A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere until you change it.
With one email, my outlook changed completely. I felt like Daddy Tries had a chance again. One editor complimented my query letter, deeming it one of the best she had seen in a while, and requested the full manuscript. I was ridiculously excited, and fell all over myself trying to send a proper email response.
Every couple months, I would be pleasantly surprised that I would hear back from her again. She edited, rearranged, made content suggestions, and even brainstormed illustrations that could make the story come to life. Daddy Tries was shared among her team, and even with some triathlete friends, generating a fair amount of positive feedback. Throughout the conversations, she was always careful to temper expectations by reminding me how much she liked the project, but was not sure it was a perfect fit for her publishing house.
That was my precise problem. For what publisher is Daddy Tries a perfect fit? Sports Illustrated for Kids? Nope. The same imprint as Fancy Nancy or Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? Not really. How about the big names in the industry with a deep list of titles? Nope. They don’t even accept submissions from authors outside of those they currently publish. So, if you’re in, you’re in. But if you’re out, you can’t get it.
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