I don’t think this needs to be said, but seriously, don’t like, mob them with positive feedback or anything, k? You know what I mean.
My First Page is Up on Dear Author!
12 Saturday Jan 2013
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Hey, what’s up.
Shy from DearAuthor here. Decided to check this blog out.
I see what you mean about needing to self-publish. I’d still advise you to try for an agent or a mainstream publisher, though. The world of adult fantasy is less close-minded than you think. Besides, you have some talent, and there’s a chance your unusual subject matter might make you stand out rather than be rejected out of hand.
If not a mainstream publisher, there are some niche publishers that you might want to check out. There are many who cater specifically to the LBGTQ market.
Can I confess something? A lot of first pages on DearAuthor, I just wanna tell them “Stop writing. You’re wasting your time.” But you’ve really got something here. Your style is very readable, and you’ve got some original ideas I’d LOVE to see in the fantasy genre.
On the whole First Page dealio: your writing is much better here (in the novellete you linked to) than what you posted on DearAuthor. Write more like the novellete, less like that first page.
Good luck on your journey. I’d love to find out you’ve been published one day.
Hi Shy,
As I said on DA, that first page is part of the very first “serious” work of fiction I’ve written, but since then (and it’s been a few months since I submitted it to DA) I’ve written some more stuff (including a novel for NaNoWriMo) and I don’t think I really had that much of a handle on the world yet.
The whole reason I started writing this was that I wanted to challenge some of the conventions of the fantasy genre, because I think it’s a shame that the one genre that has nearly limitless possibilities tends to cling desperately to particular tropes: This was something I started writing for me, because I felt like there were things in the genre (like the lack of diversity) that needed to be addressed. It just never really occurred to me that anyone else would like it.
Hi gefnsdottir,
Even if no one likes it, keep at it until you have it like you want. But that’s not what happened. Readers did like it, even the ones who suggested changes. I read more fantasy and scifi than anything else, so sure I’m probably biased. But you’ve got something here.
Everyone has moments of doubt. But then things can happen which prod you on your way. Take this as one of those times. And even if you query agents but some don’t “get” it, remember how many famous authors were turned down. Taste is subjective. But when you’ve got it, you’ve got it. AND YOU’VE GOT IT. Not only can you write, but your worldbuilding is killer. And yeah, there’s a lack of diversity in fantasy, I’m right with you there. But its that way in all the genres imho. That’s why I’m doing what I have to do (creating my own publishing company), regardless of who likes what. Because if one kid picks up my book and it encourages them to write, or to think, “wow, I can see myself in this character” that means more to me than anything else. So go on and share your gift with the world. You’ve already got people who’ll buy your finished novel. And that’s how you start.