Well,
Nightmare on Query Street is over – for me at least. It was a fun few days but ultimately the
judges didn’t find what they were looking for in my manuscript. I won’t lie and say there weren’t tears or
there wasn’t a brief moment of “why do I bother”. I’ve been asked to not stray too far away
from the twitter feed even though I am no longer in the running (and maybe
never really was). Apparently, my
contributions to the feed have been worthwhile but I’m still undecided on
that. I don’t want to come off as sour
grapes but the stab of rejection is a little too fresh for me to wade back in
to watch the celebrating.
Now
it’s back to the query trenches with the hope that someone, somewhere will see
something in my little manuscript that could.
I still believe in the piece even if I’m having trouble finding people
who feel the same way. And, it’s not
just because I’m the author and I think everything I write is amazing. Is it a perfect manuscript? Probably not but wasn’t it Picasso who said
art is never finished but rather abandoned?
I’m sure some tweaks need to be made but as a whole I think I have
something good and people who have actually read it agree.
I
want to thank the good folks who were chatting with me last night and talked me
off my proverbial ledge. Those first few
moments after the announcement was made weren’t pretty ones for me. It’s always my endeavor to never come off as
whiny or anything and if I ever came close to it last night I
apologize.
I didn't write this because I wanted anyone to feel sorry for me or that I feel sorry for myself. My goal with this blog is to chronicle the ups and downs of this process. It's easy to say "don't take it personal" or "don't let it get you down". But, we're all humans with emotions and not having feelings just isn't in the cards. Having those moments of reflection, sadness, and even doubt are okay. They're even healthy. But, the goal is not to dwell on those moments. To take stock and move forward carrying something better than what you had before.
I didn't write this because I wanted anyone to feel sorry for me or that I feel sorry for myself. My goal with this blog is to chronicle the ups and downs of this process. It's easy to say "don't take it personal" or "don't let it get you down". But, we're all humans with emotions and not having feelings just isn't in the cards. Having those moments of reflection, sadness, and even doubt are okay. They're even healthy. But, the goal is not to dwell on those moments. To take stock and move forward carrying something better than what you had before.
I
would also like to thank the hard working folks behind #NoQS. All of you have jobs, families, and your own
books but you still made the time to try to help people reach their ultimate goals
and find an agent/publisher. This road
doesn’t end here for you guys and it stretches on for you and the writers you
saw potential in. May you all find
success in your future endeavors.
Finally,
congratulations to the winners – may you all come out of this adventure with
agents, books deals, and gads of fans.