Keeping up Heart

When you enter any kind of contest or query any agents, you are putting yourself and your work out there to be reviewed and judged. So first, congratulate yourself on making the first step. You've done something other people are terrified to do. You also, presumably, have completed a novel. Congratulate yourself for that, too. 

The Pitch War contest just happened, hosted by the fabulous Brenda Drake. I, like many other people, did not get chosen by a mentor. Entering this contest was fun. It helped me think about how to pitch my story. It made me do some serious editing on the first chapter. It's also making me think about the intro. There's an "almost prologue" feel to the first five or so paragraphs and I'm debating removing it. Waffling really. 

Anyway, this contest is not the end for my YA Contemporary novel. THE END DIARY will be published, but probably by myself after more extensive editing and beta reading.

If, however, I wasn't planning on self-publishing, I would query it. Querying is so subjective. You have to find an agent at the right time, in the right mood, and get someone who sees the potential. That's a lot to ask. You also need to get someone who hasn't read (or doesn't represent) a similar book. With so many books that have the same feel (look at the dystopian genre), this can be extremely hard to do.

So anyone who got in, congrats. Anyone who didn't, polish your ms some more and send it out. Find a critique partner who works well with you. Hire a proofreader, concept developer, or line editor and self publish. Your writing journey does not end with one (or 25 rejections). Keep trying. 

So long as your work is improving, you are on the right track.