For The Love Of Words

Welcome Barber-ians,

Great News! After making my own plans for the e-release of my novel The Harrowing on Amazon Kindle 90 Day exclusive on June 1, I received a partial manuscript request from a literary agent. Persistence pays off. Never give up.

After multiple submissions (and rejections) I began to alter my query. I updated it. I made it better. I asked for help from my wife on concisely cutting my book down to query size. She did an excellent job. Sometimes as writers it's difficult for us to see what is actually necessary for the readers understanding and what is detail to expand on said understanding. We think it's all necessary because we wrote it. It was one of these query revisions that finally resulted in a partial manuscript request.

Now comes more work. I have to follow the materials request guidelines laid out on the agents website. Not a big deal, just time consuming as most of what he wants is not the format I originally used. I have to make sure I have the correct margins, headers, page numbering, line spacing, font, double spacing after every sentence end, etc.

Lesson learned. Most agents will want double line spacing, double spacing after sentences, 1" margins all around. These are good basic formatting practices to use when you begin writing, then you don't have to go back and fix it when you get a request.

I am preparing my submission materials this weekend with plans to have it in the mail by Monday or Tuesday. I have completed all of the specified formatting requests and am now attempting to boil a 30 chapter novel down into a 5 page synopsis. Not easy, Especially for the writer. On my first attempt I had already written 5 pages of synopsis on the first 6 chapters. My wife, again, is coming to my rescue and bringing her invaluable insights as a reader to help me determine what is strictly necessary detail for the synopsis.

I'll keep you all apprised of changes to my publication status, but for now keep your eyes out for The Harrowing on Kindle as of June 1. And be sure to visit my website at http://www.kennethwbarber.com/.

Thanks and keep writing (and reading The Harrowing, of course). Until next time Barber-ians!