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Literary a disaster pending - the rebirth

swooperman

swooperman

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Haven't posted on the Punt since this place dropped out of Slick's arse, so might as well start this again here.

Situation currently stands @:

Cutting the chaff (short story) 8,400 words

Emailed Atlantic Publications, cos they asked me to, 25/6. They were starting a kindle crime monthly, deadline 15/7 then 15th monthly. They replied immediately to original queries, but not a dickie bird since sent it, or to the follow up email of 2 weeks ago.

Walk of the Navajo (novel) 82,000 words

Had good reviews regarding this. The rumour is that we only changed forums because ODM called it 'brilliant' & was embarrassed at looking soft :)

Emailed Snowbooks 25/6 - rejected
Emailed Cauliay Books (query only) replied interested in reading full ms but inundated at present & will put me on list
Emailed MacMillan New 4/8
Emailed Luigi Bonomi 9/8 (he represents Matt Hilton & Sean Black, who people have compared the ms to. He's apparently the 'daddy' agent
Emailed Diane Banks 4/8 - expecting a rejection tomorrow or friday in truth :unsure

Have a bit of a list that I'm going down bit by bit. Do believe its good enough as believe its better than some stuff out there tbh. TC's offer could be interesting actually as thinking of sending to Wade & Doherty & they ask for a synopsis of between 1 & 6 pages, & currently mine is under 1

For those that remember that dodgy contract I was offered whilst on the Punt, I never replied, even though I was offered the money to do it
 
Currently 20k words into a new novel, no title, regarding a debt collector. Moving quite quickly on it tbf.
Bearing in mind my 1st was about an alkie, my 2nd (unfinished) about a dodgy dvd salesman, my 3rd about a dodgy trucker & this new ones about a bailiff......my next ones an autobiography :cry
 
You beat me to it.

Fingers crossed something comes of it all m8, a wee break is all it takes just to get one foot on the ladder, have you tried Ladybird?
 
Is there any way we can exchange E-Mail addresses securely so ya can get it to me? Even if it's a PM via TDP.
 
OOHH that sounds like a mills and boon.
 
Yeah, wasnt thinking of posting it on the forum. Erm, are there private messages on here ? If not yeah it'll have to be tdp. I'll have a butchers, hold on
 
Clcik on ThunderCelts avatar then start a conversation, just like a PM but more fancy.
 
Yup, that seems to have worked and Swooperman should have had an E-Mail from me. :crossfingers
 
Got it, working on a lengthier synopsis later on.
Not had todays expected rejection yet but pretty sure its coming :cry

On the bright side, there is a crime website that I review for that have offered me a discount as 'staff' for a professional read & evaluation. I wont put the price in as you'll think it should be in the jokes thread :unsure
 
Just sent you the cover letter I've just knocked up, TC

Diane Banks - rejected.....first thing on a monday morning as well :cry bitch :)

Meant to put in the email, TC, that the price, even after a staff discoutn, for a comprehensive read through & evaluation is just over £400. Do you believe that kind of thing is a good idea or not?
 
Got it! If you send the first couple of chapters as well that'd be great as I'd be interested in your beginning. I've got a four day weekend with wife and child goingaway so I'll be able to do it justice then.

'They' reckon that only 1% of novels make over £1k. You'd need to be pretty sure what you've got is capable of making the grade before shelling out that kind of money. My preference would be for a free online writers workshop - the advice can be (nearly) as good and the contacts invaluable. I'm with Critters, but they're mainly speculative fiction rather than thriller/adventure.
 
Just posting this whilst I think of it, but I wonder whether the synopsis is a bit 'bullet-point-ish'?

Also should be interesting which bits yoy are interested in how I 'tackled' TC......I'm assuming one is the 'sex for freedom' episode
 
I think the synopsis layout is fine. At least, you do it the way I do it so we might both be wrong.

The complicated bits are the use of multiple viewpoints, and the 'detail' regarding each hostage - both very difficult to do while maintaining pace and interest, so 'they' reckon. But I've got a free four day weekend (apart fom the big match at Oxford on Saturday) so I'll be able to read it then.
 
Cutting a long story short, TC was relatively impressed....or so he told me, anyway :)....& suggested a few tinkering thingies to the submission package, which I've took on board & done. Havent sent it anywhere new in the last 2 weeks as awaiting a rejection any day now :unsure

Now this could be interesting

www.neiljevans.wordpress.com

No, i havent got the foggiest what the fcuk i'm doing, so any pointers greatfully received
 
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