It is so, so hard sometimes. It gets depressing, hopeless, frustrating, trying to do this insanity which we call writing a book -- and getting it published.
It is SO hard.
Right now, I want to feel my book in my hands. I want to see the cover, I want to read the blurb, I want to crack the spine. I want my book.
It is hard to wait, and wait, and wait even longer. Is it so bad to want to have your book published?
It seems like the writer's life revolves around this prospect, and anything less would be a disappointment. My constant fear is that something will happen and I won't get the chance to publish my book or send a query. I can't handle that uncertainty.
If you self-publish, you go headfirst into it. If you plan to traditionally publish, you go headfirst into it. But it is so tempting to divert from your path and just throw together a slipshod manuscript, a disgusting cover, and publish it on Amazon (which gives the serious, constantly-badgered self-publishers a bad rep). It is so, so tempting.
How can you combat this thirst?
I feel better just writing this blog post; I've calmed down. But in the back of my mind I always wonder if all this hard work is for nothing; if I will have to write a different book and start this all over again. Why do we put ourselves in this industry where rejection and waiting are the norm?
We love books. We love writing. I think that is the answer; and for me, another motivator is this wonderful writer's community. You guys keep me sane. Truly. I can't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't met you.
The most that we can do is go on, write more, and move together in the darkness until we see a light. Control the one thing we can control -- our books -- and hold onto it like a life jacket. It will entail, usually, years and years of work, years and years of pain, but we will love it all when we see the light, because we love writing and we will do our most for it.
I dislike that answer as much as you guys, but there isn't much we can do but work on our books constantly, productively, and hopefully. It's the hope and the blind faith that gets me, but the thing more depressing than a rejected writer is a writer that has given up.
I don't want to be that writer. I will find my patience by working on my book and rekindling the spark that is being suffocated. Our books will give us patience, and our passion will guide us through.
*BIG HUG* I feel like we're all in this mode right now.
ReplyDeleteSo much of it is in the timing - hold out for YOUR time! It will happen.
ReplyDeleteI *love* that you have this thirst, SC. This passion is what pushes us forward--without this burning desire, it'd be impossible to survive this process. I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I get it. I get it sooooooo much. But hold onto that feeling, and don't settle. Keep pushing, keep believing, and write that one word at a time. And rely on this community in those darker moments. I know it's helped me a TON. But also, embrace the down times---it's part of the process--use it in your writing. And trust your gut.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
We are writers not because we want to be published. We are writers because we can't stand NOT writing. We HAVE to write.
ReplyDeleteRejection is a sad, sad, miserable fact of publishing. I personally know people who wrote five, six, SEVEN books that have NEVER been published. Sometimes it takes that many books to get good enough to BE published. Sometimes those books can be published later, after a publisher has seen an author's other works sell well. Sometimes those books sit there and do absolutely nothing.
But never think all your hard work was for nothing. It's not, because you enjoyed (hopefully) writing it, and you learned along the way! :)
Try not to let yourself get stuck on that ONE project, though. If you aren't having luck, set it aside and get to work on something else. Don't stagnate because you feel this one particular book has to be 'it.'
It'll happen. Chin up. Try to enjoy the ride!
I'm planning to self publish, but not the book that's been rejected (I'm going to rewrite it from scratch). I'm planning to write a new book and have it professionally edited. Not that this means I've turned my back on Traditional publishing. I haven't. I'm still pursuing it for my YA books. Just not for my NA ones. For starters, I have no idea who to query. And agents currently don't know the answer to that, either.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic post. The writing thing is hard, I agree. It's hard not to see time flying by, knowing that the longer it takes us to write a book, to edit the book, to submit the book, to get an agent for the book, to rewrite parts of the book, then to submit to publishers and then to wait till the release (probably 2 years later) the less time we have to keep doing what we love.
ReplyDeleteThe answer I think you've found. Just keep writing. Wait for no one. At each time we're waiting, write more. Eventually, the wait will be over as long as we never quit.