This is it. I have finally entered the submission stage of traditional publishing. To note, this is where you cosy up to your laptop a little more preferably with a cuppa and get to know agents through their agency site and social media if they are on there.

At this luxurious, naive stage of submission I get to choose which agent has the opportunity to read my work first.  Ah yes, the opportunity indeed.

What I realised very quickly is that there are very few agents in the UK that accept children’s manuscripts.  At least in comparison to the US. So I have begun working through a few at a time. Well one at a time to be precise.  So it has started off slow.

However, 3 weeks later my first ever submission has a response.  Only the next best thing to meeting an agent….a request to see the FULL manuscript! First time lucky indeed. Had I mastered it all already? With just one submission?  Don’t be silly.

What it did tell me though was that my query was good enough for an intrigue. That much at least. Now it was time to test the manuscript. And tested it was. Approximately 2 weeks after I sent the full manuscript the reality came home. No representation so this was my first rejection. Insert sad face here.

However, the feedback I was given was to strengthen my writing. Which I wouldn’t have known if I had a standard rejection. So am very grateful for this first step into the traditional publishing route.

Ah well, I was still riding the high of first submission success that I started pursuing other agents. And at this stage still no request for full manuscript a month and 11 agents later.

So here I am again. Thinking, trying and working at building the Elemons series. The first book ‘Noble Beginnings’ is still available for offering (if anyone is interested!). Hoping it soars soon as much as my ambitions do!