Oh, the dreaded submissions post

[idiosyncreant]

Part of starting something new is sorting through the old, at least for me.

You can't clean out your closet without sifting through the things cluttering it and throwing away what isn't needed, remembering what you have stored up.

So I went over my submission statistics the other day.


What Encouraged Me
1/3 of my submissions got personal responses...
or at least the alternate form that requests you to submit more.

I'm not counting the two "personal" responses from [unnamed magazine] that always has some reader feedback, since they were both insulting. I'm not saying that it wasn't deserved, but since they always respond, the personal nature is not even a back-handed compliment....

Tho' all my agent rejections were only forms (except one fluke)
the number was less than I thought. 15 down, 50 prospects left.



I think I need to scale back my query 'blurb'. I was trying to say too much--and I'm relieved to have some idea where I was going wrong.

If you have a moment, you can pick this apart for me:

Molly and Sheridan Carnie have just run away from the circus. Her plan to take care of them both plays to her strengths. She's going to put on a show. She just needs fake tears, a little extra dirt, and a disreputable gentleman. One who might have unknown children.

Mr. Poisson has a mysterious past, and scandalizing taste for magenta clothing. She's found her man. Unfortunately for Molly's attempted blackmail, though, Mr. Poisson isn’t just a rake who wears loud colors. He's playing a part himself.

He does, however, have an important task for a young girl so accomplished in showmanship.

I'll just be shuffling websites around over here, poking at agent bios....