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First off, as the title says, this is not me complaining although it certainly may seem like a complaint. It's more a rather brooding observation concerning the arduous process of getting published.
Because in my quest to hopefully get myself an agent I've come to feel that the process is... a little on the skeevy side. Not because of agents or publishing companies! I promise that I am not feeling the least bit bitter toward any of them. I completely understand that this is a hit-or-miss business and I don't envy them having to sift through mountains of queries hoping to find that next big seller. Though I am hopeful that someone will eventually pick my story to consider, I have been nothing but realistic about the process.
But what I find a tad skeevy about it is that you're basically relying on luck. Yes, I know the same could be said about a lot of things - trying to get a job, for example - but when it comes to getting a job at least there's more of a set chance. That is, a job usually requires a certain set of skills and/or a certain level of education, and should you have those skills and education, then your chances of being hired go up.
With finding an agent or getting published (although it does help greatly to write a good query) what it all eventually comes down to is whether or not the agent or publisher is intrigued by your little synopsis, then intrigued by your ten-page or whatever snippet, then pleased by the entire novel. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter your skills or level of education, what matters is one person's opinion of your little synopsis.
And... I don't know, it's becoming a concept that's been making me feel a little uncomfortable. I guess because you always hear stories about the novel that was rejected a hundred times but when finally accepted went on to be a best seller, read books that make you wonder how the heck said book ever got published, read accounts about how it took author A so many years to get published but author B landed a contract right off the bat, except author A is the better writer. It just seems so... random, I guess, like Roulette. I am not saying that I think the process unfair - it is what it is. And what it is is rather depressing since there isn't much you can do other than write the best query you can and cross your fingers that it lands you an agent.
Why don't I just self-publish, you ask? Well, mostly because last time I tried to self-publish it was a dismal failure. But mostly because I really, really want the aid of an agent to help me in putting my stories in a better position in which they're more likely to get read. Self-publishing is my back-up should petitioning an agent or publishing company not pan out.
Feel free to agree or disagree. As I keep pointing out, this is mostly just my opinionated observation. I should also add, as a positive, that at least agents are a heck of a lot more find-able and reachable than they used to be. They want to represent writers. Problem is, there's a loooooooooot of writers looking for representation.
Because in my quest to hopefully get myself an agent I've come to feel that the process is... a little on the skeevy side. Not because of agents or publishing companies! I promise that I am not feeling the least bit bitter toward any of them. I completely understand that this is a hit-or-miss business and I don't envy them having to sift through mountains of queries hoping to find that next big seller. Though I am hopeful that someone will eventually pick my story to consider, I have been nothing but realistic about the process.
But what I find a tad skeevy about it is that you're basically relying on luck. Yes, I know the same could be said about a lot of things - trying to get a job, for example - but when it comes to getting a job at least there's more of a set chance. That is, a job usually requires a certain set of skills and/or a certain level of education, and should you have those skills and education, then your chances of being hired go up.
With finding an agent or getting published (although it does help greatly to write a good query) what it all eventually comes down to is whether or not the agent or publisher is intrigued by your little synopsis, then intrigued by your ten-page or whatever snippet, then pleased by the entire novel. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter your skills or level of education, what matters is one person's opinion of your little synopsis.
And... I don't know, it's becoming a concept that's been making me feel a little uncomfortable. I guess because you always hear stories about the novel that was rejected a hundred times but when finally accepted went on to be a best seller, read books that make you wonder how the heck said book ever got published, read accounts about how it took author A so many years to get published but author B landed a contract right off the bat, except author A is the better writer. It just seems so... random, I guess, like Roulette. I am not saying that I think the process unfair - it is what it is. And what it is is rather depressing since there isn't much you can do other than write the best query you can and cross your fingers that it lands you an agent.
Why don't I just self-publish, you ask? Well, mostly because last time I tried to self-publish it was a dismal failure. But mostly because I really, really want the aid of an agent to help me in putting my stories in a better position in which they're more likely to get read. Self-publishing is my back-up should petitioning an agent or publishing company not pan out.
Feel free to agree or disagree. As I keep pointing out, this is mostly just my opinionated observation. I should also add, as a positive, that at least agents are a heck of a lot more find-able and reachable than they used to be. They want to represent writers. Problem is, there's a loooooooooot of writers looking for representation.
