There Are More Of You Than Us

At a recent conference, one author asked our editor/agent panel when they can start following up on a submission if they had not heard back yet. As we discussed it, one of the editors made a point that I think many authors fail to realize.

This editor openly noted that she was almost 10 months behind on reading new submissions... I know what some of you are already thinking. "How could you fall behind like this?" But then she went on to explain. She simply told them to look around the room. There were roughly 200 people crammed in that small meeting room. She then told them to look at how many of us were on the panel. In simple terms, there are more of you than us.

But this goes further than simply getting a submission read. It really moves into the reality that there are simply more authors out there fighting for a limited number of spaces on those bookshelves. Publishers only release so many books a year because they "rent space" on those bookshelves at your local stores. Remember they too have a budget to work with. 

If you are one of those authors out there who complain that editors and agents are extra picky any more, the answer is YES, we are. Stories have to be amazing to compete. Stories cannot just be average. Stories have to stand out and grab the attention of not just the readers, but the agents and editors. 

Just something to consider for a Monday morning