James Pray

Caffeine-soused #MG #SFF novelist+engineer. Repped by @DonMaass. JONESY FLUX AND THE GRAY LEGION is out now!! (Union Square Kids) #STEM🤖#AmWriting🤘

[James Pray @JamesPray]

https://t.co/QReeSEknir Excited to finally share this!! 😀

I read the opening pages from my #MiddleGrade #SciFi novel, Jonesy Flux and the Gray Legion, and talk a bit about where the story came from.

@SterlingKids #MGLit #KidLit #GirlPower #STEM #WritingCommunity #ReadAloud

[BookAuthority @bookauthority]

Congratulations @DonMaass! We're delighted to inform you that "The Emotional Craft of Fiction" made it to BookAuthority's list of best Story Writing audiobooks of all time! https://t.co/OeSkzFKQAU

[James Pray @JamesPray]

https://t.co/pSIIk89tF4
Let's make Bowden great again. I've been at this design for 15 months and finally released it over the weekend! #3DPrinting #3dprinter

[James Pray @JamesPray]

Wow, it's been a really long time 😱 #MyXAnniversary

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@anne_tyler48828 Thank you! And welcome to Twitter! Or X! Whatever it is these days.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

https://t.co/QReeSEknir Excited to finally share this!! 😀

I read the opening pages from my #MiddleGrade #SciFi novel, Jonesy Flux and the Gray Legion, and talk a bit about where the story came from.

@SterlingKids #MGLit #KidLit #GirlPower #STEM #WritingCommunity #ReadAloud

[James Pray @JamesPray]

And if you like watching car accidents, this comp of the ones that didn't work is worth a giggle https://t.co/7BpHIZPm9l

[James Pray @JamesPray]

I did a printing thing! https://t.co/Rk5y12suhc

[James Pray @JamesPray]

If you like print quality instead of stupid speed, I also did this printing thing https://t.co/q96uS4N2Cx

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@HerringAli Oh, wow, it's not just us. I guess it's getting around!

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@HerringAli Daily thoughts in my brain be like:

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc Sheesh. Well, nuts to 'em. You deserve better human beings to work with than ones with egos like that.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc No story ever has to be wasted. You learn from them at minimum, and many works (including the first one I signed with my agent for) just aren't easy New Author Sales, but might do well later once you've got some street cred.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc Query is in your wheelhouse for improvement, and Agent interest is down to research. Market is the wildcard. If it's not big enough, or if it's overcrowded, that can raise the bar drastically for getting in. Sometimes it's better to fire up a fresh project in that case.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc I don't know how long you've been in the trenches, but I hope you get out and land an agent who'll do you right. The fight's worth it!

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc Beyond that, I can only tell you what I did, which was to spend 5 years working toward becoming the best writer and self-editor I could be on top of refining a story with a pretty solid core - after that, querying took 6 weeks and 12 letters. And I still had growing to do😵 (2/2)

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc Also, since you raise the "real world" issue, I'd challenge you to raise your sights from lotto-winner anomalies like Twilight/50 Shades. In the real world, there's a bar to clear. And in the real world, gates open readily to those who can prove they belong on the other side.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@roninmercllc I think that's a troubling mentality - it greenlights toxic working relationships for the sake of getting ahead at the expense of long-term mental and creative health. If you're okay with that, by all means, but I've never found it necessary for writing or day job.

[James Pray @JamesPray]

@kmbutlerauthor @roninmercllc Friendship doesn't come into it. There's a lot of back and forth and it could be terrible if you can't work together smoothly. Beyond that, an agent who's excited about your work (beyond simply seeing it as saleable) will fight harder to sell it, and that's a big factor in sales.