The traditional publishing world moves like a glacier.

It's no secret. Everyone who's ever submitted a single query knows how slow the publishing industry moves. It's just how it is. Agents and editors are bombarded with content every single day. Plus they have a ton of other things to do beside read queries, partials and full requests. They have to keep on top of their current clients and authors. They're always on the go. I follow enough agents and editors on Twitter and have heard enough speak at conferences, etc...to know a good amount about how their lives go. They are crazy busy.

So yeah, it takes a while to hear back from them. I can't say it's always easy to sit back and just wait. And wait. And wait some more. But it's part of the process of pursuing a traditional publishing career. I've come to accept it. I've learned how to deal with it and stay sane.

Recently I listened to an author speak about her journey and why she has chosen to self publish her work. And one of her biggest reasons was the time issue. She chose to self publish, and was very adamant about encouraging us to do it for this same reason as well, because she could write her book and get it out to readers immediately, instead of waiting a year for it to come out through traditional means. She started making money immediately instead of in a year.

And yeah, that does sound nice. I love writing. I love when readers enjoy my creations. But a girl needs to eat and I do need to make money. I don't look at this year of waiting time for traditional publishing as a waste though. There's so much that can be done in that time.

So here's an example. My agent currently has my book out on submission. Let's say it sells tomorrow and won't release until April 2014. I have a year to write more books and get those sold and ready to release after that book does. I have a year to work on social media and build excitement for the book/s. And the money aspect- I will pay $0 for editing, $0 for cover art design, $0 for formatting, etc. So even though I have a year of collecting $0 in royalties, I have also paid $0. It may take a little longer for the money to start coming in, but I personally feel that is a better base for a career. For me. I know others feel differently.

Every writer has a decision to make when it comes to their career and going traditional or self pubbing, or even a combo of both. It's a personal decision and everyone has their reasons. This girl has her reasons too. And for me, traditional is just the best route, despite the fact that it takes longer to get there.