This post was co-published at talanhorne.com.
It occurs to me that, for the random person visiting this blog, and seeing all these posts about me trying to get published, that they have no idea what kind of book I am publishing. And this was not entirely done by accident.
If you've taken a look at my Works in Progress page, you know what projects I am currently working on, as well as a few that are on the back burner. The one you want to be looking out for is codenamed "A9".
I'll have a lot more to say about it once I'm close to publication. Until then, you're just going to have to trust me that it's going to be great.
Knowing that I'm Ready
For most of my writing career, the question I most asked myself was "How will I know when I'm ready?"
Because there's no objective measure, no formula you can use to tell you it's time to reach for the brass ring.
And the author had better know if they're ready. Because trying to sell that first book before you have something that can sell only leads to spinning your wheels.
But I've moved past that question. I found a definitive answer. And now that I know it, I'm going to share it. Other people may have the same question, after all.
How do I know that now is the right time to start seeking publication in earnest?
Simple.
With previous submissions of previous books, I was subject to all kinds of feelings: fear that the book might be rejected, hope that someone would see its hidden qualities, anxiety that I wasn't getting a response, worry that I might not get an answer. And many others.
That was how each of the previous books felt, whenever I sent out queries.
For this book, there is only one feeling: fatalistic resignation.
When I look at this book, I know it's a good book. I find myself powerless to deny it. And whenever I look at this book, I know it would be pointless to even try stopping its publication. It's a book the world is ready for, and the world will open a place for it. There is no worry. There is no excitement. There is no fear or anxiety. Just a grim acknowledgement that it's going to happen.
Like the fifth step in the stages of grief, I've landed at acceptance, and I'm staying there. And the book, for its part, is almost doing the work all on its own (that's how it feels, at least). It's not so much like I'm trying to push it out the door as I'm setting it free to set up shop wherever it will.
Which brings me to the point of this post.
Making Time for Selling the Book
I spend a lot of my free time writing. But with A9 ready to hit the streets, I've had to set aside some time for publication efforts as well.
Which is hard to do, if I don't have a plan.
After a long time of letting my writing and my publishing interfere with each other, I came up with a system that works for me: Wednesdays are my query days.
The rest of the week, I write, but on Wednesday evenings, after my Netflixing post goes up, I start sending out query packages.
It's important to give this effort it's own designated time. I might neglect it, otherwise. And for those out there also seeking publication, I recommend scheduling time for it. Writing time can just happen during every gap in your schedule (it certainly fills most of mine), but publishing time needs its own special day.
That's my plan for now. I can feel success getting closer. My sense of fatalistic resignation deepens every day. I hope to have good news to share with you all soon.
Until then, I'd like to thank you again for reading. I hope any of the advice, the Hints, or the general talk about writing has been helpful. The world may not know my name right now, but once I have a little bit of recognition under my belt, I hope something of what I've said will reach someone, and perhaps help them with whatever problems they've been working through.
Until then, I just have to hold on.