New Romcom out on submission

The End? That's the easy bit.

Finished. My manuscript is complete and ready to go. 

But it's not the Folk Horror I planned back in January.

Quick recap: at the start of the year, I had a plan to write a Folk Horror in January, polish it in Feb and submit in March. 

That didn't happen. So what went wrong?

I think part of the problem is that I had an idea for a Romcom bouncing around at the same time. The idea was sparked by a short story I wrote about a year go. It was only 300 words, but there was something about the voice of the narrator that I liked. Sometimes, if you find the right voice, the words just flow. 

I did try putting that same voice into the Folk Horror. The results were hilarious, but in a really terrible way.

And so, despite having a full plan for the Folk Horror, I kept coming back to the silly stuff. And it really is silly. A guy comes up, all geared up to propose, only to find his girlfriend holding a pair of lace knickers found hidden behind the headboard of the bed. The guy insists they are nothing to do with him and ends up on a quest to solve the mystery, prove his innocence and win back his girlfriend. His big mistake? He enlists the help of his self-absorbed older brother. 

Writing and planning. My POV Nightmare.

I had a LOT of false starts trying to settle on a POV for this book. I rewrote the first half of the book four times. I've got versions in 1st person, 3rd person, both past and present tense. 

The problem is that there are pros and cons to each. 1st person can feel very limited, so I played with alternating chapters between the MC and his idiot brother, but that was giving too much away and ruined the mystery element. 

In the end, it came down to the MC's sense of injustice and a quest to find the solution to a fairly simple problem. I found myself warming to present tense for immediacy, especially for the comedy moments. 

There was one joke in particular that caused so many problems. It's the very last line in the first chapter, and it looks so simple now that it's on the page, but wow, this was my Achilles' heel, and it had to be right. No matter how far I went in 3rd person or past tense, I kept coming back to this chapter and this joke. It sets up the theme and nails the voice, so it had to be bang on the money, even at the cost of other jokes further down the line, quite a few of which ended up scrapped.

Okay, now for a few stats to answer the following.

How many words does it take to write a novel?

The book is short and punchy and comes in at 53,000 words. Doesn't sound like much, does it?

If I take a look in my research folder, which includes outlines, timelines, alternative story ideas, blurbs and pitch ideas, it all adds up to 106,000 words.

Then there's the Trash folder, packed with deleted scenes, scrapped chapters, and other POV versions: 86,000 words. 

Altogether, this project has taken 245,979 words.

That doesn't count the editing process, mind, where I pretty much rewrote every chapter, so I could add in another 50k, but that's not really measurable. I'm quite amazed at 250,000. That's quarter of a million words for a book you could probably read in three or four hours.

Traditional or Indie Publishing?

I came to this project with the intention of starting over with a new pen name. I have two main reasons for this. 

First: there is a good deal of strong language and adult humour in this book and I work in a school. It would be nice to keep the two worlds separate. 

Second: at the moment, I have a mix of genres under my name and several titles no longer available. If I start over, I can create a solid, identifiable brand with a clean sales algorithm. 

I also have a super-secret reader magnet waiting in the wings. It's a kind of romcom game that isn't like anything else out there. I'm busy tweaking that now. Then I'll sort out a new website and my first newsletter sign-up. 

All of that points to indie publishing, where I can have the control to build a brand, a mailing list and attract new readers. But I think a bit of indie marketing sense is just as important for traditionally published authors. 

The other advantage of the Traditional model is the team that comes with it for editorial input, cover design, layout, marketing and promotion.  

And the Trad route is the only realistic way you'll see your book in shops. 

And so, I'm submitting this manuscript to agents.

The Submission process.

Submitting a novel is both exciting and stressful in equal measure. 

The Slushpile as it once was.
Now it's in your Inbox.

The general rule is to send a query letter with either the first 3 chapters or 10,000 words (whichever is shorter) plus a full synopsis. The cover letter should include a pitch, target audience, similar books and any relevant bio info. 

A synopsis is an overview of the whole story. It is not a blurb. It has all the details, all the twists. Most writers hate writing these things. I don't mind. It's really just a list of events and the final outcome.  

In the old days, sending a manuscript out meant putting it in an A4 envelope with a stamped, addressed return envelope folded up inside. These days, it's all online, but different agencies have different guidelines. Some like an email and attachment, some have online forms. Almost all include a line, "If you haven't heard back within 12 weeks, consider it a no."

12 Weeks. That's a long wait. Which is why it's advisable to submit to multiple agents. 

So far, I have sent to seven. I've checked their bios to save wasting their time and mine (they all want romcoms!). Some are established agents with heavy client lists, some are growing their lists and making a name for themselves, and one is a Junior Agent, just starting out. 

As the agents themselves will tell you, there are pros and cons to all. For example, my first agent was gearing up to retire. Established agents may have better contacts and more leverage. A new agent might see something in your writing that others don't. There's no right or wrong here. It's also not a case of first past the post. If you do get a request, it's best to let the other agents know (don't fib in the hope of fooling them. They won't check up, but they will be able to spot a poor submission a mile off). If you get several offers, then it's time to meet up or make a few calls and go with the agent that's right for you.

So... Exciting times. 

And while all that's going on, I've got another romcom underway. Hopefully, I can get the bulk of it nailed before the new school year starts.