There are some things in life that you try once and understand right away. On the other hand, there are some things you try over and over again, and you still can’t seem to grasp them. For me, the latter is the book publishing market. It’s something I’ve studied independently for a long time, but the more I learn, the more it seems I’m back to square one. It seems we’re often told we’ll get smarter and wiser as we age, but when it comes to the publishing industry, sometimes it feels like my smarts work backwards, and I’m actually losing knowledge the more I age.
It’s because of the one word that describes the industry the best: subjective. Nelson Literary Agency, an agency based in Denver, Colorado, says, “Publishing is totally subjective . . . A query that floats one agent’s boat might not even make a little dent in the hull of another’s agent’s boat.” It reminds me of what they say about how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The quality of a manuscript is also in the eye of the beholder. I’ve been sending out queries to agents since I was in seventh grade because I have a dream to get my books published and see my books on the shelves. I have this passion for other people to read what I wrote and instantly feel included and better about themselves. It is my purpose on this Earth, so it’s something very important to me. However, as I’ve been told time and time again, writing a good book is only half the battle. Marketing and networking to get your foot in the door is perhaps the hardest part, and it is the key to making it on the New York Best Selling list. Due to this, I’ve devoted a lot of time to researching the industry. I have gotten no response, gotten encouraging responses, and heard that my work is good but it isn’t for them. Despite this, the one thing in common about all of these rejections is that they’re all based on different opinions. I’ve had one agent tell me it just needs a little work and another tell me it’s ready, but it just needs someone more passionate to champion it.
The thing that’s so hard about writing is that it all comes down to individual opinions. Therefore, what one person may like, someone else might not like. It’s what starts to make the whole publishing arena start to feel like a lottery. Sometimes, it really is just all dependent on finding the right person at the right time. It’s terrifying to know that my hard work and skill-buildings may not be enough. I can only control so much, and I control less than I don’t control. In an interview with Ashley Goldberg, debut author of Abomination, he agrees that part of the market comes down to luck. He writes, “I think luck plays such a major part in the publication process. Obviously, I had confidence in my work and thought it was deserving and ready for publication, but so much of it seems to be about being in the right place at the right time. For instance, I’m no longer represented by the agent who helped sell the book to PRH (we parted very amicably) but if not for his presence at that time, I’m not sure my publisher would ever have seen it.” He brings up great points.
I myself worked for a publishing agency as an Editorial and Social Media intern. During my time here, I have a vivid memory of the agents discussing this amazing book that was about the injustice behind shootings of minorities that are still occuring in our society. They had to pass on it even though everyone loved it because they said those types of books weren’t selling well currently. In fact, according to Publisher’s Marketplace, they hadn’t been sold with high sales since 2014. To me, it was a pressing issue and still is, and there is so much urgency. However, it all came down to the numbers and the sales. For the first time, I realized it really isn’t about quality, but it’s about what can be sold. It discouraged me a lot. A lot of what I write is different and about important things that we don’t write about enough, such as mental health. It scares and worries me that I won’t get picked up if it’s too original that no agency or editors can ever see financial potential in my work. I would self-publish, but I want to get my books out there, and the traditional route is the best way to do that. I want to impact as many people as possible.
My strategy right now is to search for smaller publishers who publish different things, find a way to get my foot in the door, and try to change the market for the better. I was once given advice by a writer that you have to cheat the system a little bit. Sometimes, you have to criss-cross before you get to exactly what you aspire to do. I’m not sure I’ll ever fully understand the writing industry because it’s so complex. There’s not one solution to getting published. You have to send out queries, get experience, get a feel for it, and just try different things until you find a loophole to getting in. Rick Riordian, who is known for writing the Percy Jackson series, encourages young writers, “Wallpaper your room with rejection notes, if you want, but don’t give up.”