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How do you find a literary agent?

Where are the days of J.K. Rowling and Stieg Larson? And their wonderful novels about Harry Potter and about Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander?

They allegedly just send their manuscripts to a number of publishing houses, got about as many rejections, but in the end they found the right one.

These days, it takes a study to find literary agents, to read their websites, know what each one does like and does not like, then pitch, wait, send reminders and wait again.

But, you know, this does have a reverse side. And for a change, it is a good one. This whole process is fun and nice. It is learning-by-doing and doing-by-learning.

It is the hardest way, but it is by far the best way. And it is worth the work for my romantic archive thriller Treasure lost, starring color full archive professor Irina Petrova.

Pitch question

If a literary agent does not answer to your e-mail pitch, when would you send a reminder?

1) After 3 days
2) After 1 week.
3) After 2 weeks

Picture – Miriam van der Hoek

How to find a good photographer?

Good pictures on socials are very important. They must go with my articles about my romantic archive thrillers.

After a number of horrible and failed selfies, I realized I needed a professional photographer.

1

After a Google search, when AI did not exist, I found a photographer in my home town. She took three series pictures, one indoor and two outdoor. The pictures were good, I enjoyed working with her and she had a fair price. But she moved with her family to another town and stopped as a photographer.

2.

After a second Google search I found a guy who was a former colleague. We got along very well in the office. So I decided to give it a go. The preparations were wonderfull. But when the results came we had totally different opinions. I did not like at all his best picture, he disliked the picture that was my best. His fair price was the only plus.

3.

I was for a while a “silent follower” for Miriam van der Hoek. I had contacted her before, but we never made the next move. Then she had a good offer – a birth day discount. I reacted and now she made a great series of pictures. I was very happy, so after a while we did a second series. Her pictures are really very good.

Treasure lost – selection page 9

Irina Petrova showed her happiest smile to the handsome Brazilian driver Diego Armando. He made her for a moment forget about her lover Georgi Rastov.

More info and link in bio

Cover picture – Meis Kempers

Colorful archive professor Irina Petrova loves Johan Strauss’ Radetzky March.

Publish? Or not?

In 2017 I published my first Romantic Archive Thriller.

It was the result of a writing course I took from 2012-2017.

I told the teacher I had finished my thriller and I was looking for a publisher.

The teacher was not happy, He told me my novel was maybe not good enough. It would need editing and changing.

But I did see a good result after 5 years in the course.

The search for a publisher was hard and I got many rejections.

I told the teacher and he said – take your time, be patient and write a decent novel.

But I continued and eventually found a POD.

I told the teacher and he said – well done, keep up the good work.

Picture – Miriam van der Hoek

Final results August pitches

Romantic Archive Thriller

Treasure lost

Total – 10

Answers – 02

Rejections – 02

No answer – 08

Pitching = business

I am about to finish my romantic archive thriller Treasure lost.

I now start pitching literary agents. That is hard and tough but also interesting and awesome.

Pitching is a business by itself.

For more info see link in bio.

Do you think archives are boring?!

Then you should read Jan Buruma’s

Colorful archive professor

Irina Petrova

Famous writer?

In 2017 my first romantic archive thriller was published. In 2021 was my second romantic archive thriller. Both publishers were POD – print on demand.

It sounds good, but it means that they do not have any money for marketing. Sales for both my books were modest.

😊 How did other writers make sure their novels were bestsellers? I did some research and made interesting discoveries.

1) J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter novel was in the 1990’s rejected by 30 publishers. Then she found a publisher who gave her a chance.

2) Frederic Forsyth wrote in 1969 a failed non fiction book. In 1971 followed his faction bestseller The day of the jackal.

3) Dan Brown wrote in the 1990’s two failed thrillers. In 2003 came The Da Vinci code.

👉 More info on my romantic archive thrillers? See link in bio.

Hard And Tough Publisher

For my second Romantic Archive Thriller, a story about witches, published in 2021, I was in war with my publisher.

I did not want to do business with the publisher of my first Romantic Archive Thriller. It cost a lot of money and sales were modest.

I found the publisher of my second Romantic Archive Thriller just by chance. But I will tell that story another time.

The publisher had my story read by one of his editors. She approved the manuscript.

When I met the publisher the first time, face to face in his office, he made two big mistakes. He was 15 minutes late and did not apologize. And he did not offer anything to drink.

I did not protest, I was only too glad for the meeting.

But the publisher was not happy with my draft title nor with my draft cover. They both had a witch and my publisher was afraid that might be bad for sales.

I disagreed, but my publisher did not give in. He convinced me to continue the business because he very much liked my main character.

His editor had a better idea for a title and for another cover. I found both ideas very bad and we had a serious row.

He convinced me again when he promised a good promotion. But when I read the contract thet was almost nothing about marketing. He convinced me a third time by promising an attachment about that topic.

But the only promotion he did was one brief movie. By that time I had already decided that he could publish my book. But I would never do business with him again.

👉 More stories? See link in bio.

Yes! Library!

I had been looking for a library or a book shop during my research holiday in Brazil.

It was for my romantic archive thriller Treasure lost starring Irina Petrova, the color full archive professor – she is from Bulgaria.

I saw the library in the most unexpected place, during a guided group troup in the favela “Rocinha”.

For more info – see link in bio.

Handle setbacks

If you can not

Handle setbacks

Do not become

A creative writer

Hardest part

I am about to finish my romantic archive thriller Treasure lost, Irina Petrova, the color full archive professor.

So I am on the verge of starting to pitch literary agents.

95% of the work is finished.

But the remaining 5% is unexpected very hard.

It is just like my father once said – do you really want this? Then you must finish, fully and complelety. 97% or even 99% is not enough.

Then you are only waisting time and work and money. You will have to get to a full 100 %.

How do you handle the final part?

Sunny break

🙌 I just took a refreshing and sunny walk while writing my Romantic Archive Thriller Treasure Lost, starring Irina Petrova, the color ful Archive Professor.

👉 More info? See link in bio.

Would you pay?

😊 You cannot overlook this add on a Foz de Iguacu shop. Brazilians are ready to pay for beauty. For instance in this shop at the Brazilian / Argentinian border.

👍 This is ideal for Irina Petrova, the color ful Archive Professor from Bulgaria. She is the main character in my Romantic Archive Thriller Treasure Lost.

😊 She is in Brazil to study an old document,, but she is sandwiched between her lover in Bulgaria and her Brazilian guide and interpreter.

👊 Who will win? Or will the love battle make Irina Petrova’s work impossible?

Picture? Yes!

😢 After a while you get used to it. When I put my first picture on Instagram. I hardly dared to look. And after I put my first post on Instagram, I did not have the courage to look.

😬 But after some time, when I had seen many writer’s posts and a lot of author’s pictures, I changed my mind.

😊 It is all about visibility. I write Romantic Archive Thrillers, starring Irina Petrova, the Color Full Archive Professor.

😊I want my followers to buy and to read and to enjoy my books. When they do so they also “buy” a little bit “me”. It works exactly the same way when I buy and read novels from my favo writers.

👍So I have the “About” section on my website. And each time I see an Instagram post of an unknown writer that I like, I look for his or her picture. And I look for the website, and mainly the “About” section.

PS

I rarely click on links, I prefer to leave Instagram and search the website via Google or AI.

PP SS
Soul Fotograaf Miriam van der Hoek, thank you once again so much for the great picture.

It sounds good

Never give up

If you have to

Never give up

The moment you

Are about to

Give up

Exactly then

You must

Never give up

Color Full, Rio favela

😊 The favela “Rocinha” in Rio de Janeiro is wonderfull and colorful.

😂I was most happy to be there with the British guide. He has been living since 30 years in Brazil. He was glad to show the favela.

😊 I am sure Rocinha will play a role in my next Romantic Archive Thriller Treasure Lost,

😂 starring Irina Petrova, the Color Full Archive Professor, from Bulgaria.

Inspiration in Rio de Janeiro

😂 Sunny and Color Full, Rio de Janeiro is very good inspiration.

😊 For my next Romantic, Archive Thriller Treasure Lost,

👍Starring Irina Petrova – the Color Full Archive Professor.

PS
Many thanks for a fellow traveller for the great picture.

Pitching, and love, is hard

😊 After 20 e-mail pitches to llterary agents and just and only three automatic reactions, I am very glad with a real answer. Even though the literary agent declined my manuscript.

👏It is all about my romantic archive thriller Treasure lost, starring Irina Petrova, the Color Full Archive Professor.

😘 She must check an old document in a Brazilian archive. But the professional focus is hard.

😢 Irina Petrova is sandwiched between her male lover in Bulgaria and her handsome, male, guide and interpreter in Brazil.

PS

Soul Fotograaf Miriam van der Hoek – thank you so much for the picture.

Brazilian inspiration

For a brief, moment at the steering wheel of a Brazilian ship!

On my research holiday for my next Romantic Archive, Thriller starring Irina Petrova the Color Full Archive Professor.

PS – Many thanks to a fellow traveller for the picture.

SLOW … news, season ?

No – no – no.

I am working very hard to finish my Romantic, Archive, Thriller.

“Treasure Lost”

set in tropical Brazil and starring Irina, Petrova – the Bright / Bossy / Beautiful
Archive Professor.

Electricity issue

In Brazil electricity is a jig saw puzzle.

I was there in May for my research holiday for my Romantic Archive Thriller “Treasure Lost”, starring Irina Petrova, the Colorful Archive Professor.

I have a series of international travel plugs. But they are all for 220 volt, and that can be different in Brazil, it depends on region or city. So maybe I needed a voltage converter?

I did a long search and asked in several shops, No one knew the right answer.

So I called the hotel in Rio de Janeiro – 110 volt is applicable. But some hotels do have 220 volt plugs for international guests. And that is clearly indicated.

But you know what happened – I could also recharge my cell phone on 110 volt. It just charges a bit slower.

Passport fraud?

I reserved and booked and payed my research holiday in Brazil. The next travel for another H*t Arch*ve Thr*ller Treasure Lost.

But the day after I paid the second and final half of the money I got an e-mail from my travel agent, forwarded from the travel agency.

The e-mail said ‘urgent” and it had a link to give passport details. I was alarmed for possible passport fraud and called my travel agent.

Then I called the travel agency. I explained, was asked to identify myself and then I was told it was all right. The passport details were needed for local air plane flights in Brazil.

I did not trust it completely, so I called and texted my travel agent. She called me the next morning and explained it all.

My concerns were totally logical, but it was all right. Still, I kept this stomach feeling that something was wrong.

I called my sister. She is a small business owner and gets a lot of fake messages about due and urgent payments. She adviced me to check the e-mail addresses.

And then I saw the e-mail from the travel company that sent the original e-mail. And that was the company that I paid the fee. So I called them.

They were surprised, gave very short answers and were clearly not happy with my call, but I insisted for answers, and got confirmation. It was the same message as the other two calls. And this was the third time so now I was sure it was okay.

I completed the online form. It was all about domestic air plane flights in Brazil. I received a confirmation by e-mail.

I called the first travel agency again and asked why that flight could not be reserved right away. The answer was not clear but I decided not to push this any further.

Finally I sent an e-mail to my travel agent to make sure she was updated.

Picture – Miriam van der Hork Soul Fotograaf

Writing = fighting

Writing
does
some
times
feel
like
the
1973
Bob
Marley
song

“Don’t give up the fight”.

Picture – Miriam van der Hoek Soul Fotograaf

Debit card troubles

In a local supermarket in the Brazil coastal town Paraty I was ready to pay for my groceries.

I was there for research for my next H*t Archive Thriller, starring H*t Arch*ve Prof*ssor Irina Petrova – Treasure lost.

On the paying machine at the cash desk I saw a symbol “debit card”. I was stubborn and used my credit card. It was refused.

The woman at the cash desk did not speak English. And her body language was far from useful. I was not in the mood to use my debit card, so I decided to pay cash in Brazil real.

But then an unexpected nice surprise. The cash desk woman put, without asking, my groceries in a big plastic bag,.

I left the shop happy,

PS. Thank you, Miriam van der Hoek Soul Fotograaf, for another great picture.

Crazy about Brazil

I was crazy about a few most famous Brazil songs, that I saw a million times on YouTube:
– Mas Que Nada (1966)
– Copacabana (1978)
– Samba do Brasil (2014)

A reality check during a research holiday in May was shocking and refreshing. But the Brazil spirit and energy and power was great.

So I work for my upcoming hot archive thriller Treasure lost starring H*t Arch*ve Prof*ssor Irina Petrova.

Picture – Miriam van der Hoek Soul Fotograaf

Robbed? Kidnapped? Abducted?

I was in Rio de Janeiro.

1) I was not killed.
2) I was not abducted.
3) I was not robbed.

I was in Los Angeles.

1) I was not abducted.
2) I was not killed.
3) I was not robbed.

I was in Las Vegas.

1) I was not robbed.
2) I was not abducted.
3) I was not killed.

But you know what? I had a great time in each one of those mega cities. And it is great inspiration for my archive thrillers starring Hot Archive Professor Irina Petrova.

Picture – Miriam van der Hoek Soul Fotograaf

Big Thank You!

Thank you, clothing shop “Star Mode” in Rotterdam, for the great colored costumes.

And not to forget for the very good dry cleaning service.

No cosy story …

But a hard and real story about pitching your book at literary agents. Since I started working on my next archive thriller “Treasure lost”, starring n*ughty archivist Irina Petrova.

You can do a writing course. I did one, in the past decade. It was good, sometimes hard. But I did finish my book “Bulgaars labyrint’ a thriller in Dutch. And it was published.

But no one tells you how to pitch your story to literary agents. So, that was “learning by doing” and “doing by learning”. I could write a separate book or make an online course about pitching. But I will not do so.

It comes down to what my father used to learn me – if you want something and you want it really. Then you must fight. Hold your back straight. And keep going.

And you know – have some luck at the right moment.

Rio’s Copacabana

In the background, despite the text on my T-shirt, Rio de Janeiro’s world famous Copacabana beach.

It is wonderful inspiration for my next romantic archive thriller Treasure lost.