After coming across an article two nights ago in one of my writing

groups, I have decided to embark on what is quite possibly a 2-3

year project that will finally give everyone--from the first-time

writer to the self-published author--a VOICE in the publishing

industry by detailing what affects them most, from the moment they

picked up a pen to getting the attention of the perspective agent or

publisher.

As part of this lengthy research process, I am calling on all

authors to participate in this questionnaire--the more the

better!

PHASE I of this project will address the new writer, unpublished

authors, self-published authors, and commercially published authors

(those that are new to the field of publishing).

PHASE II will involve interviews with the local bookstores and find

out the state of the market. (Taking a pulse if you will.)

PHASE III will involve telephone, e-mail, and snail-mail interviews

with agents, editors, publishers (both local and mainstream), and

maybe even a few analysts of the publishing industry.

As this is a lengthy process, I will be taking my time and getting

as many people as I can for this research book project of mine.

When answering the questionnaire below, please include your name,

place of residence, and what state you live in, so that I may

include this in the RESOURCES AND CREDITS section of this book when

it is completed.

If you are living outside the United States, please do the same.

Everything will be treated absolutely confidential!

Thank you very much!

QUESTIONNAIRE

For new or unpublished writers:

1) What is the one thing that you fear most about writing your manuscript? Or what about after it’s completed?

2) Do you have trouble with finding an editor, agent, or publisher?

3) Do you mass submit your work, or do you query one at a time?

4) Do you submit one project or multiple projects in your queries?

5) How many times have you been rejected? Do you keep your rejection letters? What do they say 90% of the time?

6) Do you believe that having a track record is important when querying agents and publishers?

7) What is the one thing that keeps getting you that nasty rejection letter? Is it your approach? Your angle? Your inexperience? Or your manuscript ideas?

8) Do you believe that the publishing industry overall has been fair or unfair to you in your pursuits in getting published?

9) What drives you to write and publish?

As a sidebar, could you share with me some of your writing experiences? They aren't entirely needed with this project, but it would help me gauge how new writers and unpublished authors like yourself had viewed/approached getting published.

Please e-mail me the results of this questionnaire at:

starchildalpha1@yahoo.com (If you can't, post your responses on this board and I'll snag them. Each respondee will get a file on my computer.)

**IF YOU ARE A COMMERCIALLY PUBLISHED AUTHOR OR A SELF-PUBLISHED ONE AND WISH TO PARTICIPATE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, AND I WILL PROVIDE A DIFFERENT SET OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.**

An abridged version of these results will be posted in about a year and a half, once my research is complete and the book itself is finished. Keep your peepers peeled for a final round of questions for a 'tying up of loose ends.'

So far I have 15 responses out of the 50-100 (or 150-200 or more, depending on my response meter), needed to jump to Phase II.

Sky