Dozens of Rejection Letters Lead to Movement (a very small movement)

As an author, rejection letters are part of the process. And I have found that most rejection letters contain the following two lines.

"Thank you for your e-mail but..." and "in this tough literary market..."

So for years I have been working at my craft, trying to write fascinating books that will capture the interest of an agent, them an editor, and finally readers. I'm not there yet.

(Pause for shameless self-promotion: I am almost there. My picture book, Dear Santasaurus will be available from Boyd Mills Press in Fall of 2012.)

But what about the other end of the problem? This tough literary market. How can we fix that? My writer buddies joke that there are more people trying to write novels than actually read novels. I have friends who brag that they haven't read a novel since high school.

People need to buy more books. You, my dear blog read, need to buy more books. Honestly, I don't care if you read them but that does seem like a waste of money. So take the pledge with me and help save an industry.

Raise your right hand:

I, (insert name), will BUY a new book on the 7th of the month. Paperback, hardcover, e-book, or audio, it doesn't matter. Purchased in a bookstore (independent or conglomerate), online, at the grocery store, in an airport, at a big box store, it doesn't matter. Fiction, nonfiction, it doesn't matter. And if I am a parent (which hopefully I know if I am) I will buy a book for my child as well.

Thank you for helping change the literary world. (Results not guaranteed.)