I've Written a Book!

So, here I am nearly one and a half years into writing my first full on book. I started it last year around the first part of 2007. I'm nearly complete. It is a non-fiction (narrative non-fiction) book about my little league baseball team. For awhile now I knew that the story of our team was something that should be told, but when I started talking with my dad (who was our coach) about it, he even added more fuel to the fire because of the inside information he had that I had never even known. Then I started talking with my best buddy and true hero of the team and he had old memorabilia and other stuff that got me excited and also helped to jog my memory. I also called our old team sponsor who was as much a part of our team as the coach and any player and I also talked to his son who had been on the team and was a good friend of mine. This month I'll be going back to that town to get some final research done, see my old best buddy (the hero) again after not seeing him for a good 10 years and also see the sponsor and his son to bring up old memories that I can hopefully finish up my book with. I hope to then have it complete and ready for the editors by the end of August! Whoohoo!
So, below is the short little Query Letter that I'm sending out to the Literary Agents to see if I can get any bites for a publishing contract...Let me know what you think. I'm open to suggestions and critiques...Unless you get too overly critical-- Then I do have to draw the line, of course-- Even writers have feelings. If you just hate it, just don't say anything. But if you think there could be something else added to maybe 'hook' you in to wanting more, let me know! In any regard, I'm excited for this no matter what happens, because it's been a great deal of fun and I do think people will enjoy the story (in spite of my amateurishness in spots)...If it piques your interest some, be on the look-out for the book in the near future!

Also, just so you know how it works in the posh and pompous publishing world out there, most publishing companies don't accept manuscripts directly and will simply throw them in the garbage if you send them unsolicited. Therefore, you have one of two options, if they accept unsolicited 'query letters' you can send them to the proper person...However, you must know exactly who that person is for your 'genre' of writing, etc. And also you must know if the publishing company you are sending to even accepts your genre of writing, etc. and if they accept unsolicited query letters, blah, blah, blah.

Therefore, there are literary agents who act as the go-betweens. Not that they are any better, really...Most of them don't accept unsolicited manuscripts either, so you have to send them (correct person) a query letter as well. These query letters are very precise. Normally, not more than one page long, 12 point font, spacing, margins, etc. are specific. You must 'hook' the literary agent or publisher by the first 2 or 3 lines or you're pretty much toast and you better have perfect spelling and grammar and address the correct person. That's pretty much the game!

There are several websites that talk about prominent authors who were rejected dozens of times before they got a yes (such as John Grisham who was rejected 16 times before an agent accepted his work-- and that agent was a loser so he had to start over with another). With that said, here's my query letter be what it may...

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There aren’t many nine-year-old kids who can say that they achieved their hopes and dreams, saved their community, returned balance between good and evil and delivered a man from the ache of financial ruin within the span of one memorable summer. My little league baseball team, The Classics, did just that one season in 1969. In my 40,000 word narrative nonfiction book, experience the excitement as we journey with a team of misfit kids who have a dream of playing on the hallowed field of the AA minor league baseball stadium for the little league tournament championship. The monumental task in this accomplishment is both agonizing and exhilarating.

If there were a T-ball World Series, the team in our league, Shotwell’s Shockers, would have won it. Every player on their team was bigger, faster and stronger than any other team in the league. We were the kind of meal they might have for breakfast. But T-ball was over and it was time for pitch ball. We had a new coach and our team had been largely rebuilt. Both of these events were scary for several reasons: Our new coach had never coached before, and our team had never played together before. I wish that were the only problem though; the new coach also happened to be my dad. Our pitcher, Robbie XXXX, would prove to be the greatest pitcher and player that Twin Falls would ever see. However, he still required some good coaching. We soon found out that as much as our team needed Robbie—Robbie needed my dad.

So we embarked on our championship season to show the world that we could conquer a giant. Our team soon gained a tremendous following of fans and now this little magic that we had created rubbed off onto our financially strapped sponsor who found solace and joy in this small clan of kids playing a game of baseball.

I am currently a computer systems administrator with a varied career. I have been married for 27 years and am the father of six children. This is my first attempt at a full-length book. In contemplating my experiences and writing this book, I have discovered that while my background may be unique, the feelings associated with simply growing up and the desire to overcome great odds are universal. This is a tale of a different time and place where life was a little slower-paced and our whole world revolved around the outcome of a game. We went out and created our own magic and cast a spell on the rest of the community in the process.

It is my sincere hope that you will take a moment to let my book cast its spell on you. I certainly appreciate your time and consideration as I know that both are very valuable. I will gladly send you a copy of my completed manuscript upon your request. Thank you again for your time.

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Well, let me know your thoughts here! I was just reading it and can see some possible areas where I may want to tweak it a bit already, so don't feel badly if you want to critique it some...That's why it's there!