First things first read the idiot's guide and research, research, research

So I'm researching query letters and on my break at work I'm reading the Idiot's Guide to query letters. I'm reading blogs and articles online query query query... I come across an article on Self-publishing. I had originally planned to self-published bypassing the "hard work" in getting a publishing house to except my work. If you can even get noticed. This article said to do both!
Have my cake and eat it? Oh yes!
I can upload my novel as an e-book (an electronic book or digital representation of a book read on a digital device, such as smart phones, e-readers, tablets and computers) Through a self-publishing site, I can sell Pull on Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble all at once. I can choose to print my book, but of course that's where you have to pay the big bucks. With an e-book I can sell it at a reduced cost or even for free and I get more profit than I would a major publisher. While self-publishing it, I can query about the same book, earning credit at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, it's not about the money, it's about people reading my work. This is the one thing I've stuck to because I've finally found something to be passionate about. It would be awesome to make money while doing it, sure! I could use money for a house we'll eventually buy or a baby that's not yet born. But first and foremost is sharing my work. making it into a movie.
I can't wait to get to the feedback from my beta readers. I can't wait to polish up Pull and have it available for download.

Art by Merkotoz

New To Do List:

• Polish and edit Pull (book one of the Sanctuary novels).
• Coffee.
• Find a book cover artist or a royalty free graphic for Pull.
• Research more on LuLu.com for my self publishing needs.
• More coffee.
• More Blink 182 listening for positivity.
• Work on book 2, working title: Gravity.
• Continue reading on query letters.

ZZZZZzzzz

Writing is my passion. How many people find their passion in life? I do bounce from one entertaining hobby to another like my father, but I find the one thing I can't stop doing is writing. It's what I want to do when I'm at work, when I'm in the shower, when I' not at home. All of the time.
The problem is time.
I don't have enough of it.
The majority of my time I'm at work.
I'm tired.
Maybe it's Holiday time and it's me whining, but all I want to do lately is sleep and watch Netflix. Even coffee isn't giving the extra push to write something as small as this blog. I'm barely awake. A week ago I finished my first draft. I think I maybe feeling like I need a vacation from writing. I should allow my mind to rest for the new year before I start my query letter, revisions on book one and the start of my craft revisions on book two. (Book two through four are written but not revised to a readable state.)
I should rest.

I know the moment I have the spurt of energy I'll be at my desk, on my iPhone, or my Nook to jot my brains out. I should really rest.

To Do List:

• Research Query Letter examples
• Research Literary agents in my genre (Crossover teen, sci-fi, paranormal romance, speculative)
• Buy more coffee (something different, I get tired of drinking the same kind after a while)
• Start Craft revision on Book two
• Review results from beta readers/proof readers.
• Make more copies of book one for beta readers
• Listen to Blink 182 new EP
• Laundry
• Laundry
• laundry
• Coffee... ZZZZzzzzz

Okay, What next?

My character, Red, writes with an ink pen. He logs his work in leather bound journals. He has quite the library since he's over a hundred years old. I made him my age plus a hundred.

I've completed my first book and while my beta readers read my first draft, I will begin my research on query letters. I wondered the internet for hours yesterday and found its not as easy as it sounds. For those of you who don't know what a query letter is, it's a letter introducing your book to either a publishing house or , in my case, a literary agent. I chose literary agent because they do the heavy lifting. As far as heavy lifting goes, no thanks. I've got a bad back. Not funny... sorry.
My letter will include a hook line of my novel, the second paragraph is the synopsis and the third my bio. It has to be one page or else the agent will simply disregard and move on to the next letter. I need to make my letter golden. I still need to research some more, but in the man time I will write out my synopsis. I'll be sure to post what I come up with.

The Hook: A long ass sentence reeling in the agent in before she decides to take her lunch break early. It has to be exiting and pull her in; make her want to put my letter in the yes pile. It's like the blurt you read on the back cover of a book that introduces the character, conflict and the story line. This part has to be as tight as possible. Thank god i work at a book story.

Kind of like a movie trailer with the guy with the deep voice... in a world where nobody loves you,
a garbage man named Jackson is the your only hope--from man-eating  giant inspects. Can Jackson overcome his fear of these nine legged creatures before his limps are eaten away from a deadly spider virus?.. something like that or nothing like that. Idiot!

In a world where an author has no clue how to write a query letter--the internet is her only hope for that she will one day become... a published writer. (maybe not that cheesy and dramatic but you get the idea).

The Synopsis: The synopsis will then clarify the hook with more detail like reading the inside jacket of a book or the part kids copy to turn in a book report. Yeah... I was one of those people. For shame... I have to let the agent know this book is a historical paranormal romance sci-fi musical fiction category. It's actually paranormal romance... about 79,200 words! Ole!

The Biography:
Any thing related to writing like contests, published work, awards--you know stuff I havn't done. They don't need to know I'm a self taught knitter or I hunter children for fun on the weekends. It has to be writing related and so far I only have two. This blog and joining a critique group. I'm not even sure if that counts. More research. More coffee.

With all the internet surfing I'm happy I can have distance from my work. After reading this first book like a thousand times, I probably missed somethings. That's why there's beta readers! They'll point out what I failed to see because my eyes glaze over every time I read it. I''ll need this time to plan my letter and create my hit list literary agent list.
I read in a couple of places I have to send like five out at a time and wait and then send another five. It's like fishing, someones got to bite. But first I must have the best bait.. I mean letter.