A few evenings ago my Writer's Crit group had its monthly zoom meeting. Just three of us this time - usually we are five. I told them I'd sent my query letter and a synopsis along with sample chapters of 'The Rise and Rise of Tommy Head ' to 13 agents so far, and one publisher. And had had two rejections, silence from the rest. I call it a comic satire despite being told there's little appetite for this genre in the present publishing climate, least of all for a book set in the late 1980s. Whereas a Romance or Crime book is a very different story. I was losing heart.
No problem - keep it simple, just say it's Fiction, was the general opinion, and don't give up. Somewhere out there is an agent who will love the book and believe in the story. Who will laugh and laugh and appreciate its take on the not very distant past when absurdist targets loomed large. And remember all the authors who likewise struggled to find a publisher for books that later became famous!
Getting a book published has never been more competitive, and self belief never more necessary. So with the help of my Crit group - Alex, Chris, Valeria and Lisa, I will persevere. But not until August when my unknown agent in waiting is back from holiday.
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