It's Monday morning and I'm knee-deep in email queries, but had to stop. I stopped because I had a real epiphany!
Contrary to doom-and-gloom statistics, writing, story-telling and imagination are alive and well!
One look at my in-box and Jon's stack of queries, partials and manuscripts and you know it's true. You guys are amazing--truly amazing. Today alone I've read queries for a nonfiction book on parenting, several women's fiction offerings, some science fiction (which I forwarded to Jon), many, many horror novels, historical romance and more. Yes, even the dreaded "sword and dragon" fantasies continue to fill up the in-box.
But, think about it--all of you out there writing your little hearts out. Getting rejected time and time again. Hopefully improving as you go and finding groups and mentors to help you. It's truly inspiring and gratifying to be in this business where hope springs eternal--for you and for us.
I just wanted to thank you--all of you for doing what you do. Publishing may be experiencing some real hits right now, but the writing life is alive and well. So pat yourself on the back and declare this day a day of celebration for those who write stories.
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2 comments:
I read somewhere recently, I don't even remember who it was, some famous writer was rejected 27 times before he was offered publication. Ha. Try 270 times over 15 years. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't get compliments on my work. I never understood the premise of "This is really great, Ken, but..." Despite that, and everyone who has known me for that span of time thinking I should throw in the towel, I continue to search for an agent. I celebrate today because in this great world we live in, at least I have a chance.
Why are "sword and dragon" fantasies dreaded?
We all have our own personal tastes, but it does seem a little inappropriate to casually trash an entire subgenre as though its uselessness were widely-known fact. There are approximately 77 kajillion people "dreading" the release of George R. R. Martin's next sword-and-dragon fantasy right about now. What will it take for people to quit treating this kind of fiction like the redheaded stepchild of the publishing industry?
Not only that, but people seem not even to worry about the political incorrectness of publicly making their feelings about heroic fantasy known. It's considered gauche and unprofessional to mock, say, bodice-ripper romances (equally rife with cliches and slush-pile-fodder) in a blog like this, so why is it that writers and readers of heroic/historical fantasy are still treated as second-class citizens unworthy of the most basic, polite "to each his own" treatment?
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