I asked the cards tonight if this year would be the right time to submit one of my children's books to publishers. I have been sitting on this particular book for years now, pretty much held back only by the pressure and fear of creating a cover letter that could either make or break me.
What I saw in the VII Coppe was a drought. The fountain is spouting water into three cups at the top, but the two cups remain empty and thirsty at the bottom. This made me think that the economy being what it is right now, publishers are probably being somewhat frugal about the amount of books they are printing at this time. I don't see an abundance of opportunity at the moment.
In the Death card, I see a publisher wading through and clearing out all the crappy submissions, being more selective out of necessity. I saw myself in the ship arriving at shore. What will I bring, and how will La Morte respond to me? Will I pass the test, or will I be swept away with all the other hopefuls who just weren't good enough?
When I looked at the Death card, I also heard a voice saying, "What do you have to lose?". The skeleton is (presumably) dead... and when you're dead, you don't have anything to lose. Even if I receive nothing but rejections, I won't be any worse off than I am now, sitting on the book doing nothing with it. This book came through me in one evening, and it felt as though it wasn't even me who wrote it. It didn't come from my head, but just flowed through me. So I feel as though I owe it to wherever that inspiration came from, to at least try to share the story.
The VII Spade shows several different types of swords. This shows me that publishers have plenty of variety in the material they have to choose from. There is one sword, however, that sits in a decorative sheath. It stands out in the crowd of fellow swords, and demands attention. If I want my submission to have any chance at all, I need to find a way to make it different from anything else they have seen. It has to have that special something that sets it apart from all the others, and grab the attention of the Publishing Powers That Be.
Now just how to do that? I will likely take this reading one step further and draw a few more cards to look for some helpful clues...
It's interesting to me that I drew two Sevens here. I like the number 7, and know it to be a lucky and spiritual number. I also have a fondness for the number 13 (as I first became a mother on the 13th), which is the number of the Death card I drew. Death is also obviously a spiritual experience. Not only did my book come through me in a spiritual fashion, there is also a hint of spirituality to the book itself, but not in a direct manner. It's a story with heart, meaning and compassion, which I believe are all spiritual facets of life.
This reading has shown me that this year will be a challenging time to submit a manuscript for publication, and if I want any chance at all, I have to ensure that I am able to stand out in the crowd. I will definitely be pulling more cards to see how I might go about doing that.
~Kiki
What I saw in the VII Coppe was a drought. The fountain is spouting water into three cups at the top, but the two cups remain empty and thirsty at the bottom. This made me think that the economy being what it is right now, publishers are probably being somewhat frugal about the amount of books they are printing at this time. I don't see an abundance of opportunity at the moment.
In the Death card, I see a publisher wading through and clearing out all the crappy submissions, being more selective out of necessity. I saw myself in the ship arriving at shore. What will I bring, and how will La Morte respond to me? Will I pass the test, or will I be swept away with all the other hopefuls who just weren't good enough?
When I looked at the Death card, I also heard a voice saying, "What do you have to lose?". The skeleton is (presumably) dead... and when you're dead, you don't have anything to lose. Even if I receive nothing but rejections, I won't be any worse off than I am now, sitting on the book doing nothing with it. This book came through me in one evening, and it felt as though it wasn't even me who wrote it. It didn't come from my head, but just flowed through me. So I feel as though I owe it to wherever that inspiration came from, to at least try to share the story.
The VII Spade shows several different types of swords. This shows me that publishers have plenty of variety in the material they have to choose from. There is one sword, however, that sits in a decorative sheath. It stands out in the crowd of fellow swords, and demands attention. If I want my submission to have any chance at all, I need to find a way to make it different from anything else they have seen. It has to have that special something that sets it apart from all the others, and grab the attention of the Publishing Powers That Be.
Now just how to do that? I will likely take this reading one step further and draw a few more cards to look for some helpful clues...
It's interesting to me that I drew two Sevens here. I like the number 7, and know it to be a lucky and spiritual number. I also have a fondness for the number 13 (as I first became a mother on the 13th), which is the number of the Death card I drew. Death is also obviously a spiritual experience. Not only did my book come through me in a spiritual fashion, there is also a hint of spirituality to the book itself, but not in a direct manner. It's a story with heart, meaning and compassion, which I believe are all spiritual facets of life.
This reading has shown me that this year will be a challenging time to submit a manuscript for publication, and if I want any chance at all, I have to ensure that I am able to stand out in the crowd. I will definitely be pulling more cards to see how I might go about doing that.
~Kiki
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5 comments:
Good luck Kiki!!! It's funny how you have written a children's book when my mother has told me on many occasions that I should write a children's book! Love how you delve into the cards!!!
What an interesting reading - I am on the rewrites of a children's novel so I know what you mean. I think it's that cover letter that can do it, grab 'em in your first couple of lines and they may just take a look.
Good luck Kiki! I love your interpretation of these cards.
Ah, well maybe this message was meant to reach more people than just me! :)
Best wishes with your children's book, Kiki! I love children's books!
I submitted a romance novel manuscript in January of last year (a requested full), and I am still feverishly hoping for a positive response.
Happy writing!
Trenda
Thanks Trenda! Good luck with your submission! :)
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