"The vision is for an appointed time. Though it tarry, wait earnestly for it, for it will surely come."
(Habakkuk 2:3)
The world of publishing comes with a lot of rejection. The same as the entertainment industry. However, with each rejection I try or hope to take away something positive. Even though I am very disappointed again, it has gotten a little easier to take the rejection with a spoon full of sugar as in the words of Mary Poppins. Writing is hard work and a constant learning experience. One of my greatest challenges as a debut author is the fact that I do not have much in the way of platform. I have special interests and pet projects, but nothing in the way of what a publisher is looking for necessarily. It is frustrating to see famous movie stars and Broadway actors hit the market with bestsellers right off the bat. Granted, they've worked hard to get to where they are too, and they have that desired platform to offer a publisher. This is why publishers seek them out and approach them about book projects instead of the other way around, must be nice.
I love Julie Andrews just as much as the next person and her new book series is enchanting and I've no doubt—spit spot—charming. I understand that publishers are struggling with getting books sold in the thousands so they can keep their jobs and justify their existence. But the truth is, if I had come up with concept and idea of this kind of series, no matter how great it is, it most likely would have never been considered for publication by a traditional publisher and simply because of my lack of platform.
An agent once told me that editors in today's industry do not do near the work that once was expected of them in the past. She said that editors have gotten lazy because the level of expectation has dropped considerably. Nowadays most of the work that an editor used to do for an author is expected to already be done by the author themselves before they even begin the submissions process. There is no more grooming time for talented debut authors. You have to be spot on or your not on at all. This is discouraging a lot of great writers to give up on traditional publishing all together and go into independent publishing on their own.
Indie publishing was once considered the big taboo, but not so anymore. Yet even at that, many authors tend to get lazy; they don't have their work edited properly to insure a quality book. After all, it's just easier to take the cheap way out, right? Not! Every bit of time and money spent to better hone one's skills as a writer and to get their work properly edited will pay off in the end. It is always good to remember that if you do choose to self-publish, a traditional publisher might see your work at that point and decide to offer you a contract. If you are one of those lucky authors, then you will want to have put your best foot forward in the first place. Making the investment of time and money into putting out your best work will give any author a true advantage. Come along now—spit spot!
(Habakkuk 2:3)
The world of publishing comes with a lot of rejection. The same as the entertainment industry. However, with each rejection I try or hope to take away something positive. Even though I am very disappointed again, it has gotten a little easier to take the rejection with a spoon full of sugar as in the words of Mary Poppins. Writing is hard work and a constant learning experience. One of my greatest challenges as a debut author is the fact that I do not have much in the way of platform. I have special interests and pet projects, but nothing in the way of what a publisher is looking for necessarily. It is frustrating to see famous movie stars and Broadway actors hit the market with bestsellers right off the bat. Granted, they've worked hard to get to where they are too, and they have that desired platform to offer a publisher. This is why publishers seek them out and approach them about book projects instead of the other way around, must be nice.
I love Julie Andrews just as much as the next person and her new book series is enchanting and I've no doubt—spit spot—charming. I understand that publishers are struggling with getting books sold in the thousands so they can keep their jobs and justify their existence. But the truth is, if I had come up with concept and idea of this kind of series, no matter how great it is, it most likely would have never been considered for publication by a traditional publisher and simply because of my lack of platform.
An agent once told me that editors in today's industry do not do near the work that once was expected of them in the past. She said that editors have gotten lazy because the level of expectation has dropped considerably. Nowadays most of the work that an editor used to do for an author is expected to already be done by the author themselves before they even begin the submissions process. There is no more grooming time for talented debut authors. You have to be spot on or your not on at all. This is discouraging a lot of great writers to give up on traditional publishing all together and go into independent publishing on their own.
Indie publishing was once considered the big taboo, but not so anymore. Yet even at that, many authors tend to get lazy; they don't have their work edited properly to insure a quality book. After all, it's just easier to take the cheap way out, right? Not! Every bit of time and money spent to better hone one's skills as a writer and to get their work properly edited will pay off in the end. It is always good to remember that if you do choose to self-publish, a traditional publisher might see your work at that point and decide to offer you a contract. If you are one of those lucky authors, then you will want to have put your best foot forward in the first place. Making the investment of time and money into putting out your best work will give any author a true advantage. Come along now—spit spot!
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