So I had finally decided on an editor through Reedsy.com and the work began. I sent her the manuscript, and she agreed to get back to me within 3 weeks with edits and notes.
The time passed, which I used to focus on the other two novels, and then her edits arrived. I was initially surprised, as I had expected detailed notes about character and plot holes and some of the issues that had been spotted by other agents in their feedback.
So I challenged the editor, asking if she had gone deep enough, and she agreed to give it another look, and lo and behold, not many substantive edits came back. The edits she had sent were very helpful, but overall, all of the main issues that previous agents had caught had been fixed, and she felt the piece was very strong. She thought it could use a style guide, and I agreed, so she provided one, gratis. She also provided a list of medieval names that I thought I might want to define. A glossary of medieval terms to help readers. Also gratis. All resulted in a fulsome, head to toe review, a round of fine edits, and by the end of it a sense that I had completed this story to the best of my ability (and bank account).
It was time to move on, submit the story to contests and more agents, and carry on with the other two stories. The Storyteller’s Desire is now at 80,000 words, and The Storyteller’s War is at 50,000, so I’m making slow but steady progress. Work on other contemporary stories, including the novel Home, also progresses.
UPDATE: Just received another rejection from a UK agent, but this one had a positive, hopeful ring to it:
“Unfortunately, I am not really taking on any new clients at this stage. I believe, however, that based on the description, and the opening chapters, you will find many agents very interested in the project, and I wish you all success in finding the right representation and resultant publishing deal.”
Whaddya gonna do? Maybe time for a nice glass of Vernaccia…and get back on the horse and keep writing.
