Learning Curves

There are so many decisions to make when it comes to writing a novel. If I would have known what I was getting myself into, I may not have invested 6 years into creating and editing a story, the money for an editor to comb through, or the time to research various publishing companies (plus creating a query letter for publishing agents to even look at the thing). I loved the creative process. I even enjoyed, much to my dismay, finding the exact wording that would convey the perfect message to the readers. But this part? This is for the birds.

Today’s hard lesson on my day-job day off was copyright laws. Snore, I know. I had to take two naps just to get through the material and decipher the legalese. I decided to do a poor man’s copyright which boils down to the following antiquated method: making a hard copy of the novel, taking it to the postal service, and sending it to myself. In case there’s ever a question, I have an unopened and post marked original document to prove I own the material therein. This will have to suffice because I can’t afford any more naps.

Query letters have flown from my computer to various publishing agent’s inboxes. I am impatiently awaiting a response of interest. So far, I’m zero for zero with no responses and no interest. Ironically, that’s the good news. The bad news is that it can take up to three months for agents to even read the information submitted. My personal goal was to be published by March 10, 2023. I have one day to clench the win! So…

Self-publishing is a viable option, however, there are mixed reviews on whether that is the best route for a newbie novelist. I’m going to make the most of this time waiting for a publisher by creating the next writing adventure. I plan to help edit my bestie’s short story and help her navigate the Amazon self-publishing world, so if no publishing agents pursue Traffic Stop: Human Division, I will pull the trigger and send this novel through the Amazon platform with ease. It’s coming, I just can’t tell you when.