I'm Feeling A Bit Bi-Polar...

During the query process, it's nice to have friends who are selling, 'cuz I'm tellin' ya, otherwise, the writing biz is looking awfully bleak.

First, the good news.

CP Vonda Sinclair sold a novella to Red Sage! Woo hoo, Vonda!! Way to go!

And CP Terry Spear's been selling so much I can't even keep track of it all, so check out her blog to see what she's been up to.

Meanwhile (sigh) after a couple of quick e-queries (result: two No's and a nonresponse) I'm putting together a comprehensive list of likely targets. Here's what's got me down: I keep coming across agents who are closed to submissions.

Yep. Simply shut.

Oh, most list exceptions. Like if you've met them at a conference. Or you have a deal on the table--in which case they'd be happy to take you on--gee, ya think?

Then there are the publishing houses. Some of them are closed, too. Unless, you've met an editor at a conference, have an agent, yada yada. One said it's temporarily closed but IS accepting anthology submissions with the following themes: 1) dragons, 2) hot and spicy "strangers in the night," and 3) same sex.

Um, guess what? I don't write anything REMOTELY matching those requirements.

So, far awhile the other night, I got a little testy. I mean, talk about a Catch-22. Agents aren't taking submissions, publishers aren't taking them without agents...how do they expect us to ever get anywhere?

Then I realized my anger was mis-directed. The truth is there are too many f*ing writers out there. With everyone and her sister trying to become the next Nora Roberts/JK Rowling/fill-in-the-bestselling-name-here, it's no wonder the other side of the equation (the business side) has more than they can handle.

Especially when you consider that NO ONE READS ANYMORE.

So there you have it. A zillion writers on the supply side versus fewer and fewer readers on the demand side.

Who can blame agents and editors for turning off the faucet that only serves to mess up their workday?