it’s depressing how there’s entire eco-systems feeding on a writer’s desire to get published.

How to articles, notes about, why I passed on your manuscript this week (next week it will be a different reason), how I got a Big 5 publishing contract, editing services, book cover design services (now frequently using AI), literary agents (cause, seriously some are real chancers), how to write a query letter, make a tiktok video go viral, it’s endless and everyone is feeding this beast instead of sitting their arses down and improving their craft and working hard and trying and trying again.

There is no magic wand. It’s hard work. And yeah, maybe a bit of luck. Sure, there’s nepotism, unfair advantages (who you know and who you don’t), publishing is a business after all, but I’m here to remind you why you’re doing this, why you’re scribbling away in your notebook or on your computer well past the time any reasonable human being is asleep, or, I dunno, tidying their dump truck of a house or hanging out with friends, whatever.

You want to be a writer.

So write.

And mute the fucking noise. Few are offering their services for free.