Once again the task of finding a book publisher is underway. I am nowhere close to having a finished manuscript, but since my last search took more than a year, I need to get started. My previous book took sixty-seven queries before Purdue University Press accepted it. I won’t be surprised if it takes that many again.
For years I was spoiled when it came to publishers. Four of my five books were with Wood N Barnes Publishing, and once executive editor David Wood published my first book, he went on to accept everything else that I sent him. Unfortunately Wood N Barnes went under, Dave became a liquor wholesaler, and I was left without a publisher in my corner.
So far I’ve only sent out a few query letters, but have already received my first rejection. A part of me said, “Oh, no. What if I’ve just spent the past three years working on a book that no one wants?” Another part said, “Only sixty-six more queries to go,” and a third part said, “Do not forget why you write.”
More and more I am encountering authors who are self-publishing, and I understand the appeal. The larger publishing houses and the literary agents are focusing on best sellers more than ever. The smaller niche publishers, like Wood N Barnes, are going out of business. Self-published books are no longer looked upon as vanity projects, and with online bookstores, self-published authors can actually sell a few copies of their books. Whatever you may think of Amazon, it does provide an outlet for lesser known writers.
Still I doubt that I will ever self-publish. I am probably making it out to be a bigger undertaking than it is, but I am sure that it requires a skill set that I have no interest in developing. Instead I’ll keep sending out queries. The daylight hours in Wisconsin have turned short and cold, so reaching out to publishers and agents seems like a good use of my time.
There is one upside to not having a publisher clamoring for my next book. It pushes me to maintain this blog. Eight years ago I attended a writer’s conference and was told by more than one literary agent that I needed a social media presence if I hoped to find representation. I did not want then, nor do I want now, a social media presence, but I can at least write a blog as an alternative to TikTok or Meta. Weekly postings hone my writing skills and give me something to put in the “Platform” section of my book proposals.
Wouldn’t it be great to be a best selling author? I would have money and fame. I could foster a persona as a reclusive writer from the Great Northwoods. And I wouldn’t have to spend the next twelve months trying to find a publisher.*
* In revising this blog, I deleted the title of my work-in-progress. It is Tiger Mom and Wisconsin Dad and is about raising Clare in our bicultural home.
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