As an author, the first thing you need to do is set realistic expectations. It is a challenging market. I’m sort of an eternal optimist, so I think it will shake out. The market will adjust. People who are losing their local Borders stores will hopefully find a new store to shop in, whether it’s a Barnes and Noble or an independent book seller. This may be a real opportunity for independents. Those sales will go to other book stores, or online, or maybe to e-books as more people get Kindles, Nooks, and iPads. But the fact remains that right now, the market is tough. Understanding that will help you not to feel completely devastated when your first round of query letters isn’t met with resounding enthusiasm. If that happens, stay positive and explore other options. I have authors who started out with e-books but now have traditional publishers, and I have authors whose self-published novels are selling well even though they weren’t able to land traditional publishing deals. So educate yourself on the market and understand your options. You may not be able to follow the traditional publishing path, but there are other ways to begin to make a name for yourself as an author. Pursue the traditional path, but make sure you understand that there are multiple options in today’s market. There may be a more circuitous route you can take to a New York Times best seller.