In 1992 I wrote a political thriller called Kiss of the Assassin. One of its subplot
centres around the Soviet Union's involvement in the Vietnam War and later the
union's eventual collapse.
After months of
research, years of editing, six workshops, revisions, and help with my query
letter, I submitted to every agent/publisher in my genre. The response back was
the same, “Sorry, no one's interested in Vietnam.”
This year, because of a
renewed interested in the War, I pulled Kiss from the
shelf and subbed a few chapters to my online writer's group.
Footnote: In the 90s
if you told me what company you served with in Vietnam, I could estimate where
you were and what major incidents you may have encountered during your tour.
Twenty years has passed
since I began Kiss, fifteen years since I set it aside. Why
couldn’t I, considering the initial response of my writer’s group, do a quick
proofread and start querying?
Because...
One of my beta readers
read an article recently first published in 2006 by a Russian defector on the
killing methods of the KGB. While my research on the Soviet Union was thorough in the 90s, that article alone proved I no longer had command of my subject
matter.
Information revealed in the article stated that the KGB
assassins used undetectable radioactive compounds that mimicked cancer and
killed within days. My assassin in Kiss of the Assassin uses an empty syringe. This is not a huge blunder by itself, but coupled with the
two other inconsistencies he found would have shattered my credibility as a
writer.
After two published
novels, a collaboration, a silver medal for my 2nd novel, I know I
can write. But had I sent out this manuscript without fixing the inaccuracies,
I would have either ruined my chances of finding a publisher or proven I
was an unreliable storyteller.
Before assuming your
edited, critiqued, revised manuscript (no matter how young) is ready
to submit, always, always, always seek the help of beta readers you trust; or better, if you can afford it, hire a professional fiction editor.
Don't allow even the
smallest of novice mistakes to ruin your chances. Never submit your manuscript too soon.
Happy Writing!
26 comments:
Excellent advice! I'm lucky to have an awesome editor, and my team of critique partners and betas are terrific at catching things.
Great advice indeed. The more people that read it the more things can be caught
You might have missed those if you hadn't set it aside.
Test readers and critique partners are so necessary.
Wow, good catch on a very small detail. I'm glad people are no longer trying to 'forget' about Vietnam. Good luck with the reworking.
Good tip for the writers! Not something I'd have known, and I'm sure that's the same for others!
Good catch! It's not just killing methods that may have changed. The food choices our characters might make, their spoken colloquialisms, the technologies they use...everything evolves. Blessed are the beta readers for they shall keep us current!
Interesting post and good info to ponder should I ever write that novel within. That's highly unlikely. I don't think I have it in me, but I love reading about others who are successful at such as yourself. Of course, your point of getting the facts straight serves to remind me with my little blog that I need to be creditable in my research on what I place before my readers.
Holding onto an unsuccessful original novel in a fantasy genre could be smart. Submit later, and likely nothing has changed. But a contemporary or close historical, yeah, I agree you need to do more up-to-date research. Though, I probably would not have thought of this without reading this first.
Great to hear, Christine. Thanks!
Definitely more beneficial to the author. Thanks, Pat.
I agree, Diane. Thanks.
They're wonderful gifts, that's for sure. Hi Captain!
Thanks, Susan!
Great to hear, Rosey. Thanks!
Amen, Carol!
Glad you stopped by, Cathy. Thanks for your kind words.
I was hoping for that response, Dolorah! Thanks.
Thanks for highlighting this, Joylene.
I would never have thought about it... great post!
Thanks, Michelle!
Joylene, great advice!!! I also wrote a YA book where the Vietnam War languishes in the background. I've been told that era is a hard sell. I sent the first chapter out for a review, and I also learned a few minor details that needed correcting.
Absolutely! It makes perfect sense. It's the old ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Thanks for putting this information out for everyone.
It goes to show just how important it is to have the research down and to look at the novel from every angle.
Well, that makes two of us interested in the era. We have to keep trying, Cathrina. Thanks.
Thanks for visiting, Lee.
Yes, indeed, Joy. Thanks.
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