Over the past year my views on publishing have begun to shift. Mostly, this is because of my exasperation with the publishing game. My experiences, (rejections, ghosted by an agent, more rejections, no-response rejections, more rejections, I can go on…) are not exclusive to me.
A few months ago, twitter was abuzz with an agent’s nutso response to a writer’s query letter. The agent lambasted the querying writer for sending the query email, (damn-near standard practice now) "after hours." BECAUSE EMAILS ARE ONLY ACCEPTABLE MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9AM to 5PM—weekends and holidays off.
For those who don’t know, the query letter is a one page document a writer sends to an agent to pitch their book and hopefully secure agent-representation to then sell the book to a publishing house. It’s rare for any of the big five, (Penguin/Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins, and Macmillan) to accept an unagented manuscript. Sure we’ve all heard the slush-pile Cinderella story but we’re discussing facts today.
Typically, if you want someone else to publish your book, your first step, (after writing the book) is to secure agent representation. Aside from entre to the market, agents (ideally) protect you from getting fleeced. So, we're back to querying. Make no mistake, the query process is a slog. Writers hate the process, agents hate the process and all-too often, writers and agents end up hating each other over the process.
Now, if you've been in this game long enough you know that writers are a little nutso, (excuse the technical jargon). Agents, if they’re not already, become a little nutso from dealing with nutso-writers. Call it an occupational hazard.
If it's not already clear, let me state plainly, I have no intention of attacking writers’ natural allies. Trust and believe. Agents, by and large, are your friend.
Countless writers, (self-included) have benefitted from the phenomenal Jessica Faust, (BookEnds Literary Agency) and her YouTube videos on the publishing game. Janet Reid, (Janet Reid Agency) has guided an army of writers through her Query Shark blog. On a personal note, in her very professional rejection letter, Ms. Reid identified what was wrong with my first effort and generously provided referral to resources to build on. So, no, this isn’t hate on the players. This is an update on the game.
Publishing is in flux, (which reads a lot like the other F-word for a reason) right now
COVID-19 drove book sales to dizzying highs with increases across all sectors. Still, publishing houses remain markedly adverse to risk (means “publishing new authors”) So, what the banker's-hour agent mentioned above failed to state in their social media rant is: new fiction sales are still iffy, the big four are making few deals, (forget anything outside the established money channels) and agents are only taking on clients they have 110% certainty will sell.
Even if you follow the recipe, even if you rank in that 110% certainty, there are no guarantees. Even after the failed Bertelmann SE plan to merge Penguin/Random House with Simon and Schuster, publishing has been shedding costs. That means fewer book editors, fewer book designers, fewer booky buyers, and, ultimately, fewer books published.
Fewer published books means fewer advance-and-royalty checks. That means less money for writers and less money for agents. The questionable agent’s questionable behavior is rooted in one thing—fear.
It don't come easy
All of this begs the question: what does this mean for your little diddy? Will your book find a home? Will your dream become reality? The answer is YES...if you don’t give up.
Times are always iffy for writers. Traditional publishing has yet to reconcile business practices—20 years into the new century—with the current reality of ebooks and indie publishing. What has not changed is readers. They still want to read stories that transcend their experience and elevate their lives.
The depth of publishing strata beneath the big five monolith is nearly limitless. There are niche presses. Black Classic Press focuses on works by minority authors. Tor Books is still killing it in science fiction, and Hard Case Crime is doing the same in my genre as is SOHO Press. The romance presses are too numerous to mention. University presses do incredible things for literary and historical works. There are boutique publishers and there is also a wealth of opportunities in self-publishing. You have Google open in another tab, anyway. Use it and get cracking.
I own none of the photos above, they are used for educational purposes and covered by the Fair Use Doctrine.
