I’m not giving up.

Really, I’m not.

There’s a huge argument for it, but I’m not. And I won’t. At least not until I get 100% confirmation that the cause is lost, that we have fought to the last soldier, and have nothing left to fight for.

I’ve sent out 30 agent submissions for “Escape from the Spotlight.” I’ve heard back from a few. Most, though, haven’t gotten back to me yet. With each one I hear back from, I’ll submit one more. Maybe an agent will see the potential in the work, even if they can’t represent the work due to the fact that it was already published. Then, even if they can’t represent “Escape”, then they’ll at least be open to a submission from me in the future.

Research shows that self-publishing a story is a way to hamstring that story. The data shows that the publishing field is reticent to publish previously published works, stating that they have already penetrated the marketplace, and failed to make money. To them, it would be akin to betting on the thoroughbred that spent the previous night colicing. Yeah, that’s not even a longshot – it’s DOA.

So what to do? I’ve completely reworked the manuscript, honed it to a fine, gleaming point, tempered all the rubbish out of it, and have produced something so fundamentally different as to almost be a different book. I’ve drafted the sequel, and have big plans for these characters. And it’s good. It’s really good in a way that the promise of the self-published version just couldn’t even fathom.

Well, I’m not giving up. I’ll take my rejections. I’ll take my generated responses with a boilerplate message of “Sorry, it’s not you, it’s us.” I’ll take it all until I find an agent.

In the meantime, I have a project wholly separate from “Escape.” It’s a one-shot that has never been completed or published. But it is something that just might be familiar to you long-timers.

Stay positive, all. That’s all we can be in this world of ours. Each hurdle we overcome is one more behind us in the journey to the finish line.

The Queen has spoken.