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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Destan" data-source="post: 1218824" data-attributes="member: 12157">John - Thanks for the post, the comments, and the advice.  It's all appreciated.  I'll be sending you an email shortly, but thought I might post portions of information that may be applicable to other writers who happen upon this thread.About eight years ago I finished my first novel.  I sent out a number of form letters to various, reputable literary agencies.  An agent contacted me within a week, I signed a two-book contract, and we (read: they) began to market my work.  How easy it was!  I thought - 'Why the hell didn't I do this earlier?'  Soon, I thought, I would be rubbing elbows with Stephen King and giving Dutch-rubs to John Grisham.  At my agent's recommendation, I immediately began to write the sequel.Newsflash:  Don't write a sequel to an unpublished book - not unless you are ready to do so.My little story, though it starts with such promise, ends on a different note.  My agent could not find a willing publisher.  Oh, a few companies liked the book, but they said it'd never sell.  One publishing house said they would take a 'very serious second look' at my novel if - and only if - I would rewrite the story and add a significant female heroine.  It's a testament to my lack of artistic dignity that I made the attempt.  I failed.  I found that I just couldn't write something that I didn't, well, enjoy writing.  Alas, by that time, my real life work (military pilot) heated up and I put aside my keyboard for other issues.  Eventually my agent conceded defeat.  The sequel was about 70% finished at that time.  It remains 70% finished now, eight or more years later.  The contract has ended.And, you know what?  Those books didn't deserve to be published.  They weren't that well written.  I'm not being modest; I'm being honest.  Ask a couple of my friends and players - they've read those books, or portions thereof.  A couple lessons learned from this whole experience that may be applicable to other writers:1) Finding an agent is infinitely easier than finding a publisher.2) Your story may be publishable but not marketable, and hence will never see the light of a book store.  You may have written the Best Book of Collected Rodent Recipes, but if there's no customer base for that sort of thing, you're outta luck.3) If you think you've written a good story, set it aside and come back to it months down the road.  Then read it.  And be honest.  I've found this allows me to see what I've written as opposed to what I intended.  It works the same way with earlier updates on this story hour.  When I wrote them, I liked them, yet - now - I see how I could have changed things to make them significantly better.  Writing is re-writing.Ok, I'm leaping off my soapbox now.  Thanks for reading.D</blockquote>

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