Hi Annie,
Many thanks, and
very best wishes with yours, which I'm sure will find a "home" some time ... as the saying goes, "Persistence gets you published".
Over the last couple of years, I've learned quite a bit about this process by reading books written by agents (UK ones, in my case - the UK is the obvious first hope for me, finding an agent), and one or two websites: I'm also an avid reader of
"The Rejecter" and have been for a long time. I also think
this book is absolutely
great and have learned far more from it than from 5 other books on the subject combined together.
Times are not exactly optimal anywhere, at the moment, for getting "first fiction" published, unfortunately.
Though, I understand too, given the massive expenses of committing themselves to publishing a first novel, "advances" are also on the high side by comparison with earlier years, on the logical and understandable grounds that if a publisher can't afford to pay a respectable advance, he can't afford to publish and market one's book properly in the first place.
I'm gradually coming to appreciate that, especially for "first fiction", a publisher (eventually) really isn't buying "a manuscript": he's buying "an author". No first fiction will be accepted without options on at least one (and usually two) subsequent works. One has to sell oneself as well as one's writing. Or one's agent has to.
(I'm writing in Russian - when it's completely finished in "second draft" I'll probably translate it into English myself first, and then have it edited by a professional literary translator as well, before submission anywhere. For me, it's a very long process!).
Good luck and warm greetings!
