It's not even 7pm and I feel ready for my pyjamas and my bed. Today my youngest great niece came to play all day. We have had two long walks, lots of cuddles and a long nap on the sofa, and there was a tag team of three, me, Mr C and L, so how can I be so exhausted? I'm sure it must be down to environment. My house is no longer a baby friendly zone. Too many things at low level, not enough toys, no protective catches on doors and cupboards and lots of ornaments and breakables in all the wrong places. There was a time when each room in my house was baby proofed, or controlled by stair gates and safety gadgets. We had plenty of time to make everything safe as H learnt to crawl and then walk over a period of months. And it all just stayed the same until L was big enough to no longer devour or destroy everything in her path.
In preparation for my niece's visit, at the beginning of the week, T and I spent the afternoon in local charity shops looking for books and toys that were clean and age appropriate. We picked up some virtually new board books, a plastic tea set, a rag doll and a pop up animal set. She loved them, and they and her big cousin L kept her well entertained. We were very sorry when her mum came to collect her, although we might need a few days to recover, as our energy is expended.
It's been a busy old week, with a houseful of kids, when we are now only used to one. And on Friday, a rare night out with old friends, to the Picturedrome to watch a Bruno Mars tribute band. I was surprised how many people I recognised, and how old they all looked. And here's me still looking 21! I think the Picturedrome is the place I have been looking for, where I am one of the younger ones. I will be going back, and soon!
This evening, the house is quiet and I'm feeling a bit fed up as I have had my first rejection email, in response to a submission I sent off a week ago. It was a very gentle rejection, but a standard one. I have three agents who I am yet to hear from, and I am doing the usual trick of over analysing, wondering whether the fact that I haven't heard from the first three I contacted is a good sign. Perhaps they are taking time to read through the chapters I sent, or passing them to their colleagues for their opinions, or whether it is just that the agent who emailed me today has a faster turnaround. Looking at the authors who are represented by her organisation, I should probably not be too surprised. I think they are one of the biggest and best. But the others I have written to have similarly impressive client lists, and are also giants in the industry.
As a novice writer, it is so difficult to know where to start, which agencies to approach, and what to write in my submission letter. I just figured that I would start with the big guns, be a bit cheeky and take a risk. And work my way down, hoping that I will find one who likes the look of my book, and who is a good match for me. Maybe the big ones are too busy to take on new writers. I would imagine that there is so much effort needed with a debut novel, that they have to see something pretty special and be sure that there will be a good return on their investment. I am feeling a bit flat, but it has made me think that I should really up my game and contact many more agents, in the hope that I will eventually find the one. They aren't going to come to me after all! So tomorrow, I will be a demon emailer, and hope that it will pay off.
留言