Timewaster's Guide Archive

Well, I am going to bow out of the writer's group idea.  I just crunched my schedule and realized I need five of me to keep up with what I'm doing.  If I don't get my next novel into Deseret Book within the next two months, I will likely tick off my editor and then I'll be back on the twinkie diet due to stress. And I can't work on the novel until I finish the tech manual I already got paid to write.  So I apologize and know you will all survive without me (I can already hear the collective sigh of relief)  

Good luck, and if it's possible in a couple of months to crash your writer's group, would you still have me or would it be too late?

By the way, precious-jules, if you are who I think you are, I had a slight mishap my last day at LTUE: I lost the business cards people gave me. So you have my card--you are welcome to email me your contact info so I have it (but if you submit something, do it by mail! ). Anyone else here who got my card at LTUE and gave me one, know that your card went floating off into space somewhere. I blame the airport. You can also email me and remind me what you write and that we met at LTUE, so I can have that contact info.

Stacer, I agree about the middle-line submissions.

And though I am taking part in the experiment, I likely would continue sending the SASE in future submissions.  A forty cent stamp isn't going to kill me, in spite of my tongue in cheek list from the other day. My children really aren't shoeless (Well they ARE, but only because they choose to be) I do enjoy the idea of the experiment though and have had fun along with my other writer friends getting our submissions ready.

I am the Jules you are thinking of (Julie Wright). My daughter and I are having a reading Saturday this weekend where we snuggle under the blankets in my bed and read books.  She is excited to read the book you gave her and was grateful for the gift.  Thanks again!  I do have your card and your information and am more than happy to email you mine.  

Sorry about the mishap and losing all that information.  I had the same thing happen to me my second day at the fantasy Con in Wisconsin.  I am still grinding teeth over the contacts I lost.

I'm beginning to think this is less "shocking carnival draw" and more "sabotaging the competition".

Though I am almost sure you're joking here, I wanted to say that I've never known anyone more willing to help other authors than Savage. He has hand carried manuscripts from newer and less known authors directly to his personal editors to get them out of slush piles and get them really reviewed.  How many authors do you know that are willing to do that for other writers?  I know a lot of authors, both national and local, and Savage is the first I've met like that.

His ability to help others grow as writers and "make it happen" for them is something I truly envy. His goal is to make the market a better place.  

I have taken part in an experiment.  I currently have a completed fantasy for YA finished.  I sent out five queries using his ten tips. I know of several other authors who did the same. We expect nothing more than an interesting case study for our efforts.  I think the results will be very interesting.  One of the people in the study already received a personalized note from the agent she queried.  I will make sure we post the results of the experiment back here.  

I agree that it hurts nothing to include the SASE, therefore why not do it?  But I also agree that every acceptance I have ever received from editors has been via the telephone.  Thank you, Mr. Bell, for that fine invention!

Hey y'all!  I am new here as of today.  Brandon, Eric and Stephanie told me to join up since you guys were so much fun!  Well, as I was browsing, I noticed my dear friend Jeff Savage was here too!  Hi Jeff!!  I was thinking of your no SASE deal and I thought up the top ten reasons why no one should EVER include a SASE!

1-trees . . . nuff said, okay okay not enough said.  Sincerely you would think in this day and age, we would have grown up enough to use a computer.  We are past the crayolas and number two pencil stage.

2-paper cuts.  I hate paper cuts.  I am so betting that editors and agents hate them too.

3-Postmen.  Think on the poor postmen carrying those heavy cumbersome rejection letters.  I mean I know we, as writers, hate them, but those guys have to lug those letters through sleet and snow and rain . . . think on all the workman's comp bills and lawsuits we are saving the government.  This results in saving our own tax dollars to be put to better use in paying $800.00 for toilet seats (those seats had better sing moon river to us when we sit on em!)

4-schizophrenia. Authors already have the reputation of being insane by talking to people in their heads and doing what the voices tell them.  We perpetuate this rumor by sending OURSELVES rejection letters with the return address written in our own handwriting.

5-guilt.  I truly think these editors feel bad for knowingly causing the starving populace of authors to be even more broke due to the expense of unnecessary postage stamps.  We are saving them a ton by not putting them through this.  They'll sleep better.

6-overeating.  I don't know about you all, but I eat a box of twinkies and drink a two liter of dr pepper every time I get rejected.  By not sending the SASE, I am sparing myself the inevitable heart attack.

7-money.  I know we already mentioned how the editors feel guilty, but just think about my poor shoeless child walking the street with his tin cup selling number two pencils since we can't afford a computer due to all those stamp books we bought last year.  It's heart rending.

8-Nobody else does it!  Lets get real!  This is the only business model in America that insists you send a return addressed stamped envelope with your rejection in case they decide not to hire you.

9-education.  We are sending enlightenment to all the editors and agents who have not yet learned the value of email technology. We are creating a new generation of email users and that in and of itself is a worthy cause to undertake for those people who really care about the trees in Madagascar.

10-Seinfeld.  Everyone knows that if you lick enough envelopes, you're going to die. We are actually saving countless lives of the editors and agents that we depend on to publish our work.  If we kill em all off, what's left for us?  We're artists, not murderers.