Well, I’m at it again. I think writer must be an old Latin word for “foolishly persistent.” As if I didn’t learn from those three early years of seeking and writing and querying for representation, I’m back to the drawing board again with new novels and new resolve, determined to get myself published.

It’s almost like I love writing or something.

I took a massive break from querying because it just got too depressing. The hundred or so letters I sent out made no difference, and I remained no better off than before. Or that’s what I thought.

Looking back, I realize how much I learned from that experience. There are so many horribly stupid and unprofessional mistakes I made during that time when I was querying my first book, but I definitely got something out of the process. I know how to start a letter now, I know how to end one. I know how to talk about myself and my accomplishments and try to get the story to speak for itself.

If I could do it all over again though, I’d do exactly what I did. Those first few years of being an absolute newbie green idiot were probably the most beneficial thing I could have done with my time. The thing about any art or science is that you get better with practice, and I guess the moral of the story is just dive in. You’ll get better. Eventually.