MIA

So, my last blog post was what, almost two weeks ago?  Whoopsie.  I skipped my Monday post this week because I really didn't have anything to say about the WIP, because I really didn't even crack open my laptop last week to look at it.  Again, whoopsie.  But that's really because next time I work on it, I hope to actually FINISH the first draft.  So I want a good chunk of time to sit and write, not just an hour here or there.  I am hoping that happens on Sunday.

Last Thursday I went on a spur-of-the-moment day trip to Toronto with my boss.  Over ten hours in the car = lots of chatting time, and I happened to mention that I'm finishing up writing my second novel.  He was all sorts of impressed, to which I wanted to reply, "Dude, you haven't read it.  It might completely suck." But still, it was nice to hear encouraging words.  He asked me if I wanted him to ask around in his Entreprenuer's Group if anyone had any publishing contacts, and I was like, uhh ssssure.  I figured he would forget about it as soon as we were out of the car. 

To my surprise, he did send a request out to his EO group, and someone actually responded, saying they would be more than happy to talk to me, even setting up a date and time to call.  At first I was completely excited, even though of course the WIP is nowhere near being ready to submit yet.  It's still an opportunity to maybe get some insight from the guy and submit later, right?  So I spent some time working on a rough draft of a query- something I hadn't expected to be doing for another month- just so I could really organize my thoughts about what the book is about.  I didn't want to babble like a fool on the phone to the guy.

Well, then I started doing a little research on the company.  I knew the guy is not an agent, but as it turns out he is the CEO of a vanity publishing company (I won't mention the name), and basically they assist "independent authors" (in other words, unagented) in editing, publishing, promoting and marketing their books.  For a fee.  A big fee.  A gigantic, no-way-in-hell-could-I-pay-it kind of fee.  Nor would I even if I could afford it.  It's not necessarily a shady thing, it's just another route for authors to take to get their work published, if they so desire.

But I have faith in this WIP.  I just have a feeling an agent will see the potential in this one.  I know my writing has improved since In My Mind's Eye- this story has more depth and stronger voices. Just more "oomph", as I've mentioned before. So, while I'll still talk to the guy (provided he actually calls for real), I know it won't be the road to publishing for me.  I'd much rather find an agent who believes in my work, instead of paying someone to believe in it.

But hey, at least I got the first draft of my query out of it.  I may post it at a later date, but it's definitely going to go through some critiques first on the AgentQueryConnect website I was on last year.  Aaaaand let the nerves of having complete strangers critique my work begin once again.