Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Blah

Okay, so now I'm experiencing the opposite kind of day. Today I feel very down about myself as a writer. Perhaps I've been reading too many people talking about what good writing should look like, because now all I can think is that I'm just horrible, will never make it, and should just stop wasting so much time with this. Then add the hell of querying and rejection after rejection. Part of me is saying that it just isn't ever going to happen. No one is ever going to publish my book.

But I am a fighter. So . . . I'm going to keep trying. I keep telling myself that this is a school assignment and finding an agent is the exam I have to pass. No excuses.

I hate it when I get like this. It's one of those times when I really need a friend around to kick me in the butt, you know? Sometimes I just get so down and I feel so worthless.

15 comments:

  1. Maybe now is the time to think again about self-publishing. Have a short run printed, then send the books to critics, bookshops, etc. It would cost a bit, but at least you'd be out there in print!

    Just an idea: Cro.

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  2. I'll give it some more thought, Cro. Thank you and Peace : )

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  3. I like your idea of thinking of it as a school assignment. And don't give up! Keep writing. Send it out and work on your next project. Some people have to write half a dozen novels before they write the one that gets published. My novel was ten years and a zillion revisions before it was publishable. Nothing against self-pubbing but if I'd taken that route half way through the process, I would have wasted my time & money.

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  4. Thank you Karen. It's really good to hear what you went through to get published! Very inspiring!

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  5. Oh Amy, I'm sorry you're feeling so down. If it helps at all, I gave you an award on my blog :) keep up the awesomeness!

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  6. That's so sweet of you Caitlin. I do go down pretty hard but, like the great Tom Petty says, I get back up again. Thank you for the award!!

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  7. This is me kicking you in the butt. Don't give up. Every extra minute you spend on it makes it better. I just spend a day bored by the first half of my novel. Guess what? The second half was much better. Why? It was the part I wrote most recently. By that I mean, re-wrote and re-wrote most recently.

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  8. Look into 'publish on demand' if you are desperate. You get anything between one and any other amount of your book printed, bound and delivered for about $7 a copy, and they even give you an ISBN number. You supply all the artwork, etc on disc and they do NO editing. They also do no distribution. Nomatter how many you order, it's all the same price per copy. If you feel confident, go for it.

    Bear in mind that it is early days for you. Some people have to wait YEARS.

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  9. Come on girl you can do it! Elana Johnson sent out so many queries and still got her book to be published!!! It's possible, but time is never on our side.

    If you want I'll bring a pint of ice cream over and we can watch an awful chick flick and make fun of it!!! Let me know and I'll be over with my footie pajamas ready for a party!

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  10. Thanks for the information Tom, I hadn't heard of that company yet. I'm still going to keep trying, just got down about myself for a moment. I re-worked the old query again, so we'll just have to see. (hugs)

    Jen- I can't wait! Love you!

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  11. It's not a company, it's a system - made possible because of new printing and computor techniques. It's good quality apparently, and always paperback. I have a friend who has published 2 books (jokey manuals on juggling, etc.) and he has recently sacked his agent. He intends to print like this, then be prepared to hawk around all his books himself, so if successful, another publisher will pick it up. You'll need a few thousand dollars to start, but - if you really have confidence in your book and all the agents don't, then you will need to put up the money.

    Like I said, you are at the beginning of the road, and seem to want immediate results. It doesn't work like that.

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  12. P.S. Have a look at this:

    http://www.authonomy.com

    It will either make you very happy about possibilities regarding recognition of your magnum opus, or depress the hell out of you when you see the competition involved in only one continent.

    Either way, don't blame me.

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  13. There must be something in the air worldwide because I’ve been reading this same thing all week around the web. Hang in there the weather is just to change soon.

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  14. Thank You Southpaw, I'll keep fighting—and the best of luck to you with your writing!!

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