If You're A Good Writer...

If you're a good writer, rewards will come your way.

What a sweet, completely delusional statement.

If you're a good writer and you have connections, rewards could come your way.

Here's how I view successful authors: The majority of them are older (often way older), and they found success in the publishing game when agents were still looking for good writing. And once they got their foot in the door, all they had to do was keep writing well and success followed.

That's no longer true. The gatekeeper literary agents are now looking for a "vibe" or a "worldview". Good writing is secondary, if that. An author queries agents by submitting a query letter that had damn well better grab the agent's immediate attention. Oh sure, most of them also want the first five pages, or the first three chapters, or some other arbitrary criteria. I had more stupid versions of the novels I queried ~ one with three chapters, one with (believe it or not) 500 words, you name it. And, of course, they also want a synopsis. We authors work so hard on honing all those things, and do you think they ever get read? Of course not. Maybe (to be generous) agents ask for those things to make us feel like we're actually accomplishing something. I put so much work into this, Agent Ambrosia will certainly be impressed!

Querying an agent is a hopeless pipe dream. And I'm not speaking for myself; I'm speaking for everyone. There's a writer's forum I used to visit regularly, a very active one, and do you know how many of those hopefuls ever landed an agent? I do remember one. ONE. And to be frank, she readily admitted that she worked as an agent's assistant. So she wasn't just like us out here in the wilderness. But good for her. I'd be celebrating, too.

This morning I was looking for a music article I'd written (I've already forgotten why) and after I found it, I kept reading more. Know what? I am a damn good writer. I have a voice. I'm not some AI drone spilling out words. I have a unique perspective. I'm a better writer than 90 per cent of aspiring authors. Sorry; it's true. Of course, no one will ever know that but me.

And yea, I kind of resent that.