Luke Fischer Saved Me - Part One

As the title of a post that seems a bit dramatic - but it's actually true.

In 2012, I was as close to quitting writing as I've ever been. These were dark times.
Here's the story:

Some writers keeping writing new novels in an attempt to score an agent, and then hopefully a book deal. I kept re-writing the same novel. For years.

 

Correction Line gathered a good amount of attention. In fact, one of the very first agents I queried in 2004 (I think? 2003?) asked for an exclusive on the manuscript. Could she have it for a week before I sent it to anyone else?

If you're reading this and you are a querying writer, you probably guessed what happened. That pass was the first of many - and along the way there were lots and lots of close ones.
A number of partial and full requests, comments on the quality of the writing and the structure, but nope, nope, and nopers.

Seven years later
An agent I'd found on querytracker, but knew little about, said he liked what he read but had some suggestions for a rewrite. I didn't know back then what an R and R was (Revise and Resubmit), but that was what he suggested. I think we had a phone call too, but it's been so long I forget. Anyway, I did revise and resubmit, not really thinking anything would come of it. A couple of months later I had a New York agent. I still remember the shock I felt when I told my wife that the agent said yes.

I've written on this blog about what happened to that book - a book I'm still very proud of. It went on submission and was read by editors from the Big 6 (now Big 5... 4... etc).
Included in this group was Neil Gaiman's editor from Harper Collins/William Morrow. The fact that my manuscript was in front of Gaiman's editor still blows me away today. You see, my agent, had connections to some of the best editors at the biggest houses - one of the reasons being he represented Joe Hill. The now very well-known (on his own merits) son of Stephen King.
Anyway, the book didn't sell, and it didn't sell to small house either.

Part of my education as a writer was learning that this happens all the time - having an agent and being on submission does not guarantee a book deal. I know this now. Nonetheless, I kept writing, a new novel, and a lots of short fiction. I'd been published a number of times as a short story writer, and I love the form.

A published short from Carve Magazine.


But I laser-focussed on a new novel, excited to not have to query it, as I had an agent.
When I finally finished a draft I was pleased with I sent it to my agent who told me this book would be even harder to sell than Correction Line. This was the first of many blows.

You see, the thing was, people, readers, and even agents, kept telling me the work was good - but they passed. A different, and notable, New York agent at a great agency became interested in this new novel that my agent passed on. So we began conversations about changing agents. I'm not going to share names in this post, but just to say this agent was hugely helpful in the feedback he gave me. Another R and R was asked for. But as before, I couldn't get it through the gate. Ultimately he passed.

What amazed me (give how busy agents are) was that when this agent passed, he recommended me to another agency, in Canada, as he said it's really more of a Canadian book. I was disappointed, but now I had something else to build on, a recommendation!
Again, if you're a writer, I'm sure you've experienced these small victories. For example, if you get personally rejected from a magazine editor (as opposed to form rejection), it's called "getting ink." Yes, that is as sad as it sounds.

The excitement machine was cranked up again (geez, Craig could you not see this coming?), when the Canadian agent became very interested and excited in my work. I say "work" because they learned that I had this other first novel in the can, one that had went on submission in the U.S. Phone conversations began as to which novel they would try to sell first, and how to navigate a two-book deal. I wrote bios and summaries and other statements to support the manuscripts. It would seem that after ten+ years, I was looking, finally at a writing career.

And then the emails became more sporadic, or not answered at all. And then the manuscripts got sent to another agent in the agency, as the main one couldn't commit the time. And then after all the phone conversations, and correspondence, with barely a couple of sentences they passed. Even the agent in New York had taken the time to write me a page of notes as to what was working and why he passed.
When I asked for some explanation, I was given the "the market is too competitive" answer.

I started writing seriously in the 90s. Over the years, I published stories and got a lot of encouragement, I even scored a great agent. But none of it was enough. I felt that I could not get invited to the party.
This was now 2012. And I was done. I couldn't put myself through this anymore, and I decided to quit writing. I was finished.

I decided to break this story into two posts - next time, the book, and character that saved me.
(Hint, his name is in the title of this post.)