and fulls trenches right now, and it's easy to think "this is NEVER going to happen!" One yes. That's all it takes. Thanks so much for the important reminder.
ReplyDeleteAnd, congrats on your path! It sounds like you're on a beautiful writing roll. ;-)
Congrats, Hilary! It's all so exciting, and I love hearing the details!
ReplyDeletethanks Hilary. And congrats to you. i keep on keeping on too, waiting for that one YES. and man is it tough! but I know it's gonna come soon!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Hilary! It's all so exciting. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're one of the most UP people I know. Love reading your stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! You guys rock! I am so excited to jump for joy for all of you soon! I've known some of you for a while now and I've read your excerpts and I know you rock!
ReplyDeletePV--you're too funny! I used to get so down and upset and then I decided all that had to stop! My husband and I would joke that if I didn't get a rejection in a given week, we were going to have a terrible weekend, and every time I got one, I'd yell out, "Yes! Another one!" And the more I'd rack up in a week, the better the weekend! It really did make all that rejection much easier to deal with.
Someday I plan to post my entire path to publishing, admitting to the exact number of rejections (mind boggling number) and my seriously crazy road to writer--agent--published. I so feel everyone's frustration and I truly want you all to be super successful!
But like I said, any of you throw in the towel, my rats are on their way! And they know Karate... ;)
xoxo -- Hilary
Thank you for such an inspiring post! I do have a couple of fulls out now and I am trying my best to stay focused on my wip so I don't chew through my nails while waiting for a response.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on all your success! I can't wait to read about your rats!
I keep wanting to believe that. Life can change on a dime.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book, they sound awesome.
Yay Hilary! I'm so happy for you.
ReplyDeleteYour success and attitude are so inspiring. I haven't been doing so well with my writing and attitude lately, but I feel like a change is slowly coming. Finally. I need to get crackin'!