Marketing Monday

And the beat goes on...

A few more rejections trickled in last week, but there are still so many agents I have yet to hear back from. Many of these outstanding queries are about 2 months old now, so I'm wondering if I should just write them off as rejections.

I had the weirdest thing happen to me last Friday. Out of the blue, this dialog box pops on my computer screen announcing that my email database is damaged and needs to be rebuilt. Well, okay, if it needs it, it needs it. I'm no techno-wizard. So after an hour of rebuilding, it says it's done and I open Entourage (the Mac version of Outlook) to check my mail. Everything is just as I'd left it, except I see that the outbox is loaded with over a hundred and thirty outbound messages, and they're sending as I watch. I then realize they're all old messages that I'd already sent! The program had somehow salvaged them and was doing me the favor of resending. Eeek! Do you realize how many agent equeries were in there? And I couldn't stop it!

So now all the agents who had already received a query from me are getting a second helping. Aargh! I'm going to look like an agent-stalker if none of them recognize the original dates on those messages. I've been advised to send out apologies to those agents still on the fence and to those who are reviewing requested partials. What a mess. So if any agents are reading my blog right now, I'm so sorry for clogging your inbox with repeat queries! I'm not a high-maintenance author, promise! No one could be easier to work with than me.

Over the weekend, I did additional research on agents and figured that because KNIGHT'S CURSE is a dark fantasy story, it might appeal more to agents who represent horror. After I started querying, and based on some responses, I realized that many of the agents I approached represent light and humorous UF, or traditional fantasy with epic themes. KC is a hybrid of horror and fantasy, so it could appeal to either camp. It's different. It's unique. So I found about a dozen reputable agents who represent horror but not fantasy, and am now going through the process of sending out more queries. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Oh, and by the way. I've been a member of Publisher's Marketplace for a couple of months now, but never got around to creating my own member page. I finally finished it over the weekend and you can view it here.