Tracy Chapman is playing on the stereo as I work in my studio. I am not painting. My studio has become a combination studio and office. A place to write, think, paint, and catch up on the digital housekeeping that is part of living and working in today’s world.

This morning I wrote a query letter for my novel. I will send it out later today. I have been slow to get it done, partially because lately life has been wicked busy, partially because I hate the possibility of rejection on something that is so heart felt, and partially because my depression adds to that hate.

But it is done. And goes out. I think I have picked agents for which this is a happy fit, but you never know. Publishing is a fickle business and a changing one.

For instance, back in the day, when I was in grad school for creative writing, the name of the game for poets was to submit poems to a host of well regarded literary journals and if you were good, and lucky (so much depends on luck, but that is a conversation for another day. Do that for a few years and maybe one of them, or a university would publish a volume of your poems. I did a lot of that. Got a few things published. Got a lot of rejections.

Novels were not that different. You sent your manuscript all over God’s Green Earth and if you were luck, on about the thirtieth or a hundred and thirtieth try, it would connect with some one, an you found yourself a published author.

Today’s publishing landscape is different. And it is varied. Self publishing is an option and at times very effective. For instance, when you go the route of literary journals, you are fortunate to have a run of a thousand books. Lots of prestige, but only a thousand books sold. WIth self publishing on blogs and self publishing of books, I get many times that many poems read and books sold.

But novels? Novels are different. You can self publish them, sure. It’s not that hard. But agents and publishers are the most reliable, efficient way to get a lot of readers buying your novel. And this one happens to be good enough that I think I want a lot of readers to experience it. So… the old fashioned route, rejections and all.

None of us like rejection. I hate it. I can go into all the psychological reasons it bothers me but that would be boring and self indulgent, neither of which I aspire to. But it runs deep. And it has kept me from doing the work. At least that is what I think has been going on the past few weeks as I have delayed doing it.

But in the end, excuses run out. I finally had a day that was mine. No excuse not to do it. And so I followed the advice I give my coaching clients all the time.

Do it anyway.

And I did. And it did not take long and all that subconscious crap that held me back is gone. I feel lighter. And even if I get rejected this time, the fear is over come. I’ll just send it somewhere else. It is no longer an emotional thing. It is just a task.

That’s the goal in success. I truly believe that all success comes from our spirit. But sometimes we need to give our spirit a nudge. We have to tell it to shut the hell up and get to work. When we do, the actual work is never as bad as our emotions make it. And we are one step closer. A lot wiser. And a bit lighter.

That’s how you do it, no matter what “it” is. A good start for Monday.

Be well. Travel wisely,

Tom