Now that the holidays are behind and most people in most places are actually back at their desks, I’ve been giving a lot of thoughts to stuff that needs accomplishing. I decided a while ago that, just like with LA and then again with Denver, regardless of whether I managed to get into NYU, I still wanted to return to Manhattan. In the meantime, however, I of course need to make some coin, and so I’ve been looking into temporary but long-term assignments, including subbing again.
In the meantime, though, there are other things that need doin’.
Like querying. Now that the holidays are over and I’m a little less frantic than I was during the autumn, and now, too, that The Prodigal Hour is well-polished (I thought I had to give it another go-over, and so I did, and oddly, there wasn’t anything I thought I had to change. Which is pretty amazing). Today I gathered a list of agents to continue querying; the last go-round had a few requests for partials but never got beyond that (this is, of course, excluding agents who never responded to queries. There were several, from agents who surprised me. And, I mean, I know it takes time, but we’re talking several months out, now), so now it’s time for a new round. With a new query/synopsis.
And I turned my hat backward, which of course means I mean business. Like whoa.
So there’s that happening.
Admittedly, however, the idea of querying right now is daunting. Always conflicting reports about publishing; seems like every publishing company in the nation is downsizing, laying people off, and closing their doors to considering new writers and their manuscripts, but news of high advances keep filtering down the pike. Tina Fey is reportedly getting $5 million, which sort of makes sense, considering the ’08 she had, and Laura Bush apparently got high six if not low seven figures (reports vary), which also makes sense given that that novel about her the other year made a lot of coin, but I have to admit, I can’t understand Sarah Silverman’s $2.5 million advance for whatever she’s working on. I mean, the most interesting thing about her was her “I’m Fucking Matt Damon” video, wasn’t it? Is her show even still on? I haven’t read anything about it (or her, for that matter) in ages.
Still, the thing about publishing is that it’s a longer term investment even than the stock market. A novel picked up right now, even if fast-tracked, probably wouldn’t be published until the middle of next year, at least, and that would be fairly speedy.
And hopefully by then the economy will be somewhat better.
In the meantime, though, that’s what I’ll be doing. And, of course, working on new stuff.
January 7, 2009 at 2:43 am
I’m sorry but the image of you turning fedora around dosen’t make you look like “bad-ass will down to business” in the least.
If you want you could give me the e-mails of the agents who haven’t responded yet and I could send them pictures of you in drag in hopes they would be prompted to respond.
January 7, 2009 at 12:55 pm
@Gotham: ha, yeah, I have to admit I’ve basically retired the ol’ fedora; the LA sun faded it out, so where once it was black, it’s now sorta grey with spots that look bleached.
I have a new hat now. I’ll have to post a picture of it.
It’s still not really bad-ass, though. I’m rarely bad-ass. Don’t think I’ve ever been the kind of guy people look at and just automatically wouldn’t want to mess with.
January 8, 2009 at 1:03 am
So your saying your the kinda who people automatically do mess with?
I bought a fedora once because I wanted to wear it and be one of those people who look good in fedora. I didn’t. I was sad. What’s worse is my sister can really work them. I guess I don’t have the right shaped head.