Monday, October 18, 2010

Another editor bites the dust...

I recently read a blog/post about the randomness of publishing. Essentially, there's no rhyme or reason in the publishing world. Timing is everything, but what might appear to be good timing, could turn out to be bad. And there's not a darn thing the author can do about it.

In the last year I've had six or seven editors. At three publishers. It would be easy to look at the circumstances and feel like I must be a difficult writer to work with, but the truth is in most cases the editor moved on for reasons that had nothing to do with me. I wasn't even on their radar.

In this most recent case, the editor is "retiring" for health reasons. The fact that we are in the middle of the editing process for the book I have with that publisher is just a sad lonely coincidence. No doubt there are other authors who are also in editing limbo. Taking it personally is not productive.

What to do in the meantime?

As my sister-in-law said, "Keep writing." That, after all, is what I do. While the vagaries of editing and publishing are worked out for that particular book, there are other publishers and editors waiting for other books.

Allowing myself to be paralyzed by the randomness of publishing serves no purpose. So write. Write. Write.

anny

5 comments:

  1. It still sucks no matter what the reason. Hugs!

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  2. Yep, sucks big-time, but please don't stop writing!

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  3. "the editor is "retiring" for health reasons" - interpretation - said editor has pissed someone off or she's pissed off...nothing random about publishing. It's a very calculating industry

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  4. Sorry, Anny. But you're a very strong writer. You'll weather any storm that the publishing world sends you, hon.

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  5. Ouch!
    And after the ouch let me add that continuing to write is sage advice. Its what you do and who you are.

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