I’ve mentioned this before, but it seems like everyone can sing…or write. Nary a few words about my latest book escapes my lips when the asker (and hey, weren’t they asking about me) launches into his or her own desire to write.
I’m cool with that. Mostly. Maybe they do have a book in there. And I’m willing, within reason, to help. I can’t read every manuscript because I’d never get anything done, but I will offer advice, such as I have, to anyone.
I was talking with a writer the other day. I read his book because he’s a friend. It was good. But as we talked about the other part of writing, aka, marketing, rejections, and more rejections, I could see his heart sinking.
He was sad to find out you have to wait a long time to get a book back from a publisher or agent, and sometimes “no” is simply they never write or send back. You can’t, for the most part, simultaneously submit. Agents and publishers are sometimes less than kind. They can be excited one minute and then decide they don’t want your material. It doesn’t pay very well at first. And on and on. At one point he whispered that’s not fair.
Yeah…sometimes it isn’t. When I’m feeling that way I bring to mind a Jareth quote about unfairness from the movie Labyrinth: you say that so often, I wonder what your basis of comparison is? Publishing is a business and business isn’t personal when it does what it does. It’s just business.That's my basis of comparison.
But of course, that doesn’t help much when you get a mean rejection or never hear back from an agent or publisher. I felt bad for my friend, but that conversation also made me realize I have toughed it out, and I will continue to tough it out. Writing is not for the faint of heart. If nothing else, I can be glad for my stalwart, if often bruised, one. Everyone who has ever sent anything off into the Never Neverland of publishing should be.
Jareth would be so proud. At least I would hope he wouldn't give me one his nasty peaches. :-)
