We should play catch up I suppose!

It's been two months and two weeks since I sent out my first query letter. I've sent out almost 250. 250!!! I've done 3 rounds of querying and I just started round 4.

I've gotten more rejections than I can count. Probably 60 or something. But who knows? I read "Unfortunately" or "regret" or whatever other lovely word the agent has chosen to use in my rejection letter and then throw them on the pile with the others.

I've received SIX Not No's!!!! SIX!!!! I have had SIX literary agents ask to see a partial manuscript, whether it be 3 chapters, 20 pages, or a whopping 100 pages. Woo hoo! Fucking ridiculously exciting!!! Each one feels better than the last. Each Not No makes me more and more certain I will succeed. I had 4 Not No's last week alone. I'm starting to feel the momentum shifting.

And now, as of yesterday, I've had 2 of my Not No's say they didn't desire to see my full manuscript. The first one was kind of jarring. But somehow comforting because I know it's all part of the process. And as one of my same-named writer friends has said before, "Well, it's a milestone!" And that it is. Another milestone in the process of publishing my very first book.
It stings, but I can't take it personally. Because it's not personal. This is business no matter how much of my heart and soul I poured into the 200 pages that are waiting for a letter of acceptance from someone... Anyone...

I lust for the life of my dreams every day. Every second of every day. I want to sell this book and achieve my dreams of becoming a published murder mystery novelist. And I want to make some MONEY! I want to have careers as successful as my mentors, Stephen King and James Patterson. I want to be rich and famous and gain success by doing what I love the most in the world. And by doing it my way.

I'm from the South and was raised with one mentality: Go big or go home. Why not shoot for the moon? I believe in a whatever it takes mentality. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my big dreams come true. I've started round 4 of querying agents. I have prayed more in the last year of my life than in the rest of my life combined. And I constantly try to put good into the world. I believe if I put positive energy into the world, it will come back to me. And at this point, I need all the positive energy heading my way I can get.

I leave you today, with my latest whatever it takes to get published idea. I'm going to write a letter to Oprah's book club people. I mean... It can't hurt... Oprah's book club is the largest in the country, and she has been extremely helpful and even career-making to many authors, including first time authors. So, why not write Oprah's book club people a letter about my book and the process I've been through thus far trying to get it published? Maybe no one ever really reads it. But what if someone does? How cool would it be if Oprah Winfrey helped me get my book published?!

Back to the waiting game, which is always frustrating, because I want to be published, you know, yesterday!!!