frogger
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Post by frogger on Jan 28, 2012 14:57:37 GMT -5
I wrote a book called I Told My Mind To Shut Up, and Then I Saw What Was Possible. I'm trying to get all the required info into a query letter. It is a 60,000 word memoir that shows how to conquer great obstacles in order to get what you want—no matter what your mind says.
I thought I might start here:
Perhaps your mind supplies you with haunting thoughts. Anxious, maddening, or distracting thoughts. Perhaps it is telling you that something can’t be done…
Or maybe what you really need is to tell your mind to shut up.
This is my story, and I am telling it so others can learn something useful. I had a big problem: My wife and son were simultaneously diagnosed with multiple tumors. The diagnosis sent me into a state of panic. Until then, my life had equipped me with the mental tools to think clearly, make good decisions, and help my family survive. I just had to tell my mind to shut up so I could use them.
I had come a long way—from an abandoned teenager to a successful entrepreneur and teacher. Along the way, I acquired a New Age perspective for defeating the demons of my mind and navigating my life and my family towards a positive outcome. Thanks to it, I could help my son fight to survive one of the most complicated neurological surgeries in medical history.
The uniqueness of this book may fare well in the New Age marketplace. Readers of this genre may see how I Told My Mind To Shut Up cuts right to the chase in applying what they have been reading about in books by Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra and others while striving to live the enlightened life.
I am an English teacher with a Masters in Education who wrote most of this book while sitting on a chair for three months next to my son's hospital bed. I am also an expert public speaker, as I have done thousands of performances as a professional entertainer. I deliver the messages in this book to students and adults on a regular basis during classes and workshops. I would be more than willing to promote my work at speaking engagements of any kind. I thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Regards,
What should I chop, add, or rearrange?
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Jan 28, 2012 16:27:50 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, Frogger, it's great to have you here. I think your query letter is really good. I've given it a few minor tweaks. Let me know what you think. This is such a subjective business. I Told My Mind To Shut Up, is a 60,000 word memoir that shows how to conquer great obstacles in order to get what you want—no matter what your mind says. When my wife and son were simultaneously diagnosed with multiple tumors, it sent me into a state of panic. Until then, my life had equipped me with the mental tools to think clearly, make good decisions, and help my family survive. Now my mind barraged me with negative thoughts. I Told My Mind To Shut Up is a detailed account of how I got it back on track, enabling my son to survive one of the most complicated neurological surgeries in medical history. I had come a long way—from an abandoned teenager to a successful entrepreneur and teacher. Along the way, I acquired a New Age perspective for defeating the demons of my mind and navigating my life and my family towards a positive outcome. I Told My Mind To Shut Up takes this a step further, and its uniqueness will appeal to the New Age marketplace. Readers of this genre will see how it cuts right to the chase in applying what they have been reading about in books by Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra and others. I am an English teacher with a Masters Degree in Education. I am also an expert public speaker, having done thousands of performances as a professional entertainer. I deliver the messages in this book to students and adults on a regular basis during classes and workshops. This gives me instant access to an extensive audience and niche market. I would, of course, be more than willing to promote my work at speaking engagements of any kind. Thank you for considering this proposal, and I look forward to hearing from you. Best Regards,
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frogger
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Post by frogger on Jan 28, 2012 16:40:15 GMT -5
Thank you so much Lily. I guess the subtitle should be omitted for this letter? It does read better now. And I'm glad to be here on the site. I was going to writers .net for awhile, and I met many nasty people there.
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Jan 28, 2012 19:40:15 GMT -5
You're most welcome, Frogger, that's what we're here for. Sorry about your bad experience at the other forum. I'd advise you to query publishers -- especially the New Age ones, as well as agents. Don't rule out self-publishing either. With a definite niche, a ready made audience, and your pitching ability at meetings, etc. your book would be bound to do well. Here is a link to some New Age publishers: www.writingspiritresources.com/2005/12/new_age_metaphy.html
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marcel
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Post by marcel on Jan 30, 2012 15:08:00 GMT -5
I was going to writers .net for awhile, and I met many nasty people there. So did I. English is not my first language and I was attacked for incorrect punctuation, and accused of being other people -- former members I suppose. It feels good to be here. The people seem pleasant and there's no nasty tense atmospher.
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Jan 30, 2012 16:38:51 GMT -5
Writers Net used to be rated "excellent" by P&E. It was one of the better forums around. Then for about a year, the forum was left unattended and was plagued by viruses. This was followed by a change in ownership, and an inexperienced nasty moderator who chased away many members. New, very unattractive, difficult to navigate software, chock full of glitches, didn't help matters any. Here is the listing at P&E, including the update about its changed status. "Writers Net: Excellent forum dedicated to writers and writing. Plenty of good information. Site apperas to be inactive." pred-ed.com/pechata.htmCrowdgather now owns the forum and it seems they may be in financial difficulty. This could account for the current state of affairs at WN, and why they haven't accepted new registrations for months. I checked over there just before Christmas and the site looks more or less abandoned. Just a few members posting about TV soap operas they enjoy and discussing food. I didn't see any new messages about anything writing-related at all. www.hotstocked.com/companies/c/crowdgather-inc-CRWG-92497.html
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Post by jacklawson on Jan 30, 2012 20:26:51 GMT -5
Yeah WN used to be one of the best sites, now it's history. There are 4 elderly trolls over there that have been on the site for donkey's years, 3 spinsters, living in pretty squalid conditions, and one nasty old curmudgeon whose a bachelor. They attack everybody who ventures on there then wonder why nobody posts there anymore.
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marcel
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Post by marcel on Jan 31, 2012 22:32:44 GMT -5
Glad you decided to join Frogger. I've been reading here for awhile and when I saw your query letter, (I recognized it from another forum) I decided to take the plunge as well.
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frogger
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Post by frogger on Jan 31, 2012 22:37:23 GMT -5
Thanks Marcel.
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Feb 1, 2012 15:01:10 GMT -5
I wouldn't spend too much time agonising over every word. If you show the letter to a dozen people, you'll get a dozen different suggestions, much of it nit-picking, and you may end up changing something that was fine to begin with. What a waste of time and effort. All a query letter has to be is interesting and brief, it doesn't have to be some kind of masterpiece. And, there is no magic formula, despite what the self-styled "experts" on writers forums may say. Spending too much time on a query could actually be a reluctance to get moving onto the next step of pitching the book to publishers.
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frogger
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Post by frogger on Feb 1, 2012 16:21:22 GMT -5
Thanks Lily, I think you're right. Some of the agents also require a biography letter. What the heck does that look like?
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Feb 1, 2012 16:44:12 GMT -5
Thanks Lily, I think you're right. Some of the agents also require a biography letter. What the heck does that look like? A brief bio at the end of the query is quite sufficient. Agents and publishers don't read every word of a query letter, they give them a quick scan and move on to the next one.
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marcel
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Post by marcel on Feb 1, 2012 18:15:25 GMT -5
Check your PMs Frogger. I sent you one yesterday where I predicted what would happen at WN. It just did. ;D
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Lily
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Post by Lily on Feb 1, 2012 19:57:22 GMT -5
I wish you every success with your query, Frogger. Let's hope it has the desired result.
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frogger
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Post by frogger on Feb 1, 2012 20:28:09 GMT -5
Thanks for your help Lily.
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