A decision, of sorts, and not reached lightly

After much thought, and thanks to some very thought provoking conversation — both in the commentary, as well as among friends — I’ve reached a decision, kind of.

I am going to look carefully at the agents I’ve discovered through http://querytracker.com. I owe myself the investigation of those agencies, at least, as well as owing any of you excited about seeing these books out — simply put, I’d rather you had more ways to get them, unless I get an overwhelming response that you’d rather have them now from one e-store than a year from now in 1000 stores physical and online alike.

I’m being highly selective. I’m carefully considering the agent‘s “what I accept” list juxtaposed to her list of titles and clients to be sure that what they think they mean is what I think they mean. Also, there’s the inescapable fact that all too many agents seem to say “oh, it’s most important that it’s a great story!” but their client list indicates they’re looking long and hard for “the next best way to cash in on the latest hit trends”. I don’t believe any of the agents I queried before are as bad as that, or bad at all, but such agents exist and I intend to skip them over. I’m also being selective on another front: I’m going to try to see how well known, how well selling their client list is. I’m not looking for an all-star cast, who’s who of the NY Times Best Sellers list, but if she’s got 50 titles under her belt and they’re every one of them the picture of obscurity … I can do obscurity tomorrow and keep the 15% commission for myself!

If I find a promising agent, I shall query further.

I reached this decision after much agonising and arguing with myself and others. I was finally won over on this ground: I want this book to be accessible. If I can reach more hand, more eyes, and more minds with an agent and a publisher, then I should like to have an agent and publisher. If I could convince myself, or if I could hear a compelling argument from another, regarding that visibility from self-published I’m certainly open to it and would self publish the story June first. I will say I don’t believe it matters if I’m on a Barnes & Noble shelf or exclusively with Amazon, iBooks only or in every ebook seller offered as part of Smashwords‘ premium catalogue. I mean, the whole word of mouth matter. Suffice to say, with an agent and a publisher I’ve got more mouths saying more words on my behalf and any words I can pass on my own.

I do and don’t want to do this. Frankly I hate writing query letters. It’s tedious, it’s also terribly difficult — I’ve no self-esteem where they’re concerned. I also hate waiting; I’ve got a story, and I’m anxious to share it. I still may self-publish. For one, I may decide against querying any more agents, if that’s the case … I’m giving myself until 31 May to have queried even 1 agent. If I have, then the publish date will move to either 1 September, or the “hear back by” date of the last agent submitted a query — whichever is longest. I’m going to give them time to make up their minds before I make up mine.

I’m sorry. I know if I said: if it’s not picked up by 20 May it’ll be published 1 June. Still, there also hasn’t been any voices crying out in disappointment and sorry “No! Jaye, please, stop this horrible internal contention and give us the rest of your story!” I suppose that means I’m not really disappointing anyone but myself by changing my mind.

In the mean time, I want to try something different for Ready or Not. I’d like to select some … in fanfiction they’re often called “Beta-readers” but I seem to recall there’s a niftier and classier term for it that most fiction writers use, but it escapes me right now. I’d like to select 3 people to be my guinea pigs for book 2. Given that the series is written such that one book flows to the next to some degree a selected reader will get a free ebook copy of Love or Lust to give them some reference and establishment.

How to be selected? Nominate yourself. The means to do this?

Comment on this post
Go here and send me
1. Your name
2. Your email
3. Your file preference — ePUB, MOBI, PDF
4. Your three favourite scenes/lines/parts of the sample chapters and what it is you liked about it (if it just tickled you or some other thing that boils to — I don’t know, I just do — fine, you just do. Say so).
5. Why? Just answer whatever you think I mean by asking it.
Wait until 11am EDT the 2nd of June for me to announce the ones selected.