It’s a sunny, hot-hot-hot August day in Maryland. In the
fullness of summer I find it hard to keep up with the tomatoes. And it’s almost
impossible to write. Every other day I pull plump, ripe Romas off my vines and
bring another 5 pounds or more into the kitchen to turn into sauce to freeze
for the winter. It almost seems too easy, growing these ruby-red babies. My
eggplants, cukes, squash and beans…well, I guess I’m not as good at cultivating
those because we have no trouble eating them as they appear. Not even any
leftovers to pass along to neighbors.
Whereas spring and summer are planting, cultivating, and
harvesting times—the cold winter months are for writing. I finished a novel
during a particularly intense blizzard, sent it off to my literary agent in early
February. Knowing I’d need to wait to hear from her—first, as she waded through
her submission pile, and then as acquiring editors at various publishing houses
needed time to read the manuscript—I filled the time writing a short story. Sent
that off to an appropriate magazine. And now I wait…and wait…and hope for good
news and a contract.
Unlike with gardening, there is no guarantee these days that
even a well-written novel will bloom into a published book. Competition is
stiff, to be sure. Over the years, I’ve had as many stories rejected as
published. What publishers perceive of as desirable to their readers often limits
what they are willing to buy. Yes, self-publication is an option—and a very
good one for some writers. But in my experience, the authors who fare best at creating
their own books from scratch are those who are savvy (and tireless) when it
comes to self-promotion. Sometimes, you can even find them at the top of
bestseller lists—and I applaud them!
But I admit that I feel more comfortable
with a commercial publisher on my team—providing editorial guidance, designing
a stunning cover, working with me to get my novels noticed by readers. To date,
I can say I’ve been able to work with some of the best publishers and editors in
the industry. I feel very fortunate. But I know that with each new book project
I must again “audition,” and prove my worth.
It’s hard for new writers to understand that, unlike most other
businesses, publishing fails rather miserably to offer authors a stable income.
There will be no weekly paycheck. Ever. Signing with an agent doesn’t insure
your book will sell to a publisher. Six-figure deals are daydreams tantamount
to winning the lottery. But none of this will dissuade a real writer from
telling his stories. We’re risk takers. Dreamers. And we have tales to spin,
fantasies to weave.
I often compare gardening to writing in my blogs. Each pursuit
is a creative endeavor in its own way. If there’s a drought or a flood that wipes
out my seedlings…I can usually replant (as I did this year, twice) and still be
rewarded with a decent crop. It’s a little harder emotionally for an author to
come back from a round of rejections for her novel. But we can still replant. We
will write another story because the imagination and talent that produced the
story that didn’t harvest a publishing contract is still there, inside of us. The
muse is just waiting for us to shake off the disappointment and begin again. So
we shall.
It’s persistence that wins out. Never give up. The next
story you write may be that very special one that captures readers’ hearts
around the world.
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