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I hate job hunting
Jul. 21st, 2010 11:17 pmI don't talk about it much here, because, well--why? What's there to say about it? I sent out resumes. I filled out applications. Bo-ring. Boring to do, boring to talk about. But I've been job hunting for the last year, when I wasn't writing. It's not much fun. In fact, I think I can safely say that it blows chunks. And I get to do more of it tomorrow. Oh joy.
On the other hand, today I called the Unemployment Office to fix a problem with my claim. (It didn't. I get to call them again tomorrow and try again.) I watered the plants. I went running. I went to the mall to buy my lovely and talented wife some chocolates she'd asked for.
And I finished up the story I started on Monday, spell-checked it, line-edited it, printed it out, and got it ready to throw in the mail tomorrow. I also printed out and prepped two returned stories to go out to their new markets as well. That's always a nice feeling.
An equally nice feeling is the one I get when I stand in the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the mall, staring at the wall of new books. And that's just the wall of science fiction/fantasy novels. There's a whole 'nother wall of new mysteries. And new romance. And on and on. Over two hundred new novels--that doesn't even include all the non-fiction--are published EVERY DAY in the United States. Then there's the rest of the world. It's an avalanche of fiction.
Which might make you think you'll never succeed as a writer. Look at the competition! But that's exactly backwards. The publishing industry is a monster that never sleeps. It's always hungry. Editors are always looking for new books and new writers to shovel into that voracious maw to keep it fed. Which means that if you're a halfway decent writer, sooner or later someone is going to buy your work. It's reassuring.
It helps too to pick up random books and read the back cover blurbs. It reminds me that a lot of weird stuff gets published. Sometimes I think some of my novel ideas aren't commercial. Then I look at what people are writing--and selling!--I realize anew that no, that's not a problem. If I can make it entertaining enough, if I keep practicing my craft and improving, there's no tale so weird, no concept so outlandish that it won't sell.
So maybe there is a market for tales of Iron Maiden, the Black Knight, Blackguard, Raven, and all the other costumed do-gooders (or bad guys) who populate my imagination....
Stories in Circulation: 12
Rejections: 46
Stories Accepted: SEVEN
Stories to Resubmit: 0
Novel Queries: 2 Novels in circulation, 8 queries out
Novel Rejections: 7
On the other hand, today I called the Unemployment Office to fix a problem with my claim. (It didn't. I get to call them again tomorrow and try again.) I watered the plants. I went running. I went to the mall to buy my lovely and talented wife some chocolates she'd asked for.
And I finished up the story I started on Monday, spell-checked it, line-edited it, printed it out, and got it ready to throw in the mail tomorrow. I also printed out and prepped two returned stories to go out to their new markets as well. That's always a nice feeling.
An equally nice feeling is the one I get when I stand in the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the mall, staring at the wall of new books. And that's just the wall of science fiction/fantasy novels. There's a whole 'nother wall of new mysteries. And new romance. And on and on. Over two hundred new novels--that doesn't even include all the non-fiction--are published EVERY DAY in the United States. Then there's the rest of the world. It's an avalanche of fiction.
Which might make you think you'll never succeed as a writer. Look at the competition! But that's exactly backwards. The publishing industry is a monster that never sleeps. It's always hungry. Editors are always looking for new books and new writers to shovel into that voracious maw to keep it fed. Which means that if you're a halfway decent writer, sooner or later someone is going to buy your work. It's reassuring.
It helps too to pick up random books and read the back cover blurbs. It reminds me that a lot of weird stuff gets published. Sometimes I think some of my novel ideas aren't commercial. Then I look at what people are writing--and selling!--I realize anew that no, that's not a problem. If I can make it entertaining enough, if I keep practicing my craft and improving, there's no tale so weird, no concept so outlandish that it won't sell.
So maybe there is a market for tales of Iron Maiden, the Black Knight, Blackguard, Raven, and all the other costumed do-gooders (or bad guys) who populate my imagination....
Stories in Circulation: 12
Rejections: 46
Stories Accepted: SEVEN
Stories to Resubmit: 0
Novel Queries: 2 Novels in circulation, 8 queries out
Novel Rejections: 7