Thoughts for the Void

I like data. Numbers make sense.

For the KidLitGN pitch event, there were a total of 203 pitches submitted. As of this moment, with less than nine hours to go for an official agent/editor response, there have been 27 comments from agents. One pitch has gained MAJOR traction and received 5 of those. Another one got 3, and four pitches got interest from 2 agents/editors. That means 6 of the 203 projects pitched got more than half of the interest, and only 11 others saw any comments.

Those are some tough odds for the rest of us. 91.6% saw no interest. Ouch!

Some of the artwork submitted is gorgeous! The stories are intriguing! I am in awe of these creators who are putting themselves and their work out there. I'm also baffled over how they are not being snatched up!

For my own work, I have an inkling as to what really holds my pitch back. I don't want to think it's the art. It might be. Truly, I think it's because my project has evolved and is this strange amalgamation of things. I imagine that makes it a tougher sell.

I wrote it in verse, - in rhyming verse. I think that instantly deems it unmarketable. I could change it. The story idea is there, the outline is there, and it could be done in prose. However, there are reasons I kept it in its form.

When anxiety hits, when those feelings are escalating, all brain power is diverted elsewhere. As an adult, it's tough to remember what to do in those situations without years of practicing coping skills. As a kid, that's a big challenge. But rhymes... our brains cling to those.

At five, the worries cause an ache onslaught.

My heart is racing. Ooph! I feel distraught.

In my surroundings, there is grounding. Woot!

A taste or touch, a sound or smell - it’s loot!

If in that moment of anxiety, when the brain is diverting power, a kid can remember the line, "In my surroundings, there is grounding. Woot! A taste or touch, a sound or smell - it's loot!" Maybe just maybe, fighting against Mr. Anxiety is a bit easier.

Additionally, there's a good chance that kids dealing with anxiety may have been dealt an already short life of trauma. What about the 6th grader who didn't have time to devote to learning how to read because of their trauma? What about the students graduating with a 3rd-grade reading level? They deserve a cool graphic novel that is accessible too.

As a society, we just decide that you're a certain age, so you have to read a more challenging type of book. However, those books may not be accessible because of the foundations missed along the way. What if those kids love to read, but because walking around with a rhyming picture book at their reading level might be embarrassing, they just don't? They stop reading instead. What if we could meet them where they're at by mashing together genres?

I've got a lot to consider. Do I pursue self-publishing instead because my idea isn't sellable in its current iteration? Or do I try and find the agent and editors who see the possibility when the odds are not in my favor?