I’ve spent a lot of time talking about querying on my blog, but 2018 is the first year that I really got into the nitty-gritty of the process.

Aiko’s Dive is the first novel that felt ready to go out into the world, so I spent extra time refining the query package (via twitter contests, readers, etc.). Once all that was done, I started sending out queries.

The results were disastrous.

In 2018, I saw the word “unfortunately” far more than I would have liked. Over 70 times, in fact. And no amount of revising managed to paint the manuscript in a more favorable light. Even now, I’m receiving rejections .

There are still a few dozen agents I can query, but a sense of dread is slowly creeping in from the periphery. Aiko’s Dive, like it or not, is nearing an endpoint. One I can’t prevent, as much as I hoped this novel would be my debut.

It would be easy to get upset, and let the weight of querying unsuccessfully for an entire year dampen my spirits, but that’s not how I do things. Looking at the rejections I’ve received for Aiko’s Dive does make me sad, but it’s also a testament to the amount of work I did in 2018 to make my dream of being a published author a reality.

It speaks to the sheer amount of time I spent revising, entering contests, writing/rewriting the query, refining the synopsis, researching agents, and reaching out. And it doesn’t negate the fact that so many agents read what I sent. The majority didn’t care for my submission, but a few were intrigued enough to reach out and request more. That’s enough of a win to keep me going.

And that doesn’t take into consideration any of the other things I did in 2018 to further my writing.

Infinity’s Heir was heavily revised (again), and now feels like it’s ready to be sent out into the world. It’s a far cry from the manuscript that I queried in 2016, but I have no doubt it will perform far better now that it’s been refined.

I also finished the first draft of a Cyberpunk thriller tentatively titled Missing Parts. I’ve been talking about this one for a long time, but I pushed at the end of 2018 to get it done. And I’ve already done a first-draft revision to smooth out narrative bumps and clean up the language. I’m going to let it sit for a few months before picking it back up, but I’m already very proud of the accomplishment.

The whirlwind end to 2018 has given me the energy to approach 2019 with overwhelming enthusiasm. Already, I’ve started to work on a new novel – YA Fantasy – that’s a rework of trilogy that kicked off my interest in writing. Pretty much everything about the story is different, but I feel very positive about the direction I’m taking it. And if I can manage to maintain the velocity I cultivated at the end of 2018, I should have another novel completed by the end of this year; a lofty goal, but one worth striving towards.

Further, I plan to have a few more sets of eyes look over Infinity’s Heir, so I can put a final coat of polish on it before starting the querying process. I’m sure the novel is far from perfect, but I’ve spent over two years going over it with a fine-tooth comb, shaping it into the space opera I wanted it to be in the first place. With any luck, the agents I submit it to will be able to see the love and care I sunk into every page of the work.

Finally, I’m going to spend a lot of time whipping Missing Parts into shape. Initial feedback suggests that the writing is good, but the beginning is a little slow (nothing new, I’ve always struggled with how to begin a story). I have no doubt that time, editing, and gnashing of teeth will fix that problem. Eventually.

In all, I’m feeling pretty good about 2019. While I’m a little downtrodden that Aiko’s Dive will likely never see the shelves of a bookstore, it feels good to know that I tried my very hardest to get it there. And even though this version of the manuscript didn’t make it, there’s always the possibility that I can rewrite it into something far more palatable.

As I promised in my last post, I plan on doing, at least, one update per month, so as things progress I’ll be able to keep you updated on what’s going on with each project. And that gives me leeway to provide that much more info on each.

That’s all for now, but stay tuned. Much more to come!