The publishing industry is in flux. Anyone with half a brain and an internet connection knows this. It's reported on almost daily if you follow publishing or writing blogs/newsfeeds. And it's been this way for a couple of years now. Because of this, I've been giving my attempts at finding an agent a lot of thought lately (let's just say that when you drive over 17 hours to get to BC for a little R&R, you have a lot of time to think...).
I've been going through the motions of seeking literary representation for the last couple months now (well, years, really, but it's been a more concerted effort as of late), and as you've probably guessed, without much success. There are two fairly obvious reasons for this. One: my writing sucks. Of course, pure hubris prevents me from accepting this notion. That and the fact that I've had at least one novel accepted for publication from an epublisher (shameless plug alert : http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/), and from what I've seen, they put out some quality stuff. So that leaves me with option two: the industry is in such trumoil at the moment that most agencies have closed ranks. Meaning, of course, that they are focusing more on existing clients rather than actively seeking new ones. Now that's not to say it's impossible to find an agent anymore, but I honestly believe that in today's business climate and with another global recession looming, things are tough all over.
Now, I could keep soldiering on, slogging it out in the query/submission trenches, but I don't think I will. At least for the time being. Anyone who has ever had the strange compulsion/notion to become a writer is probably quite familiar with the process. Granted it has become easier since the advent and acceptance of email queries/submissions, but don't ever kid yourself. It's still a time consuming process. Which is why I won't be submitting to anymore agents for the foreseeable future. I'm going to let my current submissions run their course. If they garner some attention, great. If not, it's no big deal. I have a lot of other things to do. I'm going back to school in the fall to complete my teaching degree. And I have about a dozen ideas for upcoming books and a couple of YA series that I've been mulling over for some time now. And when Cold Fear is released next year, I'll have some major marketing/promoting to do. I'm a busy little bee, and will be for a while.
The agents will wait. Either that, or this new business model in the publishing industry will eradicate them completely or change what they do so drastically as to render them nearly unrecognizable. I hope it's the latter, as I bear no ill will towards agents or what they do and I have no wish to see anyone put out of work. I'm just not going to expend all the energy needed to find representation until things have calmed down a bit. In the industry and in my own life.
Is this folly? Maybe. Maybe not. But thems the breaks, I guess. Things'll shake out one way or another. They always do.
And now I'm off to write. The vacation was great, but it's time to get back down to business. I've been pre-planning, outlining and writing in my head for over two weeks now. I need to get some of this down before it drives me completely round the bend...
Talk to you soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment