Patience, Grasshoppers
Literary agent Colleen Lindsay’s blog (The Swivet) is a gold mine of advice and encouragement for writers, including this latest nugget:
"Everything in publishing in 2009 is going to take longer. It’s going to take longer for editors to read and respond to pitches from agents. It’s going to take longer for editors to find the time to read the manuscripts we’re sending them and get back to us with a decision. A lot longer. It’s going to take longer for a manuscript to get sent to an editorial board. It’s going to take longer for your newly acquired book to get scheduled. It’s probably going to take longer to get contracts and checks. It’s going to take longer, period. Because there are a lot fewer people doing all the same amount of work right now and those people aren’t superhuman.
"So starting today? Cultivate the art of patience. It’ll be the best thing you can do for yourself as a writer."
Patience is not my virtue. But perhaps this market downturn will help teach me (us?) how to wait.
