It feels like I've been running around a lot recently -- checking, triple checking submissions guidelines, buying submission supplies, getting writing ready for submission, quiting my job, cleaning my office.
I'm not sure what will happen to me at the end of the day tomorrow -- my last day of work for almost two weeks. I think I might come home and collapse. Because I certainly feel like collapsing now. Even having everything ready for submission, putting the query packages together was a little stressful. I think about all the "Don't's" you read about on agent blogs, and I realize how easy it is to make mistakes, even having done tons of research and really preparing.
For example, it wasn't until the last minute that I remembered the SE aspect of the SASE. Even though I'd specifically bought stamps this morning and had them next to my keyboard! The font of one of my headers was a slightly different font than the rest of the text. I opened two packages for fear I'd mangled the agent address. I'm talking 3+ hours to get 5 submissions out the door.
But they're done! Now I just have to clean out my office, haul everything to my car, and relax for days and days.
Which brings me to the real important part of this post: my TBR pile has dwindled. I need -- nay crave! -- recommendations! I want to spend my days lolling in a reading induced stupor. It has been too long since I've been able to read without the pressure of my own WIP rattling around my brain.
So, what are y'all reading these days?
blog of Carrie Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of the Forest of Hands and Teeth series To return to my website, click here.What Others are Saying!
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On shelves now! More About MeI used to be a lawyer who measured my time by 6 minute increments. For a few years, I was able to devote one or two of those increments to this blog a few times a week. In October 2007 sold my debut novel, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, to Delacorte Press (it came out March 10, 2009 and hit the New York Times bestselling list in 2010). In October 2008 I quit my lawyer job and now I'm a full-time writer. My second book, THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES, is a companion to the first and came out March 9, 2010. The third in the series, THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES, released March 22, 2011. My first anthology, FORETOLD: 14 Tales of Prophecy and Prediction, will be out fall 2012 as well as my first middle grade novel, INFINITY RING: DIVIDE AND CONQUER, Book 2 of Scholastic's new multi-author/multi-platform series. I'm represented by Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. My website is www.carrieryan.com. My other hauntsBooks Read:
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5 comments:
Yay! Super yay! So excited you got the submissions out the door. I totally know what you mean about taking forever to do it right. I forgot to put something inside the envelope once and rather than let me have a new priority envelope, the postal worker just tore back part of the original one and then practically mummified it in postal tape. It ended up looking like a kindergartener sent it. /sigh
Only thing I'm reading these days is TATTF, although I have 200+ RWA TBR books, and a good half a dozen or so from the library on the nightstand. (Currently reading Unmasqued and Life of Pi. Or at least, I was until I started revising.)
Oooh, good luck. This part of the process feels like torture at the time, but you'll look back on these days fondly.
At least, I do. ;-)
I used to be a lawyer...I know how exciting the prospect of two weeks without the six-minute increments can be! And congrats on the submissions..it's kind of a nice feeling when it's out of your hands for awhile :)
Great books I've read recently: PARTY GIRL by Anna David, THROUGH THICK AND THIN by Alison Pace, I DO (BUT I DON'T) by Cara Lockwood. And if you're looking for a read by another lawyer/writer, try Beth Orsoff's ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED.
Happy vacation :)
I just finished BLOOM, the debut by Elizabeth Scott, and I really enjoyed it. But that's the only reading I've been doing, since I'm on deadline. :-(
Congrats on submissions! Yay! I'm reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. I'm still plugging my ears to spoilers! Enjoy your time off, and maybe you'll do some writing, huh?
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