As many who follow this blog know, I have a blog-novel (Diary: Alone on Earth) that I have been trying to get published. When I first ventured into this endeavor, I was (and still am to an extent) a babe in the woods. Didn't know anything about query letters, literary agents, publishers or anything else vaguely relating to the publishing world. I've experienced some people online (alleged publishers and literary agents) who basically were scam artists. That's as polite as I can put it. I could put it in more succinct wording which would explain how I really feel about these kind of people. But, since I have always tried to maintain this as a family friendly type blog, I won't. I haven't lost any money to these scammers. But, I came close once when bells and whistles started going off in my head. The old adage, if it seems too good to be true, chances are that it is too good to be true. You have to be careful. I'll have more to say about these kind of people in future blog entries.

Having said this, the going is rough just trying to get a literary agent or publisher to read the manuscript. It seems the big publishing houses are not interested in reading anything unless you are a mega type author like Stephen King or a celebrity. Those are guaranteed sales. And, from that viewpoint, I find it hard to fault them. In these days of a tough economy, all businesses have to be careful how they spend their money. At the same time, I feel the publishers and literary agents themselves are stifling new writers. It seems if you don't have name recognition, they don't want to be bothered by you. And, indeed, what does that say about the publishing world in general? I feel both publishers and literary agents are equally at fault in hurting the world of writing. It's sad.

I also have found out that you must have a very thick skin. Most agents and publishers don't care if they bruise your feelings. They have not tried to discourage me. But, no words of encouragement either. It just seems most are not interested. I do know that the many people who followed my story enjoyed the story. That is encouraging to me. This is the reason I continue the fight. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. I don't know. But, one thing is for sure; I'm not giving up.