Monday, December 14, 2009

2009 Was a Tough Year

Tip of the Day: Can you believe people are buying out Justice snuggies and reselling them on eBay for twice the retail price? I don't know what my tip is here. Oh yeah: establish an electronic alibi so when your kids don't get the number one item on their Christmas lists, you can prove it wasn't for lack of trying.

2009 was a tough, tough year.

First of all, I had to deal with rejections. I know, poor me, everyone deals with rejections. But if you're like me, the Monday Miss without tons of experience in querying, this rejection thing stings.

I think I'm supposed to toughen up. I'm not sure that's going to work for me. I'm not type to read a rejection and say, pfft, what do they know? They'll regret rejecting me someday! No, I absorb criticism when it comes from sources I trust. I like to think that's how I managed to improve as a writer.

The only thing that's going to work for me will be to get so many rejections that I can say, eh, I've gotten a bunch of these before and lived through it. Is that toughening up? I don't know. It seems like the long road to toughening up right now.

When I get bummed out on a rejection, my husband says, "It's a tough time for buying out there." Ugh, don't I know it. And I worry. What am I expecting when established authors are having trouble selling? When bookstores are closing and publishers are cutting staff?

Will anyone ever read what I write? If not, what am I doing this for?

And then it snows and I think, boy I sure wish I was home in my pajamas writing. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now. So I guess I'll keep going, and I guess once it's written, I might as well send it out. Let it snow.

The economy has been tough before and books have lived through it. Media delivery has changed before and writers have lived through it. That's why I write for young people, I think. Their lives seem tough to me. They don't have the confidence that comes from having survived tough times that are now harmless memories. So here's to us all getting that confidence in 2010.

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages

10 comments:

Lisa Schroeder said...

I really think 2010 is going to be better. Man, I hope so anyway.

As long as you find joy in the writing, keep writing!!! You totally have the right attitude - once you have something done, might as well submit and see what happens...

DeenaML said...

Today is totally a grey, writing day. I am so with you! :)

Kate Fall said...

I hope 2010 is better for all of us!

Anonymous said...

What Lisa said. If you love writing, then there's no reason not to write. And if you're happy with what you produce, why not send it out?

As much as the economy suffered, people still got agents and book deals, and people still bought books. So there's hope!

Rhonda Helms said...

Absolutely!! it's been a rough year, hasn't it. ((hugs)) hang in there, tootsie.

Carmella Van Vleet said...

Toughing up, for me, was exactly as you described: simply living through so many rejections that they stop stinging as much.

You've got the right idea - just keep writing and sending your work out. You already know what the alternative (writing and NOT sending stuff out) will get you. Right? :-)

Here's to a great 2010 for everyone!

Kate Fall said...

Thanks everyone! You're such a wonderful support network.

Christina Farley said...

I love your work. It's funny, brillant, and a joy to read.

Ghost Girl (aka, Mary Ann) said...

You are a wise woman. I've certainly had my share of rejection, but I never say "Pfft! What do they know?" because frankly, most of them know what they like. And sometimes that's all it is. But if you are lucky enough to get some comments from an editor or agent, really think about it. As I am about to plunge into yet another revision with my agent, I realize that their reasons for rejecting had merit. They didn't ask me to change the story, just to tweak the telling. That is key.

And one thing this economic slump has done is make editors pickier about what they accept. They need it much closer to perfection than they may have a year ago. With positions being cut to save the "bottom line," editors are over-worked, so they don't want to take on a promising project that still needs a lot of work. The least work possible, the better.

((sigh)) Such is 2009. Best wishes for 2010. This will be our year, babe!

Kristina Springer said...

2010 is going to ROCK!!!!

(I'm trying to get motivated! :-) )

I like what Carmella said keep going because the alternative is not doing anything and you're guaranteed to get nowhere with that!