It’s February 1^st, well it will be when this post goes live. And as of now, or then, or when, or whatever, I have been unsuccessful in my quest to get an agent or a publisher. Hopes are hanging on a publisher who have said they are interested but don’t have a spot at this time.

I am mentally gearing up for another round of blind queries. So what have I learned about the publishing business so far:

Agents will say write a query like this, others like that, and even then you have a less than %5 chance of getting anywhere. Some agents say follow instructions to the letter, others say always send the first 10 pages even told not to. I have seen recommendations that you should pay someone to edit your work, while others say the last thing you should do is that.

If you get an agent, lucky you, it seems to increase your likelihood of securing a publishing contract, but nothing is guaranteed. And after spending months shopping your piece to them, it may take months for them to shop it to a publisher. And even on signing a contract books get stuck in the pipeline and may never get published.

 Why continue slogging through this murky mire of despair?  Editing and reach: Yes you can pay someone to edit your work, and pop it up on Amazon as a ebook. If your lucky you have a good artist friend who will knock you out a cover.  You may even sell a few books or two.

But I still think a publishing house editor is what you want, and the added reach that publishers bring will give you more sales.

So I am going to keep slogging. Anybody know a short cut? 🙂