Let’s get this out of the way: I’m self-publishing my debut novel, Too Many Ghosts Here.
I wasn’t in the query trenches for long. Less than two months, while some authors are there for years. They send letters to 100 agents and they keep trying. They shelve their first, second, fifth manuscripts and hope the next one finally gets them the call. It takes a superior level of commitment and tenacity that I respect.
I’m pivoting not even because I’m bitter about the querying trenches. I knew going into it that there’s almost no return on investment. You spend hours perfecting a query package, rewriting your opening pages, researching manuscript wish lists, and hoping you’re the right fit for an agent… all to be told no, or not hear from them at all (which is probably also a no). Out of ~20 queries, I’ve had 6 nos. The rest, I assume, are either in the maybe pile or the agent has spiritually passed on them and are waiting for me to get the hint. Agents won’t make offers to authors and manuscripts they don’t think they can sell. Passes on your query and sample pages aren’t a reflection on the quality of writing but marketability.
Realistically, I understand why agents won’t take the chance. TMGH is shorter than the industry standard 80k-word count. It’s not high concept, a fantasy, nor an escape from real life. It doesn’t fit neatly into a single genre. It’s not based on tropes and I absolutely did not write it for the market. I can guess there’s at least one character this story a reader will see themselves in and they will not like it. As a writer, I like to find the interesting little threads in life and pull on them until it hurts, and that’s not the sellable approach.
Traditional publishing is a business of risk. It also takes forever. Patience is not part of my personal constitution. And, for better or for worse, I’ve always had the “I’ll just do it on my own” mentality. So, that’s what I’m doing. I’m betting myself and doing it on my own. I know this means I’ve essentially given myself a second full-time job and I’m responsible for literally every aspect of seeing to the success of this novel, but that doesn’t scare me.
I’m not closing the door on trad publishing forever. I’m simply walking through a different one.
Too Many Ghosts Here is coming in 2027. See y’all then.