by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
For some time, I’ve been willfully delusional about this six novel project I’m currently working on. But, as I approach my 50th birthday — which was supposed to be the deadline for getting published — I’m beginning to feel not just my own mortality but to begin to focus on the specifics of how I’m going to get this first novel published.
As such, I’m beginning to force myself to be a lot more realistic about my chances. With any endeavor, the more you know about how something really works, the more you realize how hard it is. And getting published in the traditional manner is no exception.
Getting published through the traditional route is like winning the lottery. Especially when it comes to be a first time, untested author who you as a literary agent might do a due diligence on, only to realize they’re a crank (that would be me.)
The reason why I’m thinking this way is I’ve finished a solid fleshed out outline of the first novel and I’m feeling pretty good about the idea that I will be in the position to query a very good pop novel in fall of 2023. So, as such, I’m beginning to think about the specifics of querying and What It All Means. And, yet, when I started this project a few years ago the whole point of it was to have an overarching creative project that would consume my mental energy so I would have something to think about other than what a fucking loser I am.
So, lulz. It’s fun to continue to go through the process, even as the more I learn about how exactly things work, the more I realize that this entire effort is extremely delusional and generated by my huge fucking ego.
And, remember, once I finish the first novel I will have the pride of having finished a novel of about ~120,000 words. If all else fails, I suppose I can either self-publish or turn to a different novel that is not in this universe. Just because I want to write a total of at least six novels in this universe, doesn’t mean I will or have to.
Anyway. Wish me luck.
