Into the Fire

Hopeful first time authors finally acquire an agent. Next they secure a nibble from a publisher. Common to both experiences is waiting. Usually a lot of it. The bane of trying to get published—anxious authors awaiting glacial movements within the industry.

The reason for this slow pace? Massive reading requirements by the professionals beginning with the query letter, on to the proposal, the first few chapters, the full manuscript for multiple writers’ submissions. The process ends at the query letter for many. Others get as far as the proposal before it’s over for that particular work. The ultimate rejection is after the full ms. ends in a pass. The grueling process usually takes months and months. With little contact if any. Fair? Hardly. Good business? Debatable. But since the writers are at the mercy of publishers, it is what it is.

The books themselves don’t really take a year to produce. In fact with back and forth emails, books can be edited, copy edited, proofed, cover designed, printed, and shipped rather quickly if there are no snags. The length of the novel might determine the time it takes to accomplish the stages of editing, but just to get a nice book produced can take as little as six months.

Another unusual trend I’ve seen lately is similar cover designs from different publishers which aren’t drawing from the unique perspectives of individual designers. Same types of styles, colors, and overall designs are popping up on non-related novels. And I’ve read two novels lately with cover designs which didn’t fit their stories from two different publishers, one hardbound, one soft cover.

The platform issue seems to be making a big impact even in fiction. I assume publishers believe that a writer with some notoriety has a big base audience or a greater chance of having a larger audience than say . . . Joe the Plumber types (although Joe just experienced his 15 minutes of fame). However, this can backfire big time in fiction. I’ve read three novels lately by male authors with non-writing areas of expertise or a writing history of non-fiction who penned novels which I doubt will win any awards for sales and longevity in literature.

Tough industry. If you’re a writer, tenacity is your best friend. The options for publishing have expanded in recent times giving writers more opportunities to consider for getting their manuscripts between covers.

There will always be writers and there will always be novels. Don’t let anything keep you from writing yours.

Father, you have a plan for each one of us. Help us to follow your plan even when we dare to think ours might be better. Help us to overcome our foolish ways and yield to yours. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.