Haiku

No, it's not a sneeze. It's a Japanese art form. Apparently. Three lines,17 syllables. So when is a novel not a novel? When it's 45,000 words. It's a short novel for sure. What to do? A story is as long as it is.

I wrote the first paragraph a year ago, before I was anywhere close to finishing my first adult novel. Now, a year on, I have submitted my manuscript to numerous agents and am about 40,000 words through my next story. It's heartening to find this unpublished post which serves as a very welcome reminder that the process might be a long one but it's well worth the effort. I love writing. Nothing can make me stop.

For the love of rejection

One reads time and time again that to be a writer you need a thick skin. Ain't that the truth. Having submitted my manuscript to countless agents, only to receive one rejection after another, it's the positive rejections that hold you up. The ones that say your submission stood out from the rest, that you have an original style, or the ones that positively encourage you to keep on trying.

But what can I do better? When I started the submission process I was thousands of words into my second work. It's more ambitious, possibly overly, will probably be longer and is very, very, different to my first story. So what to say? I have no idea and I really wish someone could give me an answer. In fact, I wish I knew someone I could ask.

For now I'm just going to keep on going. I might try a new approach and mention the second book, what do I have to lose? Out there, somewhere, is an agent with my name on. I'm going to run over every mountain until I find them.

The Best Advice by Far

I've submitted by manuscript to nine prospective agents and publishers so far. In return, I've received nine very polite rejection emails. It has taken between 4 hours and 10 weeks to receive a response from the various parties. Although every single one has been really nicely phrased it is difficult to not let the rejection get you down. I'm beginning to think my story is going to languish in a drawer, never to see the light of day.


I thought I'd share the latest note with you all, it's been the most thorough and thoughtful feedback I've had to date. I'll definitely be taking their advice on board!

By email:


Dear Little VoiceJots

Thank you for sending us your manuscript, and many apologies for the delay in getting back to you.

I’m afraid that we won’t be making you an offer of publication on this occasion. At the moment Stripes has a small, very focused list, featuring mainly series fiction, and we feel that this manuscript would not fit into our current publishing plan. I liked the quirky tone of your writing, but I found the pacing was a little uneven, and it might be best to avoid alternating between viewpoints in a story for this age group. It’s also quite long – I would probably expect a story of half the length (which, with illustrations, could work out as about 96 pages) for readers aged five and above.

Have you considered trying to find yourself an agent? The advantages of being represented by an agent are that they will work with you editorially and will submit your work to publishers who would suit the style and content of your work. If you’re unsure of where to send your submissions, you can find a complete list of UK literary agencies in A&C Black’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook.

Thanks once again for sending us your work. I wish you the best of luck in placing your manuscript elsewhere.



To all, other, would be authors out there remember: onwards and upwards. Good Luck!!