How Many Are Enough Spoons, Anyway?
Relatively recently, I wrote about not having enough spoons to query my work, get it to beta readers, and so on. But what the heck does that all mean?
The concept of spoons, and having enough of them, is a shorthand way of referring to mental energy. That is, does a person (you, perhaps) have the emotional strength do perform certain tasks, or any tasks at all?
And while I am not considered to be a disabled person, so I don’t want to misappropriate this term, I think the term applies well to the query trenches.
Trenches. Now, there’s an excellent word for it.
What Does Not Having Enough Spoons Mean in the Context of Querying?
The biggest problem and the biggest triumph of querying are the same thing. It’s that you put yourself out there. And, as a result, this means you will be judged. More often than not, we indie writers are found wanting. But why?
Blame it on Volume
Does everyone have a book in them? Maybe. Does everyone have a good book in them? Heh, probably not. But what does “good” mean in this context? Often, it means less that you have a page turner, and more that you have a book which can be marketed well and will hit popular taste at just the right time.
A book about the life and times of a blacksmith would, right now, have an uphill climb when it comes to querying. Many readers would not find that person to be relatable. But they can be made so. It’s not impossible. But change that blacksmith to a mommy blogger and you’ve just crossed the first hurdle.
Now, you may not cross any other hurdles. If the book’s not relatable for other reasons, then you’re probably out of luck.
Blame it on Changing Tastes
We’ve all got the attention spans of gnats these days. As a result, what was in two years ago is out now. Hell, what was in two weeks ago may very well be out. Yes, already.
Case in point. Consider stock photos. The images of people masking up were all over the internet in 2020 and 2021. You saw them in blogs, brochures, and online advertising.
Now? They just look dated. This doesn’t mean the pandemic is over (it’s not). It doesn’t mean there are no good reasons to mask up anymore. Of course there are. But what it does mean is to ditch the masking in stock images unless you’re writing about something like medical care, nursing homes, or sick kids.
When Ambition Meets Fatigue, Busyness, and Anxiety, it Crushes Your Spoons
I had wanted to start to put out a newsletter, and I had wanted to start it today. Yes, on the vernal equinox. It feels like a momentous day!
But alas, I did not have enough spoons. Because the ramp-up is somewhat steep. There’s a lot riding on it, because it’s a marketing tool.
But as I think more and more about this, I feel I was putting the cart before the horse. After all, a marketing tool isn’t really necessary if, right now, I have very little to really market.
It would be better for me to get my act in gear on beta readers, an ARC team, a street team (maybe). Understanding how to format for self-publishing, or at least who to hire to do so, would also be good. Maybe I just need to let querying go completely, and strike out more or less on my own.
I don’t know.
But one thing may very well be true.
I may have had enough spoons all along. I was just spending them on the wrong stuff.
Thanks for listening.