Really Bad News for Aspiring Writers
Just what we need, right? More bad news!
I don't need to tell you how difficult, if not impossible, to "break in." Some of us have been experiencing decades of frustration. Unless one specializes in specific genres, such as Young Adult fiction, SF, and Romance, no respectable publishing house will accept "unsolicited" manuscripts. Since there are practically no mainstream magazines which publish fiction--and now, as the Mother Jones article states, fewer literary journals--it's nigh impossible to establish a track record, required by most literary agents who seem to be legitimate (i.e.without upfront reading fees.)
Despite the fact that the rise of desktop publishing has managed to expunge a little of the stigma attached to the option formerly known as "vanity" publishing, this is not a choice for those of us who are financially bereft.
So what is an aspiring writer to do? Please read the article and weigh in.
It's okay to commiserate-- I'm with you 100%-- but what we really need are
solutions!