In the interest of full disclosure, I want to let y’all know that I haven’t written a word of fiction in the past eight months, and probably won’t ever again. I’ve become too annoyed and disheartened over the whole writing/submitting/acceptance/publishing process in the small press. My interactions with publisher/editors have been frustrating, to say the least. For example: 1) I submitted to one publisher, who said he liked my novella, but thought it would be much better if I shortened the whole tale. So I did, and resubmitted, only to have him say he preferred the original, longer version, but still wouldn’t publish it!? 2) Another publisher/editor black-balled me after I commented that he might be a bit partial to certain authors; he began rejecting everything I sent him. 3) Another well-known publisher pretty much refused to respond to my submissions for months, even years, at a time, because he preferred to work with more recognizable authors, although he was open to any and all submissions!? And I know, it sounds like I’m whining, and I probably am. But I truly feel (and my track record tends to support it) that my fiction is at least the equal of most authors getting published regularly in the small press. Maybe I’m biased, maybe I’m not. Regardless, at my age I simply can’t justify spending an hour or two almost every night in front of the computer, working on fiction that generally doesn’t sell, and when it does, it’s usually for pauper’s wages, while my wife sits by herself in front of the TV the whole while!? I’m not a young man, and I don’t want to miss any more time with her.
And of course, in the two or three years I’ve had this blog, I’ve received over 300 views! BUTÂ NOT ONE OF YOU HAS EVER COMMENTED–to say Hi, what you like, what you don’t like, to go screw yourself, anything?! Writers work in a vacuum, it’s a lonely occupation. Feedback is important. And after all this time, it’s just not worth it anymore.
I’ve got a number of short stories and novellas that I’m forcing myself to send out and make the rounds, and a novella from Camelot Books that I’m told is in the printing stages, but it’s going to be up to you to check their website in the coming months if you’re interested in its release. I’ve just had it with everything.
I’d really like to say that I’ve enjoyed and had fun over the past four years, with this second incarnation of my “writing career”…but I won’t.
William C. Rasmussen 