I Don't Feel The Same Anymore

When I first began this publishing journey, I was eager. Confident. Foolish. Ignorant. Now I'm only eager. I've received enough rejections to be humble, I've researched enough publishing innards to be educated about the odds of success. Still, I've got enough manuscripts out on request to be eager. When I first started querying, I received only form rejections, since my query letter sucked worse than a clogged-up Kirby. I looked forward to a rejection, because it was an acknowledgment that I'd sent out something. I probably would have fainted if an agent actually showed interest. Now I'm getting pretty steady requests, pretty potent interest. And I'm not fainting. I'm calculating. I'm hoping for the best, but staying rational, unlike my early days. I send out a request, and then I don't think about it anymore. I'm approaching this business like a business, instead of like a game of chance. I'm researching the market for my next project, reading up in my genre. I feel differently about everything. I never think about if I will get published...I think about when I get published. I think about what I will do to promote my book, who I will send my author copies to, who I will approach in my area for book signings, how can I build my readership for future projects. My-oh-my, how things have changed.