Journey's End (?)

The idea for this blog was to document an experiment. The experiment tested the idea that if you do everything right, would it be possible to successfully sell my novel to a publishing house? Along the way I would post the highs and lows of my journey and offer any insights gained from the experience. 

The first step in doing things right was producing as strong a manuscript as possible. Following expert advice, I wrote draft after draft until I felt confident enough to send it to a few beta readers, who then gave it a thumbs-up. After incorporating some of their suggestions, I then invested in a couple of rounds of revisions recommended by professional editors. 

At that point, I was assured that I had a well-written, tightly plotted manuscript. Further research taught me how to prepare a professional submission package containing a query letter, plot summary, and author bio, all of which I workshopped in sessions sponsored by Writer's Digest. By the time I incorporated various critiques from the pros, I was ready to go to market. 

I had what I thought was a great story, a spiffy query letter, and a focused list of agents who expressed an interest in my genre. In other words, I did everything "right," according to the experts.

My hopes were high. 

One hundred plus rejections later, it appears that my journey, similar to the Donner Party's, will not reach its desired destination! As engaging as the story was to my readers, it simply hasn't caught the fancy of any of my target agents. I don't know exactly why. Agents are famous for not providing reasons for rejecting a book, other than the boilerplate "unfortunately, your novel didn't pull me in like I needed to be."

So the conclusion of my experiment is that you can do everything right--including writing a compelling book--and still fail to place it. But going in, I knew that the odds of an unknown writer landing a publisher are infinitesimal. One factoid I picked up was that agents reject more than 95% of the submissions they receive. I have lots of company!

I also found out that the best way to stand out as a writer today is to be BIPOC (black, Indigenous and/or a person of color) and/or LGBTQ who writes stories that reflect those characteristics. Publishers and, by extension, agents are begging for submissions from these groups because the diversity police have been highly critical of the publishing industry for not showcasing more of these "under-represented voices."

These voice are now being heard. Half the fiction nominees for the UK Booker Awards and the U.S. National Book Awards are from Asia and Africa. And just this past Sunday, The Times reviewed four young adult books, one written by a Nigerian author, one by a Korean author set in Seoul, and one that checks two boxes by being about Latinx culture and featuring a gay-identifying trans boy!

I agree that a greater emphasis on under-represented voices does enrich the literary environment. But being a straight white male who has written a story about two heterosexual white teens who fall in love, puts me at a competitive disadvantage in today's market. I guess I have to sacrifice for the greater good!

So I will consider this the end of my journey, and probably this blog. (Or maybe a hiatus.) To be sure, the results are disappointing, but it doesn't mean that I will stop writing. I will always enjoy the thrill of pure creation--especially when something clicks. But the querying process is deflating and unpleasant. If I never submit my creation again, my mental health would probably benefit. 

As the years pass in a blur, I know our time on this planet is brief. I'd rather focus my energies on the things I truly enjoy in the time I have left.

Cheers!

Writer's Conference Debrief

The Writer's Digest Conference was a mixed bag for me. As a virtual event this year, the sessions on writing and marketing were no less effective had they been held in person. Some sessions were better than others, but I did pick up some valuable tips on handling dialogue and setting more effectively.

The main reason I attended was to pitch my book, which ended up being a bust for me. In a real one-on-one pitching event, authors meet agents in the flesh and try to establish some rapport. That was, of course, impossible this year. Instead, agents were assigned to visit my virtual "booth" (see my previous post), view my video pitch and then to engage in a typewritten (not video) chat to discuss my project. 

What happened in my case was five agents visited my booth, expressed no interest in the project, and took off. There was no chat--no back and forth . The one agent who did ask a question left my booth before I could finish typing my response. In other words, the pitching session was no more valuable than if I had cold queried those agents. My main regret was I paid extra for the pitch session, a total waste of money.

I did gain additional insight into why my book hasn't gained traction in the marketplace. Nearly all the writers and all the presenters at the conference specialize in genre fiction. The lesson constantly hammered home was you must become an expert in your genre, whether it be romance, mystery, fantasy, YA, sci-fi, etc. Every genre has specific components and formulas that readers expect, and successful genre authors always put their readers' desires first. If they don't deliver on those expectations, they will lose their readers. In other words, authors become slaves to their genre if they want to make a living writing books.

Unfortunately, I do not write that way. I write books involving themes and characters that excite me. I never consider genre. I worry about the audience after I write a book, not before. This goes back to my unfulfilling days as a marketing writer and generating sales collateral under very strict guidelines. I used my fiction projects as an outlet to let my creativity flow.  My books, as a result, are mongrels of various genres. COME THE HARPIES is part science fiction, part political satire, part YA, and part literary thriller.

In other words, this and my other books pose a steep challenge for agents pitching to publishers who are looking for the same old genre formulas. I do understand agents who don't want to touch my stuff, since they're trained to focus on categories. Most likely I'll end up being another unpublished writer with a good book.

In my next post, I'll explain why straight white males have an uphill climb in today's literary markets.