X-Cin is wise, y'all. Listen to X-Cin. This means YOU, Lilly!
Para, really, seriously, I want to shake you. You're how old? And you've already written six novels? Listen. I have been writing all my life. I didn't figure out how to write something that would sell until I was almost 50 years old. FIFTY. Okay? Does that make me a big failure because it took me so long and all that other stuff I did was just a waste of time and I suck? I certainly hope not!
And it only sold because I had an agent who worked his ass off for me and never gave up. That's the "this is a tough business" part of the equation. But this other part, that you're a big failure because you haven't cracked it yet, that is just ridiculous, and terribly self-destructive.
I think I know what you're doing, I recognize that horrible circular, "I SUCK!!!" thinking. I used to engage in it a LOT when I was younger (and I still get stuck in that whirlpool on occasion). You're punishing yourself, and it's hard to get out of it. What Haupe said is also wise. You've created a successful niche for yourself, you're making money and that's incredibly impressive, and not an easy thing to do. You have plenty of time to write books. Or to NOT write books.
Okay, that's enough tough love from me. ((((hugs)))) because I think I know how you're feeling, and it's crappy.
Jo, I agree with what you said re: smaller businesses and personal contacts in publishing, etc. (I'd quote it but I'm already too deep into this post!). One thing I do want to say though...working at a film studio, there are a lot of really amazing, talented and competent folks working there. It's not this carnival circus of ego all the time, or there's no way these complicated projects would ever get made. Especially on the TV side, what it takes to do an hour of series television every week, it is a complicated job. The feature film production executives were some of my favorite people -- tough, practical and smart. It's the "creative" process that's really screwed up, not across the board -- and hey, if that process keeps generating huge hits, how screwed up is it, really? But there's a lot of waste and inefficiency and mediocrity that takes place, because you're trying to graft a corporate model on a creative business, and it's not always a good fit. The old studio system was a factory, too, but it still relied on executives' guts about what audiences want.
Amarie, on the agent thing, I so far haven't run into any reluctance on my agent's part to publish more. Granted, I haven't actually managed to WRITE more yet, but I'm gonna try! I do think there's some logic to staying within a genre when you're trying to establish yourself, just because that's easier to brand and market. But I've seen plenty of people writing in different genres, sometimes under different names, sometimes not. I don't think there are any hard and fast rules any more. It's about what works for the individual writer.
Oh, and what Billie said, too! A good agent requires a baseline of appropriate, timely communication, and is about supporting the author's CAREER, not just about a quick score, regardless of the amount of the advance.