Getting your story N O T I C E D

Whether you're simply trying to get more picks on IP or trying to get an agent to represent your book, we all know that it is not easy to get your book noticed.  It's hard and sometimes it's downright frustrating.  However, you cannot lose hope in these times where your book is calling for attention and possibly not receiving much.  Here I'll be giving my advice on how to get your story noticed on IP and getting it noticed by agents, since you guys know I'm trying to do both.

Get noticed on IP.....

• Re-edit your summary.  Make sure that it is bullet proof.  If the reader doesn't get interested from the summary you very well know that they won't read any farther.  The summary has to be interesting but truthful of course; you can't make it seem like someone will be killed in the book and then have that not happen.  Everything you mention in the summary has to be something that happens in the book.  For short stories or poems you still need a summary.  A summary can help readers understand background or get interested in what will happen next; maybe even both.  Please do not write a summary that goes something like, "So this is a story I wrote and... Well, hope you read it." A book with such a summary will not get any attention.
• Tell your close IP friends.  You know, those members who PM you frequently or have been really helpful in the past; find out if they can help you get more support for your story.
• Be willing to do swaps because as you've probably figured out by now there aren't too many people who will read something just for the heck of it.
• Start writing something else while you're trying to get your best project noticed.

Get noticed by an agent....

• Write a query letter and post it on your blog or email it to friends.  That letter needs to make your story stand out from all the other stories the agent gets queried about.
• Edit while you're querying.  Eventually an agent is going to request more, and if your story isn't edited as well as possible then you might have more of a chance of being rejected.
• Make a list of everyone you've queried and at what date.  The last thing you want to do is contact the same agent you've already contacted in the past.
• Be patient.  When the agent is ready to reply to you he/she will, and if they don't find your manuscript something they like they will of course probably let you know in a dreadful rejection letter.  Sometimes, though, they will not send anything if they don't like what they read.

There is probably more that you and I could add to both lists, but for now that's all I can manage to think of off the top of my head.  If you have anything you want to add feel free to because I know I missed something or perhaps several things.

Hope this post somewhat was helpful....