Linda Jo Martin

Writer, Artist, YouTuber

  • About
  • Journal
  • Fiction
  • Art
  • Home
  • The Art of Writing
  • Book Reviews
  • Lists & Challenges

Help For Worried Authors Fretting About Agent Queries

August 6, 2011 By Linda Jo Martin 2 Comments

There’s a message board thread at Absolute Write where authors worried about submissions fret about query letters and agent acceptance. From reading that board I found this blog by a literary agent who makes fun of things writers say in their query letters. This epitomizes what’s wrong with the publishing industry.

“Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.” ? Allen Ginsberg

I understand that slush piles are hell no matter what side you’re standing on. The agents are overworked and the authors are under-appreciated. At this point in my life I’m wondering why anyone subjects themselves to this torture.

It appears that at least 90% of authors are plugged into the publishing house daydream of wanting a big name to publish their books. They’re goaded on by a very few authors who have had their novels published in this so-called “traditional” way. Knowing as we all do that most of what goes into a slush pile comes out, eventually, with a rejection note attached, it is extremely worrisome and frustrating for authors to cope with.

This causes budding authors to put their novels in drawers, or in files on their hard drives, and give up.

It seems a shame to me that people are allowing their joy in writing to be trashed by the publishing industry’s problems. We should be writing because we love to write, and not because a big-name publisher might pick up our work. This has all become too stressful. The fun leaks out when hopes and expectations are not satisfied.

I suggest we reconsider our expectations and priorities.

Some writers seem to think the only reason to write is for money, but very few writers earn enough with their writing to quit their day jobs. Writers who write for money are stressed. And somehow, I don’t believe that writing should be a stressful thing. I know the annual NaNoWriMo competition is based on the stress of a deadline, but under most circumstances, wouldn’t writing be more fun if done for love of writing, rather than for money or to win a contest? Those are motivating factors, but writing is an art, and as an art, should be a labor of love for the writer.

Since writing is a work of love, of enthusiasm, and of artistry, why are we writers being forced into the HELL of query letters, submissions, and rejections? This is pure torture for most of us. And I for one believe that if it doesn’t feel good there’s probably something wrong with it.

Thirty years ago the choices for publication were (1) to write a query and be accepted by a publisher (agent optional), or (2) to self-publish which cost a lot of money that most of us didn’t have.

But guess what, folks! We are no longer limited in that way. Now we’ve got option (3) to publish via POD and e-book formats like Kindle and Nook. We can have our online critique groups help us with editing issues. We can easily create our own independent publishing opportunities. So why not do that instead of enduring the agony of submissions to agents and publishers that give us the lack of respect shown in blogs like Slush Pile Hell and Miss Snark? All these agents did for me was convince me that I don’t want to have anything to do with them and their bad attitudes.

Many writers reject the idea of self-publishing because there’s a stigma attached. Literary agents indicate that we novelists “need” to be published by “traditional publishers” because there are so many problems with self-publishing. I love this quote from Mary Kole, agent-blogger at KidLit.

“Traditional publishing is not a perfect system — far from it — but at least there are others on your team. In self-publishing situations, more than traditional publishing, you are all aspects of a house. You are the writer, the editors, the designer, the printer, the sales force, the publicist, the marketer, the distributor.” – Mary Kole

Yes, there are a lot of people out there with their hands out, wanting to take in some profit from the novels we wrote. They offer to agent, edit, publish, print, sell, design, and more. So what’s left for us if we go with one of these so-called “traditional publishers”? Not much! We’ll get a small advance and after that will be very lucky if we see any additional royalties. Even with large publishing houses, usually very little is done for promotion. Published books quickly fall by the wayside to be replaced with other projects. Most authors are left to promote their books themselves, or watch them disappear. If a book doesn’t bring the publisher a profit above and beyond the advance paid, it is considered a bad investment and the author has a black mark on their record.

The difference with self-publishing is that since we do all the creative work ourselves from idea to writing to editing to publishing, we’ll be getting a much larger percentage of the profit. I’ve examined the numbers and believe the profit margin per book is worth working for. It leaves me with a lot of creative work (which I love doing) and no frustration from the insanity of submissions, query letter writing, and slush pile rejections.

These days publishing doesn’t cost what it used to. Here’s my estimation of costs for a novel.

The formatting is amazingly easy using forms provided by CreateSpace. So, no cost for formatting.

The editing has been done by my critique group and my multiple passes at revision and editing. So, no cost for editing.

I will pay an artist about $50 for cover art, or do my own. Designing the cover will be up to me. My kind of fun.

I’ll have to pay for a demo copy – about $20.

I’ll be buying my own ISBN numbers – $295 for 10 numbers, or $125 per book or book format, as I intend to publish via POD, Kindle, and audio. Okay, that’s $29.50 per title. Here’s where I buy ISBN numbers [for the USA] – Bowker, a ProQuest affiliate [this is the only official source for ISBN numbers in the USA.] Here’s an easy link to the order form.

After that the only expense will be if I need to buy copies. If I sell a YA book of about 50K words for $10.95 I can buy copies for about $3.65. The profit I can split with the bookseller, or I can sell them myself at book signings and fairs.

For $39 I can join CreateSpace’s distribution network to have my books available to booksellers nationwide.

So, total expenses to get this started, without buying any to sell personally, will be just over $200. That’s very affordable! It will get my books out of dry-dock and into the ocean of shared literature! People will be able to read them. My mom and dad will get copies before they pass away (this is an issue for me since they are both 70+ now) and I’ll get to stop being frustrated by the submission process which is life-draining and soul-crushing.

If there’s a gift I could give to any aspiring novelist, I’d want to give the freedom to create without frustration. You know there are tens of thousands of novels being written every year now. The publishing industry can’t accommodate us all. It just can’t. To be accepted and published by them is like looking for a needle in a haystack. You could live all your life trying for that and then be so frustrated that you stop writing. Or you could turn your back on what they’re calling “traditional” and realize we’re put on earth to take joy in creation. We’re not put here to support industries.

…
I am actually earning all my money from writing, though it isn’t from the novel writing that I love. The only reason I don’t need a day job is that I’m able to live cheaply. My financial needs are less than in most areas of the country. I live in a small and humble cabin in a forest in Northern California.



Image credit: the moon photo came from Pixabay.com … I added the quote and frame in Paint Shop Pro.

Similar Posts:

  • Publishing Opportunities for Writers: Adjust Your Expectations
  • Business Ethics of Agents in the Writing Community
  • Self-Published Authors Develop Realistic Expectations
  • Why I’ve Decided to Self-Publish My Books
  • Rejection: It’s Not Personal



Comments

  1. Michael E. Walston says

    August 27, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    This is an exciting time for writers, isn’t it? All of this is very doable

    And, hey, I got started even more cheaply than you did. To date I’ve had to shell out $10 for a USB drive so I could upload my book to Smashwords at the public library (since I don’t have internet access at home).

    That’s it.

    My book just qualified for the Smashwords premium catalogue which means it will soon be available at Sony, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Diesel, Kobo, and–by the end of this year–Amazon. It’s a done deal.

    Less than two months ago I had only the forlorn hope that maybe someday I might sell something to Baen Books, or maybe Analog. I wasn’t even writing much.

    Now I’m fired with enthusiasm, hard at work on the next book, and full of hope and joy.

    Quite a difference. I love indie publishing!

    Reply
    • LindaJoMartin says

      September 16, 2011 at 6:40 pm

      Congratulations, Michael! Such exciting news! I’m happy to hear Smashwords is working well for you. At this point I’m not thinking of how much money I want to make, but rather am thinking I want to finish my work of art and see it in print, and move on to another project.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

A recent video on my Booktube channel, at YouTube

To receive blog update notifications via email, enter your email address:

About Me

Hi, I'm Linda, the Book Lady, and I'm excited about reading. A book is a gift you give yourself. It is so much fun to open that cover and discover what was hidden within. Books share the wisdom of the ages with us. Who wouldn't want that? So I read frequently and encourage reading. If you're a reader, let me know by becoming my friend on GoodReads.


My novel, River Girl, is about a girl living in the Klamath River Valley.

Here's a link to my prayer website:
Prayer Power.

My childhood memoirs: ljm memoirs.

Professional Reader
I use Amazon affiliate links on this site and appreciate it very much when you purchase from my links.

California Reading

California Reading

California Reading
5 members

This group is for anyone wanting to read California based fiction or nonfiction.

Our recommended shelf

The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience
The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience
by J.S. Holliday


Hillinger's California: Stories from All 58 Counties
Hillinger’s California: Stories from All 58 Counties
by Charles Hillinger





View this group on Goodreads »


My Art

Bird Art by Linda Jo Martin - http://lindajomartin.com
Acrylic
Wild and Precious - art by Linda Jo Martin
Watercolor / pen
Summer Afternoon - art by Linda Jo Martin
Pen / Watercolor

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” ? Cicero - Art by Linda Jo Martin http://lindajomartin.com
Acrylic
Acrylic
Angel art by Linda Jo Martin
Sketchbook

Psalm 91:9-11 - Angel art by Linda Jo Martin http://lindajomartin.com
Sketchbook
Art: Idaho Hills, by Linda Jo Martin
Junk journal, acrylic
March Mystery Madness 2020, art by Linda Jo Martin
Gouache journal

Plan A to Z - lettering by Linda Jo Martin
Lettering class project
A daring adventure - art by Linda Jo Martin
Fountain pen ink journal
Small Joys
Watercolor sketchbook

Watercolor sketchbook
Valley of decision.
Bible journaling
Mount Glittery by Linda Jo Martin - mountain climbing quote by John Muir
Acrylic painting

Watercolor sketchbook
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” ? Ralph Waldo Emerson ... watercolor painting by Linda Jo Martin
Watercolor sketchbook
Imagination Soars, by Linda Jo Martin - http://lindajomartin.com
Watercolor sketchbook

Plant Seeds
Watercolor sketchbook
The Prayer by Linda Jo Martin
Acrylic painting
A basket of flowers, by Linda Jo Martin - http://lindajomartin.com/writing/art
Fountain pen ink journal

RSS My Most Recent Book Reviews

  • Little House in the Big Woods (Little House, #1)
  • Middlemarch
  • Gulliver's Travels
  • A Perfect Weakness
  • Around the World in Eighty Days
  • The Turn of the Screw
  • Calico Captive
  • The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir
  • Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
  • More After the Break: A Reporter Returns to Ten Unforgettable News Stories

RSS Goodreads Status Updates

  • Linda Martin is 29% done with North and South
  • Linda Martin is on page 176 of 239 of Little House in the Big W
  • Linda Martin is 17% done with North and South
  • Linda Martin is 6% done with North and South

You can find me on Pinterest

Visit Linda Jo Martin, Book Lady's profile on Pinterest.

My art is at Zazzle.com

Dating Palms
Linda Jo Martin Art and Photography
Buy Scrivener for Windows (Regular Licence)
I love Scrivener, and use it for all my writing. It is a fantastic writing software that organizes a novel, ebook, or screenplay efficiently while I write and revise.

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

© 2023 - LJ Martin Web - Legal Notices
Linda Jo Martin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for
sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.Com.