David Weller Author Blogspot

No news is good news is said to make someone feel less worried when they have not received information about someone or something, because if something bad had happened, they would have been told about it. I currently have the full manuscript of one novel under consideration by a literary agent, and the full manuscript of another one being read by a publisher. As neither has sent me a rejection letter I suppose that no news is good news.

I recently came across a couple of titles on Amazon featuring stunning artwork on the covers. Both instantly caught my attention and made me want to look inside. Sadly, both were littered with typos which should have been found at the editing stage. It just goes to prove that you should never judge a book by its cover.

A second publisher has requested the full manuscript for Truthseeker. As it is still under consideration by another one it seems to have become a two-horse race. Both publishers might ultimately decline, but it's nice to know that this tale continues to attract interest. One day it might even find its way into print.

A small indie publisher of my acquaintance released a new title a day or so ago. Whilst I had been impressed by the quality and attention to detail of previous releases, this one fell far short of expectations. Sadly, the sample material, which can be viewed on Amazon, is so riddled with typing errors that it will put off many prospective purchasers. I've been editing manuscripts for long enough to know how difficult it is to catch every last typo. Missing speech marks and commas are especially hard to spot once you've read through a text for the hundredth time. However, the mistakes I encountered are ones which should never appear in a thoroughly edited and published work. A lot of time and effort has obviously gone into the production of this novel. The cover art work is particularly eye-catching, and the interior formatting is well executed. Sadly, an extremely poor level of proof reading has let the side down. I've sent the publishers a short note drawing their attentio...

About a month ago, a literary agent requested the full manuscript for SECRET OF HEATHCOTE MANOR. Today an indie publisher requested the full manuscript for TRUTHSEEKER. 2021 might just turn out to be my year.  Fingers crossed. 

Before contacting a literary agent, I usually check them out using Querytracker.  It really is a good resource for getting a feel for an agent. Below are three examples which I can personally verify. Agent #1 Always replies to queries within fourteen days. Agent #2 Has a habit of hanging onto queries for several months before sending out a rejection letter. Agent #3 Never replies unless interested although he will reply if sent a follow up email. I could probably compile enough examples of response times, willingness to give feedback etc to fill a book. But the point is that Querytracker does provide very accurate insights to the way each agent deals with the slush pile.

With Truthseeker under consideration with an Indie publisher and Secret of Heathcote Manor being read by a literary agent, my thoughts have now turned to another work in progress. Ravens of Ragnarök has been gathering dust for quite a while so is overdue some of my attention. Five chapters have been written so far.