Does Publishing Have to Be This Hard?

Hi friends,

I posted on Threads the other day about how long it would take me to read through all the queries in my inbox right now. (Trigger warning: it's a lot.)

I did this because I see a lot of (valid, understandable, welcome, necessary) complaints about how long it takes for agents to get back to authors' queries, and those who don't get back to authors at all. Of course my first stance is a little defensive. This is my career and I love it and I'm trying! I also know I can't please everyone and it's not my job to comfort every frazzled author on the internet (even if that is my first instinct). I've been writing here for seven years with the explicit purpose of demystifying publishing so the frazzled author might understand even just a little bit about what's causing their frazzle. I'm constantly online being like I wrote about this here! or this is covered in my book! (Always Be Promoting). And I really and truly want to help authors understand not only how this industry works, but also how they can weather its ups and down.

But here's the thing: if your main goal in writing and publishing is for it to be easy and painless, you're going to be very, very disappointed. Objectively, we all understand this. If someone asked you is writing hard? is getting a book published hard? you say it sure is! in varying degrees of mania and despair. But when we get down to the work ourselves, we can't seem to handle the uncertainty, vulnerability, and difficulty that writing and publishing presents us. Are we thinking, in our deep lizard brains I know it's hard, but why does it have to be hard for me in particular?

Is it just the natural reaction to doing something new? That everything is hard the first time you do it? (Which leads to much surprise when authors go to write their second book and think I did this once already! Why is it still so hard??) That the only way you know how to do something is by practice, and writing and publishing in particular take a long, long, frustratingly long time to practice? Probably yes to all these things. I have to take a beat to remember, too, that not everyone has 20 years of experience in this industry, as a writer and a literary agent, and they don't have the benefit of how that work has given me the necessary perspective to not be shocked when something is confusing or hard. Maybe that's just being in my late 40s, too. I pretty much expect things to be hard and don't get too frustrated when I'm not perfect at something the first time I try it (unlike my 9 year old, and iirc, that's exactly how I was at that age, too).

The question is, at least to me in my position, is how can I help, and if I can help. I've been trying for years to help by educating writers. By sharing tips and tricks and experiences to let them know that everyone finds writing queries annoying, that yes it's frustrating that every agent wants something different in their submission guidelines, that it sucks when you see a book that seems just like yours sell for six-figures but you can't even get a partial request. All this is maddening and normal in publishing and most people, especially when they start out, just don't know that everyone else is going through roughly the same things.

As a person with a certain amount of power in the industry, I've definitely asked myself what I can do make the industry more equitable or accessible. Most of the content on this newsletter, especially the nuts and bolt stuff, is free. (Feel free to come at me for half of this post being behind a paywall. I want you to get paid for your expertise and writing. And so do I.) I can focus on and give more attention to queries by marginalized communities. I can advocate for directly beneficial contract and deal terms as much as possible. I can donate my time. I can push back against inequities when talking to editors, publishers, and even other writers. I can be a voice when others don't have one.

But the thing I can't do is make the process easier for everyone. By easier, I mean smoother, faster, more transparent, more streamlined, more consistent, more fair. I can't hire 5 interns to read all my queries because then authors will just complain that a real agent doesn't even read the slush pile. (Fair, but also ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.) I cannot create one form, one query letter format to rule them all, that works for all writers, all agents, and all books. I can't tell you how to promote your book effectively on the internet that leads to direct and measurable book sales. I do not know if making TikToks or Reels or writing a newsletter is a better use of your time. I do not know if it's better to call your book a romantacy or a paranormal romance or what will be the better bet nine months from now, or if either one will make a difference either way. I don't know if your book should be in first or third person, or if your inciting incident should be on page five or fifty-five.

Do you know why I don't know these things?