Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Another Rejection

I had a depressing Dear Jane email today, a rejection from the literary agency to which I had sent a partial mss of my children's fantasy novel some 10 weeks ago.

As time stretched on, I had foolishly allowed myself to hope that someone at the agency had actually read my submission and was thinking seriously about asking for the rest. But of course I was wrong. They just hadn't got round to rejecting it yet.

So now I have to go back to the list of literary agents that deal with children's novels and pick another. I feel reasonably philosophical about this latest rejection, since I know it's a common enough thing for writers to get knocked back by agents and publishers, but at the same time I am still human and it is hardly confidence-inspiring. This is only the fourth agency to look at my mss, but since each one takes roughly three months to 'consider' my submission, and I then take another few weeks to do some rewriting and sort out another potential agency to approach, the process could easily take years. By which time I will have little enthusiasm myself for the story.

Of course, I should be hard at work on another novel, not worrying about the one I've already written.

But I have many unshirkable demands on my time, and poetry is uppermost in my mind at the moment, especially with this series of readings from BOUDICCA & CO taking place over the next month, so the opportunity to spend several hours a day writing prose is not exactly easy to come by. I do have an intriguing idea for another novel. Then again, my confidence is so low after all these rejections, I do have to wonder whether I should give up trying to write for children.

On the other hand, children's fantasy fiction is something I have consistently enjoyed reading over the years, so I'm delighted to be writing in that genre. Besides which, I love poetry, and things do seem to be going well for me in that department, but poetry alone is not going to pay the bills ...

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Forthcoming Readings from BOUDICCA & CO

Jane will be reading at
THROCKMORTON'S BOOKSHOP
Atherstone
Saturday 28th April
Time: 2pm
- books will be on sale,
plus open mic

Throckmorton's Bookshop
16 Market Place
Atherstone
Warwickshire
CV9 1EX
Tel: 01827 717570
Email: throckmortons @ gmail.com
Web: www.atherstonebooktown.net/throckmortons.htm


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Jane will be a guest poet at
SALT MARGINS II
Whitechapel Gallery,
London
Thursday May 3rd
7pm
Free entrance

Also reading that night:

Cult author Amy Prior presents her latest book I Can’t Believe How Great I Feel with live drawing by Sarah Doyle. Stuart Taylor premieres Metropol, his poetic exploration of the city. Plus up-and-coming poet and novelist Joe Dunthorne.

Organised by Tom Chivers, Salt in the Margins.


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CB1 Poetry & Music
Tues 8th May
8pm start
CB1 Cafe (Mill Road, Cambridge)

Guest poet - Jane Holland, reading from her new collection, BOUDICCA & CO, published by Salt.

Plus supporting sets by local poet Nick Jones and musician Patrick Shiel.


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Jane will be performing as Guest Poet at
THE POETS' CAFE
in Reading,
organised by AF Harrold.
Friday 15th June
Further details to be announced