Jacqueline C. Thomas - Romance Novelist

Querying

Shit.. this hurts!

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The full-manuscript rejection pothole!

Writing is a process, and everyone’s process is different. Just like writing, the road to traditional publishing is a process as well. Today I passed another milestone on my journey to being traditionally published- a full manuscript rejection. I started the querying process a little over two years ago for a different book, than the one that was rejected today. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the querying process is grueling and you truly are putting your work and a piece of yourself out there for the world. I remember when I started querying I wondered to myself if I would get a “bite,” on my first letter… LOL! I wondered this not in a vain way, but in the way that sometimes people get lucky. Oh, how naive sweet Jackie.

That first query letter was a train-wreck. The book I was querying was far from ready, even though I thought it was. It took time to perfect query letter and grow as a writer. And again if you haven’t queries before let me just say that the query letter is so much harder than actually writing a novel. I learned a lot when I started, and I remember the first rejection that came in. That hurt. I knew there was a good chance that my work wasn’t ready, and it clearly wasn’t. At the same time, I was blessed enough to be surrounded by cheerleaders telling me to go for my dream, try to get an agent. While that first rejection stung, it did not deter me. In fact it had the opposite reaction, it propelled me. I dug into researching query letters, agents, the querying process all while, writing, rewriting and editing.

Fast forward two years and lots of rejection letters later. I have to tell you that rejection, time and time again builds some pretty thick skin, and certainly puts one’s ego in check. With each rejection, I said to myself, this means you have more work to do, keep writing, keep writing, keep writing. I have followed my own advice and I’ve continued to keep writing.

This past January 6th as I sat and watched the insurrection unfold in real-time on my television, I got an email that I thought would change my life. It was a full manuscript request. I thought there was a good chance this was it, my chance to advance on my dream. I shot up from my chair screaming and jumping up and down. My poor husband didn’t know what to do. I sent my manuscript off to an agent who I’d always admired and crossed my fingers.

I had spent most of December getting another book ready to self-publish but everything paused while my manuscript was being read. I stopped querying but kept writing. Each day, I’d check the agent’s portal in Query Manager for an update. Eventually, I just had to stop checking, knowing that if the agent wanted it, they’d be sure to let me know. I also tempered my enthusiasm as best as I could as I saw other authors in Twitter’s writing community get full manuscript rejections. I knew I could very well be one of them in time.

Today my answer came as I was doing laundry. My Apple Watch buzzed on my wrist and I saw the agent’s name pop up. I gave a shout to my husband (who works from home) that I had an answer in my inbox. We ran to my office where I opened the email and we both read…. the word, “unfortunately.” Ugh, I am really beginning to hate that word. The agent said that they had failed to connect with the story but encouraged me to keep writing. I simultaneously had the desire to puke and cry at the same time. Yet, the biggest feeling was a sense that an answer, albeit the one I didn’t want, was what I needed to move forward. The rejection meant that I now knew what direction to head in- you guessed it, more querying, more writing, more editing! I was thankful that the limbo was over.

So with all of that being said, onward I go. I know this journey to being traditionally published is difficult, and a long process. I know that I have to work for it, and that there are no shortcuts. Yet my personal motto continues to rattle around in my head, be relentless. I’m made of tough stuff and so although it stings, I mean stings intensely, it just means keep going. I now have passed another milestone in my journey to becoming a published author-the, full manuscript reject. Yep, that one stings, but onward I go!

A Full Manuscript Request!

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A early “finished” draft of Sailing in Silicon Valley.

A lot happened yesterday for me as an American. I like many of my fellow Americans sat glued to our television not believing the images being broadcast of the insurrection and seige at the Capital. However, this post isn’t about yesterday’s events in Washington D.C. Something else happened yesterday for me personally– something big. I got an email from a literary agent requesting the full manuscript of Sailing in Silicon Valley. Amidst the chaos going on, I opened my email as my phone buzzed to notify me of the email. My husband was sitting on the couch, and watched in confusion as I shot up from my chair and began to scream hysterically.

The pure joy against the carnage that was happening on the television was indescribable. I grabbed my laptop and went over the manuscript one last time, double checking, and triple checking for errors that I had possibly missed. With a deep breath and a trembling hand I sent my full manuscript off to the agent. Along with the manuscript I sent my deepest hopes and wildest dreams of it being a success. It was the oddest sensation, to finally have something I’ve so desired, yearned for, worked for, cired over, and beat my head against my desk for to finally happen.

This morning I woke, feeling an emotional hangover from the events of the day before. Then I remembered, an agent asked for my full manuscript. The heaviness of the emotions from the day before seemed to lift. I know what happened yesterday in D.C. is incredibly serious, and lives were lost, but if this past year has really taught me anything it is to celebrate the joys in life. I also know that there is a 50/50 chance that the agent won’t like the full manuscript and I am doing my best to temper my enthusiasm. But for today, I am allowing myself to be really excited and enjoy the moment.

I remember last year about writing about how your query letter only has to work once. I compared the perfect query letter to mixing a great cocktail. Each component to the letter needing to be mixed just right. I guess I may have got the cocktail right. Even more important I am glad that the manuscript piqued interest. So for the first time ever I feel like I have moved to another step in the process of making a dream in my life come true. Even if the manuscript is passed on, I at least have got the chance to know what a full manuscript request feels like. I will tell you it feels incredible, amazing, and it is pure JOY.

A Writer’s Year in Review: 2020

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My husband snuck this shot on the morning of December’s #PitMad Competition as I sent my first tweet out.

I like many am so ready to see the end of 2020. It has been a terrifying, heartbreaking, and odd year. It has also been a year of new opportunities for me as well. I started the year professionally, with a massive promotion to run the marketing department for a national company, and was chosen to represent the company at the largest national conference in the country in February in L.A. At the same time I was head-hunted by another company and given the opportunity to grow further professionally and work at the global level. I started the new job that is in the business events industry on March 4, 2020- talk about timing. I stayed with the company until I was furloughed and then recalled, then furloughed indefinitely in the fall. It was a wild, sad, and soul crushing experience.

While I tried to hold onto my professional career, I finished my Master’s degree this past May. That was an enormous accomplishment, and I am proud of myself that I did it. While there was no party, or even a graduation ceremony, it did not diminish my joy that my degree was finally finished.

Writing wise, 2020 has been a productive year. I started the year writing a novel, about two love interests with tragedies in their lives. The two characters have to rescue each other- thus turning the trope of knight on horseback upside down. I am planning to self-publish this book in the first quarter of 2021. It will be my first published novel.

As the pandemic gripped the U.S. and much of the globe in the spring of 2020 I published Quarantine Stories on the blog. I came up with the idea walking down the beach in Malibu, CA. on the earlier mention work trip. I wondered what romance would look like in a time of quarantine and lockdown. I wrote 20 short stories and published them here on the blog. The short story format was a new one for me, and I enjoyed the challenge.

As summer started, I found more and more people asking me if I was going to make Quarantine Stories into a book. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. I wrote five additional stories that are exclusive to the book, and went through the process of self-publishing. My husband and I have put out a magazine for our business for years, but self-publishing a story collection was entirely different. I walked all of the way through the process and I sold more copies than I thought I would but it was far from a bestseller. In full disclosure I didn’t ever expect it to be a bestseller. I had two things against me, I’m an unknown author and it’s a short story collection.

In September my professional life crashed and burnt as my time with the job that I’d started in March became a different type of Covid victim. My children were also starting remote learning at the same time. Rather than look for another job right away, I wanted to take some time to take stock and possibly change directions. I also became a full-time mom again, just when my family needed me most. This time off also gave me the time I had so desperately wanted to really focus on my writing.

In the fall, out of nowhere a truly unique story idea came to me, and I completed my second novel of the year. It’s working title is Willow, after the main female character. The story is set in the future where marriages are not made via love matches but breeding compatibility. This was different from my normal romance writing in setting and time. It was a fun novel to write and I am so grateful to my husband for bringing me my laptop and coffee each morning, encouraging me to keep writing. I have yet to reread through it for the first time, and I only hope it is as good as I think it might be.

I also did A LOT of querying this year. I put out two books to query and had what I would call great success in Twitter’s #PitMad contests. I was able to snag agent “likes” with each round. This past December was my greatest interest yet, and I am continuing to wait for news as I write this. I pitched the two books I’ve queried this year, Sailing in Silicon Valley, and The Lake Michigan Affair.

As 2020 draws to a close, I have put my efforts into editing the book that I started the year writing, the one about the two lovers who rescue each other. I plan to self-publish it in the new year, if I have not signed with an agent yet. I am excited to put out an actual novel in story and length. I also feel that this novel is much more of my style of storytelling.

Looking to the positives of a new year, and the opportunities it brings, I’ve started to look for a new job to put my career back on track. Once I hear back from the #PitMad agents, (hopefully sign with one) I can move forward querying or finally start down the traditional publishing path. I also hope to compete 2 or 3 new novels in 2021. I can feel the muse starting to come to life again, and the spark of an idea is there…

So to all of my readers, I wish you a very happy, safe, healthy and productive New Year!

Life is Vivid, Rich and Creative Right Now.

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Life truly is beautiful!

So I finished another novel over the weekend. As cliche as it sounds, I dreamt this one too, or at least the basis of it. I am always fascinated in the ways that inspiration comes seeping up into my writing. I think there was a lot of influence from current events and the political landscape. This work was a little different than anything I’ve ever written before. It is set in the future in an ultra-conservative/ religious America, where birth rates have dropped and the ultimate goal is to repopulate the world, but as a romance novel. It sounds strange but guys, it came out so incredible!

What I found particularly interesting with this book is that at no point did I have a major attack of self doubt. With every book I’ve ever written, right before the halfway point I usually have this sense of doubt, like the story is garbage, the characters aren’t believable and I should just stop writing. Most of the time I push through this feeling and in the end, I am usually really pleased with the finished product. To this point, I’ve not produced a work, where I’ve thought, eh you should’ve stopped. With this newly completed project that doubt didn’t come, and I don’t know if that means anything or not but I am grateful.

It really is the strangest thing, life has changed so much in the past six months, from reaching major career goals, and moving to the top of my field to now being home and writing full time. Life is weird guys. I was thinking back to a conversation I had with an old boss last year, we were talking about homeschooling and while I loved and romanticized about the idea, I never saw it in my future. I couldn’t put my career on hold to educate my kids. A year later, my kids are home elearning and I find myself being a part time teacher to support my kid’s education. What is also neat about this is my kids are seeing me write. My daughter has taken to becoming a writer herself and often writes short stories during her breaks. They’re dramatic and dark, and adorable.

So, two months into being a full-time writer, I am really loving it. I feel so pleased to have completed another novel. The last one I finished was in February pre-Covid, career change, furlough, and life basically turning upside down. I am really excited about the book I just finished, I really think it may be some of my best writing yet. I cannot describe how wonderful the feeling is to get up in the mornings and know that I have all day to write. For so long, I worked full-time, while completing my Master’s Degree, and I still managed to write. I would write after my kids went to bed in the evenings, on lunch breaks, or on weekends. Now I can write whenever the mood strikes and it is WONDERFUL!

As I write this blog post I am looking out the window at my treeline on my property rich with fall color. I know how odd this must sound, but I feel like everything is richer in experience this year, even the fall colors in my backyard. I don’t know if this is because I have the time to sit back and enjoy them or if they are truly more vibrant. I feel the same about my writing right now too, it just seems more substantial for some reason.

Creatively, all cylinders are firing right now. What I find truly amazing was that I really pushed to finish this last novel so I can start my NaNoWriMo novel. I already have the idea, and I know where the story will goes. This is unheard of at least for me. Normally I search for months thinking of the perfect idea of my Nano book. This year, the idea came hard and strong, and I was like, well finish the novel you are currently working on and you can start on your next one. Seriously, muse?!? Believe me I am not complaining! If I can pull this off I’ll have completed three novels this year and one short story collection… WOW! I am not bragging, I am just in awe of my endeavors especially in light of everything going on with a global pandemic.

In between writing, I’ve also been querying for my first book Sailing in Silicon Valley. While I have yet to get a bite, I am still pressing forward. I’ve also been toying with the idea of releasing The Lake Michigan Affair, which is a novel I wrote for my first NanoWriMo. It is the story of a devout woman who falls for a Catholic Cardinal, together they put everything on the line for their love. I queried the book for over a year, and after countless rejections, I think I might just self publish it. I’ll be interested to see how the book does on Amazon. My only experience is Quarantine Stories, which has met my expectations sales wise but hasn’t been a massive hit. I know that I have a few things working against me there, first I am an unknown author, second it’s a short story collection, and third short romance stories are kind of odd.

So in the meantime with the five days before NaNoWriMo starts, I’ll do a little research about the next project. I will also continue to query for Sailing in Silicon Valley. Overall, I will continue to enjoy life with all of the vivid richness it seems to possess right now.

Being a Full-Time-ish Writer One Month On

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My nightstand reading pile.

Hello all. Boy time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? A little over a month ago I stepped away from my job in the corporate world to devote my time writing full time AND to assist my kids with their elearning. As the school year for my grade school aged children began, it was apparent that something was going to give, and I made the choice to step away. That being said, I recognized that there was an opportunity to fully lean into putting my efforts towards writing full time. My husband who is also an author, fully supported and encouraged this course of action.

So one month in, I have a lot to show for this past month. I self-published my first book! This was a huge deal for me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done this and boy is there a learning curve here. I was lucky enough to know how to use Adobe to layout my print edition, and cover design. I also had to learn Amazon’s KDP for the ebook. Page numbers, author accounts, and royalty structures, there was and still is so much to learn. BUT… It’s been fun so far. I am grateful to have had the time to dedicate towards, instead of having to sneak it in after work or on lunch breaks.

I’ve also continued to query for another completed novel that I wrote a few years back. My dream is still to go the traditional publishing route. I sent out my first round of queries in early September, and I am surprised to say I’ve heard back from most agents, granted it was a pass, but that’s okay. I will say the more I query, the thicker my skin gets, and that is a good thing. I queried last year for a different novel, and almost hit the 100 query letters sent mark. So querying continues and I’ll keep you all updated on any developments. I just keep reminding myself it only takes one yes, to change your life. Keep going!

All of this being said, while all of these endeavors are relevant to writing, they’re not actually writing. So I am happy to report that I’ve started writing a new project. I’m about 20K words in, and while it’s still a romance, it’s different than anything I’ve ever written before. Set about a hundred years in the future, in a new America, how will Willow find safety and love? So far the writing is going very well. That is in part to my husband who has shoved my computer, headphones, and coffee at me each morning to write in the seclusion of my bedroom while he readies our children for their day of elearning. When the school bell rings, I stop writing and am plugged into their needs.

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to write here and there during the day, between math lessons, and snacks, but overall it’s not a productive time for writing. So I’ve learned to use this time for other writing endeavors, such as marketing Quarantine Stories, learn KDP, or read. I’m reading an excellent book right now, Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. This story is so enveloping that it completely sweeps me away. I try to sneak in a chapter here and there, but I find that when I pick this book up, I am unable to put it down.

In addition to all of these things, I am also settling in at home, which historically has always been the death nail for being able to be home full time for me. I have found that clearing closets, gardening and learning how to quilt have been great cures for writer’s block. I am enjoying this time to be home with my family, and being able to be truly “plugged-in” to family life. When I think back to this time last year, working full time, finishing grad school and still writing, I wonder how I managed, but somehow I did. This thought spurs me on to continue writing, and pushing myself. If I could do it then when life was busier, I can surely do it now, and do it better.

The Top 10 Reasons I love #PitMad

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Tomorrow is #PitMad a book pitching completion held on Twitter. This Twitter contest is held four times per year. This will be my first time participating this year. I haven’t been able to participate in March’s or July’s competitions this year due to work. So tomorrow is the day! I am so stupid excited. What makes this competition so awesome you ask? Well let me give you my top ten reasons I LOVE the #PitMad contest:

1. No Query Letter (well kind of)

This contests lets you pitch directly to agents! I hate writing query letters. Someone told me that a query letter only has to work once, and then you shouldn’t have to write another one. I’ve written my fair share of them, and I hope I am getting better at getting all of those magical ingredients in there. However, keep in mind if you get a “like”, during the contest you may still need to produce a query letter.

2. Community Spirit

The Writing Community on Twitter is an amazing resource for authors! It is one big community sharing the struggles, celebrating each other successes’s and supporting each other through the process of eventually getting our work out into the world no matter the journey. I love to retweet fellow authors on PitMad days. Its about writers helping writers.

3. Its Fun!

The contest runs from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. eastern, and it is one hell of a wild ride! You can put out three pitches through out this time, and you are praying and hoping for an agent to like your pitch. This is how you know you have a “bite.” After the event is over, you will contact the agent that liked your pitch and go from there.

4. There are Success Stories

People have gotten agents and book contracts through this contest. There is a list of authors who have gotten their big break this way.

5. What is your Genre

Fiction is a big pool, no it is gargantuan! Knowing specifically what genre you write in, is critically important. Some agents only represent certain genres so make sure to include yours when you pitch. A full list can be found on the PitchWars Website. For example I fall into the #A (Adult) #R (Romance) and #RS (Romantic Suspense) categories.

6. Make Friends

I have met some great people with amazing pitches through this completion. We celebrate each other’s successes and support each other, when that elusive like isn’t gained.

7. You’d better be Ready

Last year, I broke the cardinal rule of #PitMad. On a whim I pitched a finished manuscript that wasn’t quite ready. The story was finished, and had been developmentally edited but it had not been copy edited. I put it out there and didn’t expect much. Just my luck, and to my joy and horror, I got a few legitimate likes from agents. In between jumping up and down and adversely feeling like I wanted to vomit, I put in a panicked call to my copyeditor practically begging for the fastest turn around ever! Learn from me folks- DON’T DO THIS.

8. It can be one hell of a confidence boost

When your pitch gets a like, it is the best feeling in the whole world. For me, I’ve participated a few times and not gotten a single like from an agent. Rather than feel deflated, I’ve channeled these feelings into ambition reminding myself that my writing is worth putting in the hard work. I get back to work, writing, editing and querying. There are no shortcuts to success… most of the time.

9. You’re Putting Your Work Out There

Just like a query letter, the right pitch only has to work once. At the end of the day, it’s all about putting your work out there.

10. Know what your book is really about

Twitter gives you 280 characters to pitch your book, and you’d better leave a few of those to include the #pitmad hashtag, and your genre. Nothing will help you truly know what your book is about like this!