As a writer I dreaded the endless emails to literary agents and publishers, shaping each one for that particular person. Trying different versions of email wording, day after day. For one book I sent 102 emails to individual literary agents and received 19 ‘no’s’ and I was ignored by the rest. You try so very hard to follow all the rules and tips and yet you are made to feel a worthless piece of shit. 80% can’t be bothered to even send an automated rejection.
What have I done?
Self published and I am relishing the freedom to have book covers designed, discovering how to market my books so I control what I do and, frankly, learn to better understand my readers and potential audiences.
I have published ‘Darkness in 1984’ based on true events of George Orwell spending Christmas 1945 at Arthur Koestler’s cottage in North Wales, and the conversations they shared of experiences in the Spanish Civil War, disillusionment with the USSR, and democratic socialism. Their conversations up windy Welsh mountains influenced Orwell’s 1984.
I’m proud I have created and published an original story that adds to the texture of both writers’ lives.
And fast forward to now; not only the journalists but editors have to toe the line too of the media tyrants sorry I mean tycoons especially when it comes to shedding the spotlight on who are actually the perpetrators of genocide :or else ..
Proofread your headlines.
Orwell sent this message by Time Machine…. he’s still got it…. https://open.substack.com/pub/thetimetravellers/p/deathbeds-and-doublethink-a-dispatch-from-2025-49e4d3b137e0?r=69wi1d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Nothing is gained by teaching a parrot a new word.
Brilliant
As a writer I dreaded the endless emails to literary agents and publishers, shaping each one for that particular person. Trying different versions of email wording, day after day. For one book I sent 102 emails to individual literary agents and received 19 ‘no’s’ and I was ignored by the rest. You try so very hard to follow all the rules and tips and yet you are made to feel a worthless piece of shit. 80% can’t be bothered to even send an automated rejection.
What have I done?
Self published and I am relishing the freedom to have book covers designed, discovering how to market my books so I control what I do and, frankly, learn to better understand my readers and potential audiences.
I have published ‘Darkness in 1984’ based on true events of George Orwell spending Christmas 1945 at Arthur Koestler’s cottage in North Wales, and the conversations they shared of experiences in the Spanish Civil War, disillusionment with the USSR, and democratic socialism. Their conversations up windy Welsh mountains influenced Orwell’s 1984.
I’m proud I have created and published an original story that adds to the texture of both writers’ lives.
And fast forward to now; not only the journalists but editors have to toe the line too of the media tyrants sorry I mean tycoons especially when it comes to shedding the spotlight on who are actually the perpetrators of genocide :or else ..
Stalin's goons attempted to kill Orwell in Spain, so he's obviously entitled to an opinion that carries more weight than the useful idiots.
My family had a parrot, “Captain”. He could whistle and call our dog, say many words, but not in original speech. Such a a strong quote.