It's almost time

Some six months ago I learned that writing a novel was not the hardest part of getting it published. It was just the beginning. Finding the right agent and convincing them to represent you was a much harder task.

I stopped looking for an agent for "Fighting Chaos" back in March as I focused more and more time and energy writing my new book, "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal." Now, as I approach the completion of the first draft, I am beginning to consider a new search for an agent.

I am not particularly looking forward to it.

Granted, it doesn't have to be so hard. The mystery genre is bigger than the suspense/thriller genre. There are more agents looking for the next new author of a mystery, although there undoubtedly are more authors of the genre out there.

I wrote more of the query letter for the new novel just today. Then I re-wrote it. It has all the sexy marketing elements that were missing in "Chaos." It is a more compelling story than "Chaos" and my wife says it is written better, too.

I'm not ready to jump into the pool yet. I haven't even finished the book. But I am close. Very close. And once I have finished the first draft, I will re-write the beginning and then start sending out queries, safe in the knowledge that I can finish all the revisions before the first agent requests a complete manuscript.

So, there is the plan as of now. It's coming together. And once I have finished this novel, I will start on the next one, which I currently title as "Fall 2008 project."

Thanks for reading and keep writing.