Query Lethargy

I've reached that inevitable point in my querying where I start to doubt - well, everything.

Will I ever find an agent/publisher?


Is something wrong with my query letter, even though I've polished it a hundred times?


Is my style of writing just not what people are looking for these days?


Am I even a decent writer after all?


I don't think these questions are necessarily bad - so long as I don't let them paralyze me. It's not a bad thing to tighten up the query letter for the hundredth and first time. It's probably a good thing to look at the MS again with a critical eye.

It's not a good thing to give up. It's not a good thing to let a defeatist attitude rule.

There is a good chance that The Eldest Sister isn't what agents, publishers, or readers are wanting right now. That's okay. This was the third and best MS I've completed thus far. And if it's not publishable, it's still an accomplishment. I will work on making Starsong even better, and if that gets published, then maybe someday I can go back to The Eldest Sister and re-work it, make it better, and get that published as well.

Or maybe, just maybe, I just haven't found the right agent yet. Maybe the next one on my list is the one who will want it. Maybe the final one on my list is the one who will take it. If I convince myself that it's no good, I'll never find out, will I?

So I'll keep trusting to the story, keep sending out those queries, and in the meantime, keep working to constantly improve my writing.

As tempting as it might be to quit, rather than keep seeing those rejection letters, that just isn't an option.

Not for me.