Accepting the NO.

Okay, we have all heard it before and for some of us we are going to be hearing it a lot longer than others. Yes, I know it hurts and it feels like someone is pretty much telling you your baby is not good enough, but don't ever let that stop you.

Some of you are saying 'everyone always says don't let it stop you' well they are alright. I am about to tell you why.

So anyway I have been trying to get published since I was a teen and because of this I have been hearing no for most of my life. But anyways because of hearing those no's I have been able to make my novel better and so can you.

A no can give you the power to see what others think you did wrong and what you did right. I am not saying that every time someone says no it’s because of your book is bad. Sometimes it is because they just weren’t right for the novel. Anyway I have made the changes that some people have said I should make (things that I at times I too thought I should do) and now I get more people to ask to at least see parts of the novel.

Now I still don't have a literary agent or a publisher, but I have improved on my novel. That is the best thing.

Also, when you get a no just write other books. Like I said before sometimes it isn't the book itself. Sometimes it is just the agent that didn’t feel right for your book. (That is fine and the agent is right when they say I want to pass and let you get the agent who will love this novel the way you do). So write other books.

Hey, if your get to write some many books and then you get published you will be able to give those books to your publisher or agent as well.

I have learned that sometimes it takes the second or even the fifth novel you write for the first to get published. So go ahead and great started. I can’t wait until I see your novels at the bookstore.

As always remember to write, read, summit, and post.

Happy writing,

Enigma

Does age really matter?

I'm sure others have heard this very question. I come across it all the time. In writing I have found out that it really doesn't matter, but at the same time if you tell someone in your query that you’re young, it can hurt you.

So when you write a query don't put in it, since I'm a young writer I know just what is going through the heads of people my age. Firstly to a point this is true to another this is false.

I got out of high school only a few years ago and I talk to my younger siblings about what they do in high school all the time. I always think, you guys are still doing that. I start to feel old because I remember my grandparents saying the same thing.

Yes, we may not tell are parents everything, but hey they didn't either when they we are age. We may have cell phones and they may have to use something different when they where are age. But when you’re a writer, it’s all about becoming someone different. For the most part writers know how to write about young or older people.

So yeah some things may change, but most are still the same.

What I am saying is, don't put that in there, because it won’t matter how old you are as long as you know how to write a great story.

Here are a few authors that got published in their teens.

Kody Keplinger- The Duff-18 years old

Kate Coursey- Hamsa's Song-18 years old

Christopher Paolini- Eragon-19 years old

S. E. Hinton- The Outsiders-18 years old

As always remember to write, read, summit, and post.

Happy writing,

Enigma

One more day and still no book deal.

Okay everyone, I know, sometimes it feels like you have been writing forever, (I've been writing since I was four) and you’re like why haven't I gotten published yet. You’re like hey my friends and family all think my books are great. Even people who I tell about it want to read and find out more. So why doesn’t a publisher or an agent feel the same way.

My answer is......I don't really know. Hey if I knew I would tell you. I will however say this, it may be because they here about great stories every day. Thousands of people just like you and me telling them how great their novels are.

I know what you’re thinking, my novel is different. That's what everyone says and hey it may just be that. Sometimes it may just not be the right time. So many authors want to get published before a time. (Mine was before I turned 18)

This is something I have learned from that. Give yourself time. Keep focusing on your writing, and believe me your time will come. We're going to all get there together.

As always remember to write, read, query, and post.

Happy writing,

Enigma

"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest

This is the sixth contest. Here is all the info from the website. Go over to

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com for even more info.

HOW TO SUBMIT

E-mail entries to sixthagentcontest@gmail.com. Please paste everything. No attachments.

WHAT TO SUBMIT

The first 150-200 words of your unpublished, book-length work of urban fantasy or paranormal (adult fiction and/or YA fiction are both accepted; no "high fantasy" with dragons, elves or other planets please). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, I ask that you do one of two things: 1) Mention and link to this contest twice through your social media—blogs, Twitter, Facebook; or 2) just mention this contest once and also add Guide to LiteraryAgents Blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) to your blogroll. Please provide link(s) so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step!

CONTEST DETAILS

1. This contest will be live for approximately fourteen days—from Sept. 22through the end of Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2010, EST. Winners notified by e-mail within three weeks of end of contest. Winners announced on the blog thereafter.
2. To enter, submit the first 150-200 words of your book. Shorter or longerentries will not be considered. Keep it within word count range please.
3. This contest is solely for completed book-length works of urban fantasy and paranormal romance (both YA and adult novels are accepted).
4. You can submit as many times as you wish. You can submit even if you submitted to other contests in the past, but please note that past winners cannot win again.
5. The contest is open to everyone of all ages, save those employees, officers and directors of GLA's publisher, F+W Media.
6. By e-mailing your entry, you are submitting an entry for consideration in this contest and thereby agreeing to the terms written here as well as any terms possibly added by me in the "Comments" section of this blog post. (If you have questions or concerns, write me personally at literaryagent@fwmedia.com. The Gmail account above is for submissions, not questions.)

PRIZES!!!

Top 3 winners all get: 1) A critique of the first 10 pages of your work, by your agent judge. 2) A free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com.