Dec 04 2008
An Odd Sort of Comfort
There are few things in the literary world that give me comfort, readers. And some of those things you’d think shouldn’t either. But they do. Maybe I’m just weird. Maybe I need a sedative. Maybe I am a sedative! That’s the eccentricities of a writer for ya!
Anyway, my ranting this early morning is simple: our wonderful Denver Sparkling Diamond Kristin Nelson and San Diego Superman Nathan Bransford both caught on to some rather shaking news within the publishing industry that definitely says the book biz will freeze for awhile: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt layoffs, Simon & Schuster layoffs, Thomas Nelson layoffs. Nathan also mentioned Random House’s corporate restructuring, possibly resulting in the resignation of veterans Irwyn Applebaum and Steve Rubin. Dear God.
It’s like the world is going to hell.
A dear friend of mine, too, agented by the hardworking Elizabeth Jote, even updated me on the submissions of her manuscript; she used the word ‘hold’. I can’t say I blame the word. The publishing industry is virtually on ‘hold’. It’s discouraging. In the meantime, my fellow writer friend is working on new projects while the time passes before the industry picks back up again.
And there is the point to my post, people. It’s an odd sort of comfort, isn’t it?
Let me update you quickly on my endeavors of representation: THE CAIN LETTERS currently sits on two interested agents. Two agents I have yet to hear from. And rightly so, I think. Things are shaky now. Agents are reluctant to submit. Publishers are being careful with their investments. But again, I say, that’s an odd sort of comfort, isn’t it?
My thing is I’m not being rejected. At all. In fact, not one agent has responded to a query in about a month’s time, I think. To me, that’s kind of remarkable. It gives me the feeling that agents are taking one look at my query and holding onto it. Waiting. It’s encouraging. The two agents that have my material, having not contacted me yet, I get the feeling that they’re waiting too. They’re waiting for the business to pick back up. They’re holding onto it. That’s encouraging.
It reminds me that my writing might be worth something, that I might have a chance. That I have a story to tell. That I may have readers that are dying to listen. It really is an odd sort of comfort. It sort of gives me a freedom, knowing that at least my manuscript is with agents right now that are interested. I don’t have to wait for them to respond because the industry has slowed down to a crawl. Sad, really. But for me–it gives me the time to explore.
Like my dear fellow writer, working on new projects–that’s what I’m trying to do, other than writing my blog. VERMILION EYE is gradually moving. Gradually. It can only move so fast, what, with my hectic work schedule. But it’s moving.
It gives me comfort that I can have confidence in my writing–when an agent sits this long on a piece of work and seeing how slow the publishing industry is moving, I can’t help but feel comfort–an odd sort of comfort.
