What Do I Do?

I've been looking up how to best write a query letter for a short story collection. Most sites say don't. Really. I was able to find one site with a bit of advice, which is good. However, the adivice was short and not too specific. Basically, all the sites said collections don't sell. Apparently, the only way an agent or publisher will look at you is if you either also have a novel or you've been published somewhere with a lot of exposure, like The Atlantic or The New Yorker. Not very encouraging. I'm thinking of forging ahead... While working on a novel.