In our last episode
<1105293755.766289.86450@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>, Andrew Lias

out of the bushes shouting:

So... if you aren't *too* ashamed of it, what is the plot? ;-) --

Ashamed? Not really. Trying to separate this kind of thing from the
"serious" work? Yeah. Meaning if I end up being known at all (may

you never know), I'd rather be known for some of the other, more
mainstream, more serious work I've got in wings.

Plot? Oh on the basic level, it's pretty boiler plate. Guy who used

a cop but lost his job sometimes does dirty, crappy cases mostly as a
favor to someone he owes. Takes a minor missing persons case he

consider seriously at all but figures it'll be a vacation on somebody
else's dime. Only it gets weird on him. Heh, there's even an actual,

fide "mad scientist" in it. <g>

(Who does something based on some real research I've read about. Real
research that has *very disturbing implications.)

In our last episode <IuhEd.24541$SB6.373829@wagner.videotron.net>, Olrik
lept out of the bushes shouting:

Mark K. Bilbo wrote:

In our last episode <SV3Ed.72036$9N2.2816785@weber.videotron.net>, Olrik
lept out of the bushes shouting:

Mark K. Bilbo wrote:

After four drafts and 120,000 words thrown in the trash. He's 59
chapters long and weighs 82,300 words.

Now if I can just con a publisher into buying this sucker...

Congrats!

But now the hard part begins...

There's a Catch-22 in that business : a publisher will ask you if you
have an agent, and vice versa.

Have fun and good luck.

Actually, that depends on who we're talking about. There are a lot of
small and mid-sized publishers that accept things over the transom.
First place it's going to publishes about 70% unagented.

Cool.

And thanks for using "transom" : I learned a new word today!

Now that you mention it, I wonder where that usage came from? I picked it
up without paying much attention. Went and looked it up and found it's...

"A horizontal transverse beam or bar in a frame; a crosspiece separating a
door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Also, a window above
a door or other window built on and commonly hinged to a transom."

A window above a door? Did you used to have good aim to submit to a
publisher? Pitch your manuscripts into the office because they wouldn't
open the door? <g>

Then I found this...

http://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank/03submittingfirstbook/page8.html

Maybe that *is where the usage came from. Old buildings had hinged windows
over doors that could be opened for ventilation. So that's kind of an
image of a desperate writer climbing on a chair and tossing the manuscript
through the window...

In our last episode <IuhEd.24541$SB6.373829@wagner.videotron.net>, Olrik
lept out of the bushes shouting:

Mark K. Bilbo wrote:

In our last episode <SV3Ed.72036$9N2.2816785@weber.videotron.net>, Olrik
lept out of the bushes shouting:

Mark K. Bilbo wrote:

After four drafts and 120,000 words thrown in the trash. He's 59
chapters long and weighs 82,300 words.

Now if I can just con a publisher into buying this sucker...

Congrats!

But now the hard part begins...

There's a Catch-22 in that business : a publisher will ask you if you
have an agent, and vice versa.

Have fun and good luck.

Actually, that depends on who we're talking about. There are a lot of
small and mid-sized publishers that accept things over the transom.
First place it's going to publishes about 70% unagented.

Cool.

And thanks for using "transom" : I learned a new word today!

Now that you mention it, I wonder where that usage came from? I picked it
up without paying much attention. Went and looked it up and found it's...

"A horizontal transverse beam or bar in a frame; a crosspiece separating a
door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Also, a window above
a door or other window built on and commonly hinged to a transom."

A window above a door? Did you used to have good aim to submit to a
publisher? Pitch your manuscripts into the office because they wouldn't
open the door? <g>

Then I found this...

http://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank/03submittingfirstbook/page8.html

Maybe that *is where the usage came from. Old buildings had hinged windows
over doors that could be opened for ventilation. So that's kind of an
image of a desperate writer climbing on a chair and tossing the manuscript
through the window...