Somewhere out there is a literary agent (who shall remain unnamed here) who asked for science fiction submissions on Twitter the Friday before last. I was in bed at the time, reading my Twitter feed on the iPad (as one does), so I got out of bed again to send that agent a query letter that followed the requirements of the agency in question.
I woke up the next morning to find a form rejection in my inbox. That agent had rejected the query without having asked for sample pages–without even having read a single word of the novel. And it was a nice, short, courteous, and professional query letter, not two lines of HAY U WANT TO B MY AGENTZ? CHK YES OR NO LULZ.
I said a very naughty word at the computer screen and felt something in my head go SNAP. Then I had Scrivener compile the ebook files for the novel, bought some cover art, made a book cover, uploaded everything to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing service, and told people on my blog that the novel is available for sale.
Right now that novel is #245 on the Kindle Store, #2 in Military SF on the Kindle, and #13 in the entire Science Fiction category (all print, Kindle, and audiobooks) on Amazon. Right now that novel has sold an ungodly amount of ebook copies for a self-published first-time novel by an unknown author.
Right now I’d like to kiss that agent square on the mouth for being the catalyst that finally made me decide to take the novel’s fate into my own hands.
Congrats!
Congratulations! I’ve been at this self-publishing gig for 3 years now, and I see it as a marathon rather than a sprint. But I think it’s GREAT that you’ve shot off the starting blocks in such a spectacular style! Go, you!
Awesome! I love stories like this. Welcome to the wonderful world of being an author–and from what I’m seeing a darn good one.
I’m hearing more and more stories like this. All I can say is go Indies, agents and publishers no longer recognize what the public want to read.
I sold over 50k books with my first book in the first six months and had agents tapping me up left, right and center. I eventually signed with a top NY agent. However, since i sent the contract back he’s done NOTHING to help me. I’ve sold well over 250k novels now through my own hard work and initiative.
Good luck to you with your future writing.
Huge congrats on taking control of your own career. I love your honesty in this post. The slush pile process is broken. The reason writers don’t understand what agents are looking for is because agents have no idea what they are looking for. The whole thing’ll be moot in a couple years anyway when every writer goes indie and the big six become one outmoded entity. Look forward to checking out your book – it sounds great!
I had a slightly different experience. I submitted my humorous novel to one of the big six publishers. While waiting to hear from them I entered the 2010 ABNA contest and got to the semi finals. Spurred on by the Publishers Weekly reviewer who described it as ‘Droll, witty and utterly British’ I e-published on Kindle. It had sold over 5000 copies when I received a polite rejection letter from the publisher explaining that although it was good, they didn’t feel the book would sell enough copies to justify publication. I took great delight in replying and thanking them for their consideration and telling them that I had self-published and sold over 5000 copies (now over 17 000). I didn’t receive a reply.
(But Can You Drink The Water? )
Just put your link on Indie Writer’s Unite. You should com join us on Facebook.
Congratulations on finally having some publishing success! I bought it on Kindle as soon as Tam had mentioned it on her blog. Enjoyed it, very Heinlein-esque in concept — only gripe: WHERE’S THE SEQUEL!??!!!
Wishing you the best in your self-publishing career…
Bought your book and read it. Love did it. Write more.
Congratulations. Can you put a link up to your book. (I came in through Passive Voice).
I read once that J.K. Rowling has a Christmas card list made up of all the people who rejected her Harry Potter series. Every year they receive a very kind, very glittery, embossed reminder.
I, too, would like to thank that agent for finally letting me read the book, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Funny! I saw that tweet and actually stopped to look at it for a second. Then did nothing. Good for you!
God! This is just what I’m going through. I was in the dumps a few weeks back. I’d gotten so many form rejections that something inside me broke a little. And yes. Something snapped in me as well. I haven’t yet hit the publish button. I’m in the process of compiling the cover art, the formatting etc. BUT I have decided to self-publish as well.
Congratulations to you on having done so damn well! Love it when a self-pubbed novel succeeds!
Dude. Bad-ass success unto thee with that book. Hope it keeps on keepin’ on for you.
That being said, I’d say not to be too offended by the agent thing — agents get heaps and mounds of submissions weekly. They have to have some way to sort through them and respond quickly, hence, query letters. It may have been a sales issue, a personal lack of connection, or maybe the agent just didn’t understand the potential (and, obviously, you wouldn’t want that agent). So, high-five for kicking ass with the book, but don’t let that agent thing stick in your craw too bad.
— c.
Good. For. You!
I am very happy for you. Please do not take the rest of this as grousing, but remember that you have a blog that has a pretty good audience. It is a great marketing tool for your works, because a lot of people have come to know your writing and expect that they will see the same level of quality in your fiction as they read here.
My gut feeling is that a lot of the books that are e-published essentially sink into the bottomless byte well. Congratulations for beating the odds.
And Terms of Enlistment is my first ebook! All I have is an old iMac but I dragged TOE out of iTunes into Adobe’s Free Digital Editions and viola! it works. Best wishes Major!