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Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Fricassee

You all know I'm much too sequential to skip my normal Friday Fricassee just because, yanno, there's a huge auction going on right now.

So here it is -- December's first Friday!  We all know the month will blur by, even if we do our best to savor the days.

Aside from the don't-move-my-cheese factor, I'm really writing to say a little bit about ENTRIES THAT DON'T GET ANY BIDS.

Yes, it will happen.  Last year, 9 out of our 40 entries did not receive any bids from the participating agents.  That's not a bad ratio, really.  But I'm sure it didn't feel so great to the 9.

Here's the thing.  "No bids" does not equal "my work sucks."  I'm sure you all realize that, anyway, since the 60 winners have been chosen because Jodi and I felt they were strong enough to stand up in the auction.  But I just want to throw out the reminder, because "no bids" might feel a lot like rejection.

It's not.  And while the bidding is certainly the most scintillating part of this event, the critique is invaluable -- and everybody is getting that!

Okay, that was my mother hen moment.  You know I care a great deal about this community; I want this experience to be positive for everybody!

So HAVE FUN!  Critiquing will go on throughout the weekend and into Monday.  Bidding will open on Tuesday at 11:00 am EST.

Hugs to all!
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12 comments:

  1. Leigh AnnDecember 2, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    Just wanted to say thank you again for the opportunity. You are truly a dream-maker.

    The good thing about having a long-queried project in this mix that I'm already used to feeling a lot like rejection. No biggie. The crits make me smile, and that's worth it right there.

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  2. David Barrett DeLozierDecember 2, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    Great reminder. Thanks for all you've done. This is Fun!

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  3. Dana EDecember 2, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    Mother Hen,

    Your little chicks thank you.

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  4. AnonymousDecember 2, 2011 at 10:09 AM

    So true. Publishing is a business. Even if your writing/premise rocks, it may not be sellable in the current market.

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  5. Durango WriterDecember 2, 2011 at 10:37 AM

    I entered a diff manuscript last year and received a bid for 15 pages. But the greatest gift I received were the critiques! They are worth gold and help immensely with revisions.

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  6. LindsayDecember 2, 2011 at 10:50 AM

    Great reminder.

    And thank you again for the opportunity!

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  7. AlainaDecember 2, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    I went through the agents you posted up and discovered that, while several like Urban Fantasy, maybe one likes high fantasy, so I won't be heartbroken.

    Thanks for the reminder, and for the opportunity!

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  8. Michael G-GDecember 2, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    Just being part of the Bakers' Auction is amazing. Anything above that is gravy.

    Thank you for creating and nurturing this community.

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  9. R.C. LewisDecember 2, 2011 at 11:41 AM

    I admit, I was one of those last year who didn't get any bids. And it actually felt a little worse than query/submission rejections--a little more like no one wanting to pick you for their kickball team. Right there in public, everyone seeing that no one wants you.

    BUT... here I am, back in it this year with another ms. Am I terrified the same thing will happen? Absolutely. But I have supportive friends who convinced me to get "back on the horse." I'd advise my fellow auctionees to brace yourselves, because it can hurt--a lot.

    And have chocolate on standby, just in case. ;)

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  10. Rebecca HartDecember 2, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    If we have some corrections to make to our entry, whate email address should they be sent to? Just a few small issues, mising italics, wonky paragraph separator, etc.

    Thanks for hosting this. While this is my first year participating and I understand that I may not get a single bid, it is still so exciting :)

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  11. Aldrea AlienDecember 3, 2011 at 12:04 AM

    Hey, I didn't expect to get this far. I entered pre-braced for rejection.
    Getting a bid at all seemed unlikely to begin with. Now I've flicked through the entries, that's been ungraded to impossible. This is a darn good collection of interesting stories.

    I'll just do as I always do when something of mine’s being critiqued: thankfully collect whatever helpful comments come my way. It's always nice to see how varied people's opinions can be, even when they agree.

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  12. Sarah FloydDecember 3, 2011 at 1:53 PM

    I was sure my first two pages were perfect, but when I didn't make the cut, I took a hard look and surprised myself with a few "Ah ha!" moments -- those first pages weren't quite ready after all.

    Yeah, it was a major letdown that stung for days, but when my ms does sell, I'll be grateful for the disappointment that pushed me to make those changes. Revise, polish, query and pray!

    Best wishes to all! :) :)

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