Let's hope it's a good year
What is it about January 1st that makes it such a magical day? Yes, it's a new beginning, but there are other new beginnings. Every day is a new beginning, every week is a new beginning, and every month is a new beginning, yet only the first day of a new year has that magical feeling. The start of a new year gives hope, inspires people, and energizes them.
What are your plans for the new year? Pursue a new career path? Take an evening class or a course? Adopt a pet? Lose weight? Go to the gym? Start that novel you've been planning or finish that novel that's been gathering dust? It's true, isn't it, on January 1st anything and everything seems possible.
How long will those resolutions last? Will they be forgotten or dismissed by January 2nd, or January 31st, or will you actually see one through? I intend to see my resolution through. I've been working on a novel for some time now and yes, it's been gathering dust. Mainly because the chances of finding a literary agent are slim to none. Agents are bombarded by manuscripts and they discard most if not all of them.
Put yourself in the agent's shoes. Day after day opening emails of aspiring writers presenting you with their work. Between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. you might pay attention; between 10:00 and 11:00 your attention might start to waiver. Between 11:00 and 12:00 you open an email with a sigh … not another one. Lunchtime might bring some respite, but oh dear, then there's the afternoon to get through.
Self-publishing is of course an option, but the market is flooded with self-published works. Some of them are good stories, others are complete crap. Anyone and everything thinks they can write a novel and as such the self-publishing industry now has a bad reputation. Want to know what takes the cake? Mothers publishing books 'written' by their four-year-old or six-year-old. I mean really, give me a break.
So if and when I finish my manuscript, self-publishing is a last resort. I intend to find a literary agent. I will do my research and contact one or two agents every day until I find one willing to look at my work. Hopefully, he or she will open my query email between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. when he or she is still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
No comments:
Post a Comment