Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Query Update

First, a few rudimentary and not terribly interesting numbers. (Sorry. Someday, I’ll do a big statistical breakdown of all the data I’ve collected in the last couple of months, but that day is not today.)

Total queries: 56
Pending queries: 4
Non-responses: 1

I don’t really expect to hear back on those four pending queries, though I’ll wait to mark them down as non-responses until they hit the three-month mark. I’m still waiting to hear back on several fulls and partials, but you never know when you might hear back on those, so I’m not holding my breath or anything. Instead, I’m focusing my energy on another agent-requested revision.

About three weeks ago, I received a reply on one of my requested fulls. It was a long e-mail--the longest e-mail I’ve received from an agent about a manuscript, in fact--so I knew right away it wasn’t going to be an offer of representation. But it was a revise-and-resubmit.

The agent went into some detail about the problem spots she’d noticed in the manuscript. It was a lot to think about. In fact, it was so much to think about that I started to despair (with much hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing). But one of my fantastic beta readers picked me up and smacked my cheeks and splashed some cold water on my face--metaphorically speaking, of course, since she lives on the other side of the country--and basically told me to get to work.

It was exactly what I needed to hear.

I started thinking about the agent’s ideas not from a how-am-I-ever-going-to-pull-this-off perspective but from a let’s-get-cracking point-of-view. And almost right away, I realized I could resolve almost all of the agent’s concerns if I just flip-flopped Seth and Adair’s POV responsibilities. Just.

It’s a pretty big revision, so big I’m just calling it a rewrite, but from the moment I started working on the new, new chapter one, I could barely contain my enthusiasm. It’s like I’m falling in love with Bob all over again, even after spending the past eighteen months with him. The. Past. Eighteen. Months.

So I’m busily working on this revision, and another e-mail pops up in my inbox. It’s from another agent who has my manuscript--and she’s requesting revisions, too. Her feedback matches up with Agent A’s feedback, so I give myself a little fist-pump. Now two agents want to see the revision. That’s good, good, good for me.

A few days later, Agent C gets back to me. She really loves the concept and thinks the writing is pretty clean, but she sees a few things that need fixing. Might I maybe, possibly, think about revising? Don’t have to ask me twice:) I send Agent C a summary of the things I’m planning to change, and she asks to see the new, new Bob as well.

A few days after that, Agent D gets back to me. She agonized over what to do with Bob. (Well, she didn’t call him Bob, of course, but she probably would have if she’d known about his nickname.) She even asked her colleagues to read the manuscript and give her their opinions. In the end, she isn’t quite ready to sign it, but if I ever do revise, she’d LOVE--her capitalization, not mine--to take another look.

So now I have four agents all interested in this revision, and I am super, super psyched about it. (Why don't we use that word anymore? Is "psyched" one of those decade-specific words that signals I grew up in the nineties?) Bob’s current draft, the one still making the rounds through several agents’ inboxes, is the very best Seth version of the story that I could write, but I think I’m (finally) realizing that maybe this story was Adair’s story all along. That maybe this will be the best possible version of the manuscript. That maybe this is the story I’ve been trying to tell from day one.

41 comments:

Laura Pauling said...

What a great place to be in going into revisions! Awesome. Enjoy it.

Brenda St John Brown said...

How exciting to have such a great amount of interest. And you sound like you agree with suggested changes and are psyched about making them. I used that word just for you, but I remember when it was in vogue, too. That and "wicked." No one says that anymore either, do they? Congrats again!!!

Jenilyn Collings said...

That's awesome! Good luck with the rewrite!!

Chantele Sedgwick said...

That is so awesome! Good luck with the revisions and I'm crossing my fingers for you!!

Magan said...

That sounds like an amazing predicament to be in! Have fun with the revisions (no really don't let them get to you!) And good luck!

RosieC said...

Congratulations! That's super exciting. Good luck on all your revisions :)

Connie Keller said...

Congratulations!!! Requests for revisions is a wonderful place to be.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thank you, ladies! Your encouragement is invigorating.

P.S. Brenda, it's a cryin' shame we don't say wicked anymore:)

Ru said...

Congratulations, that's so cool!

Bkloss said...

Krista--that's AWESOME! Keep working hard and thanks so much for sharing this with us. It is SO encouraging.

Lori M. Lee said...

That's awesome! I'm so excited for you. I can't wait to see what happens next :D

Matthew MacNish said...

It sounds like you're in a great place with it. That's hella tight.

Anonymous said...

That is awesome! What great motivation you have as you go into your rewrite! Good luck!

Kristine Asselin said...

So great, Krista! It's a wonderful feeling to be in love with your MS. Wishing you the best of luck with your revisions. :)

Ansha Kotyk said...

I love that feeling when re-vision comes closer to the story you want to tell. I think it's the one thing that helps me push through massive revision... that "aha!" feeling when you know you tweaked something right. Good luck Krista, hope you have lots of aha's!

Diana said...

Congrats! That kind of rewrite can be very fulfilling...good luck with it and keep us in the loop

Erinn said...

WOOT. CONGRATS, at least you have an idea where to go with your revisions.

Suzie F. said...

Wow! That's exciting Krista! Good luck with your revisions.

Jennifer Pickrell said...

Exciting stuff - have fun with the revisions :)

And please don't tell me people don't use the word "psyched" anymore - I use it constantly (am I showing my age???)

Pam Harris said...

Yay! Congrats! :) I'm sure you'll knock those revisions out of the park!

Michael G-G said...

Sounds like you are on the verge, Krista. Fingers crossed.

Now, get to work!

Michael

Carol Riggs said...

How nice to have a Bob update, and way COOL on having 4 agents interested!! Glad you got in gear and are going at it with gusto. You can do it! :)

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Once again, thank you, everyone! Your support and well wishes are overwhelming. I really appreciate the encouragement. Don't be surprised if you don't see me around here very much - I'm revising! :)

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

This is such amazing news, Krista! I'm so, so happy for you! If you need anyone to typo-spot for you when you're done, think of me!

Amy xoxo

Cambria Dillon said...

So glad to hear the revision notes are getting you psyched again <-- and I TOTALLY use that word. I use 'totally' a lot, too. Ahem. But very excited that you're feeling the love for Bob again. Love it when that happens.

(And no need to do anything with it because you need to be focused on the rewrite, but I left you some blogger bling on my site because you're FABULOUS. Really.)

Penelope Wright said...

I'm so, so happy for you!

Tamara said...

Wow, that's fantastic! Sounds like you're getting close!

Liesl Shurtliff said...

Yay, yay, yay! I love Bob! Bob is hot! Bob is getting a sex change sort of? :)

Unknown said...

Oh I KNOW you're close! YAY! Plus I think you've sent just a few queries! There are still lots and lots of agents in the sea! But I'm sure you already know that :D

Anyway, good luck on the revisions! And you know? I'm revising too! So maybe we can get together and grab a coffee or something and revise. Metaphorically speaking, too! LOL

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thanks, ladies! Your optimism is contagious.

P.S. Amy, thanks for the offer. Sent you an e-mail...

Cambria, thank you for the award! I'm in good company with that one:)

Monica, I'd love to get together, metaphorically speaking, but make mine a hot chocolate, since I don't drink coffee;)

Jodi R. said...

Congratulations Krista! You go girl! Totally awesome!
teehee

Nicole Zoltack said...

Wow, that's awesome! Good luck on the revisions!

Shari said...

Oh my gosh, how exciting - not only just in terms of all the agents who are interested in the newest version, but also in terms of you falling in love with the story all over again. That right there tells you something :)

Good luck!!

Esther Vanderlaan said...

Whoa. Hope you get it published :)

Ben Spendlove said...

I know just how it feels to fall in love with a story all over again. I think it adds depth that's hard to get any other way. I hope it does, anyway. Dang, but writing's a hard labor of love.

Wow, what a weirdly worded paragraph. And my goodness, such alliteration! I stop now.

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thanks, Jodi and Nicole!

Shari, I couldn't agree more. I just can't give up on this one. I think that means it's pretty special.

Esther, me, too! I'd be happy with an agent at this point, though:)

Ben, with all my other manuscripts, I'd long since lost interest by this point. I actually picked up a couple of R&Rs on my last manuscript, too, but I never pursued them because I was too wrapped up in Bob's first draft. I really, really love him.

Myrna Foster said...

Those agents are going to LOVE the Adair version, and that's going to be an even better place to be in.

Mandy P.S. said...

This is so exciting! I love seeing someone I *know* (even if its only in an online/internet sense) get awesome feedback from agents.

I know you're going to do awesome things with this revision! Woohoo!

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Myrna, I sure hope you're right. No matter what happens, I really appreciate your confidence and enthusiasm.

Thank you, Mandy! That's such a wonderful thing to say.

Anonymous said...

Hi Krista - just found this post now and wanted to send my best wishes for your re-write. I would love to read and review your chapters for you as well!

Krista Van Dolzer said...

Thanks for the well wishes, Jen! And thank you for the offer to read. I've got a few readers lined up already, but I'll definitely keep you in mind...