Moving on! I mailed five more agents today, and – golly! – it sure would be nice if at least one responded. I’m not about to suggest that my first book will race up the New York Times bestsellers list and make everyone involved pots of money, but I do feel confident that – even without editorial input and subsequent revisions – the manuscript of Witch of the Colonies is at least as good as half the sci-fi/fantasy fiction published every year.
Piers Anthony spent five years trying to get a book published. John Kennedy Toole only achieved success after he was dead! And there are plenty more examples of authors who endured repeated rejections only to win out in the end.
But I still hope I hear something back soon. This is a lonely road to walk.
UPDATE! I got four responses to my five letters. FOUR. And all of those four came courtesy the U.S. postal service, who informed me that the people and agencies I wanted to contact were gone, out of business, no forwarding address and nothing to see here, please move along! Self publication is beginning to look more attractive.