Into the World

I have spent the last couple of weeks preparing a submission package - covering letter, synopsis and three chapters. The first job was to research the agents that I had already identified; who do they represent? what are their specific requirements in terms of a submission? etc. I kept the covering letter short (one page) and included: why I was writing to them, a little bit about me, a couple of sentences on the novel and why I believed that a publisher would be interested in it. The synopsis took almost as long to draft as a chapter of the novel. I remembered how frustrating it was when I did an internship at an agency to read a synopsis that was several pages long and set out every plot turn and character. A synopsis needs to be a one page summary of the novel which sets out the narrative arc of the novel, key plot turns and the impact of those on the key character(s). It is important that the tone of the synopsis

both matches that of the novel and the expected tone of the genre. Even the chapters took time to format as agents have different requirements. Finally, I ensured that it was printed on good quality paper and included the all imporatant stamped self addressed envelope.
I have posted both submissions and expect to wait anything up to three months for a response. I will now turn my attentions back to revising for my viva which should take place in the spring.    

Handed In!

Exciting news! This week I handed in my PhD thesis, including the novel. I feel bereft. For three years I have lived and breathed my subject area and now I can have a day off, or even two, without feeling guilty. Of course, it isn’t really over. I will have my viva in a few months and will need to revise, as well as re-reading many novels. I have drafted a covering letter to a specific agent and started on the synopsis.

The day I handed in, I attended a networking event. It was held by the university at the RSA, London. The two key speakers, Shaheen Hasmat and Benjamin Zephaniah, were excellent. It was a reminder of the importance and power of writing; if the writer has a clear message and the skill to communicate it. I cannot claim to have achieved this but I am trying.