More Literary Ramblings

On Sunday, I sat down and wrote a query for Promiscuous Mode, and a one page (single space present tense) synopsis. Then I found five likely agents and shipped off the envelopes. It takes a long time to do this. First you have to find and research the agents which you think (think being the operative word here) might be interested, then double and triple check addresses (I got burned badly by this of late) and find out what the submission requirements are. I keep this stuff along with date sent, etc. in a spread sheet so I can move it from the submit to the reject sheet in an instant, which is about how long much time anyone spends on the query. Then you have to personalize and print the letters, not forgetting the SASE and the stamp and return label and the whole bloody business.

Maybe if I had secretarial skills rather than geek skills, this would go faster, but it seems to take forever to do half a dozen of these queries. I have basically given up writing a personal letter to each agent, because they got no better response (an unsigned card stuck into the SASE) than the impersonal ones, which only have name and address and no chitchat about why "you are the agent for me." Too demoralizing to spend all that time and not even have someone sign her/her name on the reply.

We'll see what happens. I need to do five more so I have some serious feelers out there, but again, it's like work. And I still have a job, and, ostensibly, a life.

Actually I do have a life. Yesterday we made the trek into Boston again, and had a lovely lunch under the trees and on the sidewalk at Stephanie's of Newbury Street. Seriously good food (I give the lobster roll 4 claws) and seriously good people watching. A fantastic day, one of the few we've had all year. Many citizens out and about. Walked through Kendall Square and was amazed at the changes since I stopped working down there. The old fire station is a boutique hotel. Legal Seafood, where I used to sit at the bar for stuffed clams and wine has been remodeled. There are new restaurants in the food court. The Blue Room, formerly the Woven Hose, where the world's best fresh peach pie was served for one summer only, is still there. Yesterday was almost a perfect day.

So life is good until the rejections start coming in again. Rejoice in summer.

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