Heart Aching for Jolly Fish Writers

Hey, everyone. The good news this week is that it finally got cold and rainy and OCTOBERish in Utah, and the leaves look great against the gray sky.

But the bad news is that Jolly Fish Press is closing its doors. You can read the press release here.

Jolly Fish's business closes on October 31. Which means that all its writers have had their rights reverted back to them, and their books are no longer going to be published by Jolly Fish. Happy freaking Halloween, Jolly Fish writers.

I'm sure there's discussion and debate about how Jolly Fish handled the announcement, and I know feelings are hurt. So, here, this is what I want to do. Jolly Fish writers, these are for you:

I am so, so sorry to hear what happened. You didn't deserve it.

About three years ago, this kind of thing happened to me. I'm not saying I know how you feel, because each situation is different, but I remember the hurt of feeling like my dream of getting published was right there, close enough to touch, and then I had to watch it slip away. I remember feeling hurt and frustrated and angry and wishing I had someone to blame. I remember crying and wondering why a publisher had any business taking on writers if they were going to close, and why I had any business choosing a publisher that was about to close.

And I'm going to say here what I wish I could have said to myself back then: it works out.

Now, I have a different publisher, one that's a much better fit and takes care of me better than my other publisher would have. It took time, yes, to find this publisher, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It worked out.

I also would tell myself, and I'll tell any Jolly Fish writers who might read this, that you're not alone. There are people ready to help you and who are there just to support you right now. They're the ones looking for your next opportunity, keeping you in ice cream, or just listening as you talk.

I'm sorry, so sorry, to hear about this, and I'm sorry it happened. But although it's the end for Jolly Fish, it's not the end for you. You'll find a publisher; you did it once, you can do it again. But until then, know that many people are pulling for you.