Monday, November 1, 2010

NaNo -- A New Twist

Happy NaNo everyone. Although I'm not participating this year, (after much deliberation and forethought, I realized even though I have a great story and a lot of the backstory already tackled, it's just too much pressure) I found another idea.

It's not my idea. It's from Tracy at Forever Endeavor. It's called NaNoQUERMo. National Novel Query Month. Isn't that awesome just covered in sauce?

30 days. 30 Queries out to Agents. I can't believe how easy this sounds.

I've been waiting to query, it seems like forever, and I keep putting if off. If not now, when? I had high hopes of getting the query out by October 1 but it didn't happen. Real life happens, tornadoes happen, hot water heaters blowing up happens, father's getting sick happens... if I let real life keep getting in my way, then querying will never happen.

So I'm biting the bullet and going for it. Anyone else for NaNoQUERMo? I know a bunch of us are in the same boat -- ready to query. Will you join me and Tracy in the high seas of rejections, the rough waters of anticipation, the swell of partial/full requests? What have you got to lose?

32 comments:

PK HREZO said...

This is a fab idea!! If I weren't doing NaNo I'd be all over it.... but I may just do my own NaNoQuerMo come January!
I'll check out her blog. Thanks!

Al said...

It sounds like a great idea. But what a lot of hard work, phew!

Stina said...

I'm participating in NaNoWraMo (finishing the novel I'm working on, or writing an additional 50,000 words). But I'm also querying right now. I sent out 6 this weekend, so now I'm good until next weekend. :)

Do be careful though, Anne. My last batch of queries had a fairly quick response rate. I landed a full request two weeks after I sent out the query (the Rs came a lot quicker than that). If you're not really ready yet, target the agents who take a loooong time to get back to you. ;)

Christine Danek said...

I'm not up to the query stage, but good luck. I'm not participating, either. I'm deep in revisions.

Matthew MacNish said...

Oh man, Tracy is the best! I'm not ready to begin querying again, otherwise I would be down for this for sure.

Tracy said...

Thanks, Anne! I'm so glad to have someone else tackling the querying this month! I've done the same thing with letting real life (as important as some of it has been) get in the way.

NaNoQuerMo was just my way of forcing myself to stop trying to find reasons to protect my fragile ego, and get back out there querying again. Can't wait!

Laurel Garver said...

Unfortunatly I don't still have 30 agents to query. At least I don't think I do. Maybe 23 left? So far, I've been sending in batches of three and doing course corrections as necessary depending on the kind of responses I get.

I do plan to query at least 10 this month though. Does that count as "in"?

I decided to create NaBalWriMo--national balanced writers month--in which we balance writing goals with creativity building and other things important to us. I call it "more creativity, less guilt."

Christine said...

I love this idea! I will do it!

Linda G. said...

Fantastic idea! Best of luck to you. :)

Natascha said...

I should do it, but I haven't had the MS beta'd yet. The query is good to go. I just have 12 more chapters of revisions to get through!

February Grace said...

Good luck with the queries, Anne, you know you've got the stuff it's just a matter now of getting it into the right set of hands...

Will be thinking good thoughts for you!

hugs
bru

Anonymous said...

Wishing you lots of luck with your queries - I could really do with doing the same thing.

CJ xx

Bish Denham said...

Sounds like a great idea, but I'm using this month to revise/rewrite my WIP. Good luck with your queries!

Karen Baldwin said...

Yes,yes . . . YES!!!! I love this idea. I'm rooting for you and I'll see how many I can send out too.

Sarah Ahiers said...

30 queries in 30 days seems completely doable. Good luck!

Beth Mann said...

Now THIS is an idea I can get behind, since NaNoWriMo makes me want to hide under my bed (I'm a pantser, it's a recipe for disaster!). I'm totally going to try this - thank you for letting us know about it, and GOOD LUCK!

notesfromnadir said...

This is a great idea as you're working on your novel AND querying about it at the same time. I also love your term "just awesome covered in sauce."

Best of luck! :)

1 question -- since Thanksgiving is a holiday, will that mean you send out 2 queries on Friday?

Unknown said...

Good luck with it! Sounds like a great way to reach your goals in November.

And any NaNo participants reading this: Good luck this month!!!

Alison Pearce Stevens said...

Wow, what a great idea! Unfortunately, I'm just starting to write mine, so I can't join in, but I wish you the best of luck!

Anne R. Allen said...

Awesome idea. In October I sent out ten queries on my new book, with only one request, followed by form rejection. I was already planning a rewrite of the query letter today. So I'll send it out. And then, OK, I'll do the same tomorrow. Thirty days. Thirty agents. I can do it.

I'm in! Thanks for this. Happy NaNoQUERMo!

Anne Gallagher said...

Oh you guys, this is totally fantastic! I'm so glad I'm not the only crazy out there, well, me and Tracy and Christine anyway.

Stina -- I hear you. Only the s-l-o-w ones.

Lisa -- Hadn't thought about Thanksgiving, but yes, I think 2 the day after will be fine.

adam.purple said...

Tracy challenged me on this, so I'm jumping in, too. Sent one out just today. Best of luck to all.

Unknown said...

Do it! I have a number of queries out and am waiting on a response from a partial and a number of fulls - so I will abstain - I can't move forward until I hear SOMETHING - even if it takes 3 months more waiting :( - but do it! Go for it, I say!

The Words Crafter said...

Wow, that's a great idea! Good luck!

Deniz Bevan said...

That's a great idea Anne! I wish you the best of luck - can't wait to see Genna between covers. Er, wait, that's not what I meant... *Book* covers [g]

Unknown said...

I am loving all the different NaNo ideas... it gives you inspiration to do a million different things!!! I'm revising, writing and reading for the month of Nano!

Unknown said...

That's a great version. I hope it goes well with you.

CD

Wendy R said...

Sounds like a good plan. I hope it hits the right desk at the right time. Love the comradeship implicit in this blog.
wx

Roxy said...

This is a great idea, Anne. Good luck on the queries.

Elana Johnson said...

What a great idea -- especially if you've been putting it off for a while! Good luck out there!

dolorah said...

You go girl; get those queries out there. You never know what kind of wonderful could happen if you do :)

.......dhole

MB Dabney said...

Anne, only just now have I had time to read this blog post -- I'm doing NaNoWriMo, of course, so my time is taken up with that -- and it is brilliant. Great idea. 30 queires in 30 days. Excellent!
I will have to try it in December or January. But for now, I have to get back to THE TONTINE. I hope to reach 20,000 words today.