Getting your book published is hard.
I’ve heard that a lot since I finished my first novel Hairassment last November and as I’ve been working on finding the perfect agent so I could do just that-get my book published. I sent my first round of queries out in December. The response was less than enthusiastic. So I revamped my query letter and synopsis and sent out a second round in January. Of that second round I got a request for two partials of my manuscript and one full. At my first RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter meeting I was told that was very good. Everyone seemed really impressed but I remained cautiously optimistic. Success in my opinion, was actually getting a fabulous agent to represent me and then having that fabulous agent sell the bejesus out of my book.
The two partials came back with nos. Then last week the agent that had requested my full also said no.
Until that time I had been taking the rejection pretty well. I had even taped up my rejection letters all around the walls of my desk until they overlapped each other. My DH complimented me on the stoic way I was dealing with all the rejection.
It took me two days to tell him about the rejection of my full manuscript.
Since last week I have been concentrating on other things like my new blog and writing my 2nd novel Gift With Purchase. Yesterday the new RWR (Romance Writers Report) landed in my mailbox. I took a quick moment to scan through it and discovered an article all about rejection-perfect timing for me since I was still trying to deny how much my rejection was bothering me.
That night I sat down to watch American Idol with a stack of things I needed to read during the commercials-hey I’m a woman, we multitask, I could have baked bread and knitted a sweater too. But I digress. The RWR article on rejection was well done and I felt better after I had read it. Then I skipped through a little more and discovered an interview with the very agent (she’s great-I’m sorry we couldn’t work together) who had rejected my full ms.
Whoa! Here’s irony hitting me over the head. Twice.
I read the interview and I understood some of the things I got wrong and some of the things I got right (because that’s important too). I learned. But mostly it cheered me up, it brought back my hope. So this weekend I’ll be gearing up again and putting myself back out there. I really believe in my book and I really believe that the right agent for me and my book is out there just waiting for me to query him/her.
So prepare yourself agents, here I come!
Boy, this is a “hard-knock” business. Hang in there, Beth. The time will come with The Right Agent at The Right Time. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Rhonda! I appreciate it!
Beth,
This is a tough business, and rejection is part of the process. It sounds like you have a good attitude toward it all, though it’s never easy to deal with emotionally.
Hang in there and keep trying,
Lyndi
Thanks Lyndi!
I appreciate the support. You guys are great!
Great attitude! I really believe so much of publishing comes down to timing. Which means you gotta just keep on sending stuff out. Good luck!!!
Thanks Barrie!
I try to learn something from each rejection letter. It’s hard to read between the lines, but take a few days off then read the letter again. You may get new insight into what you still need to work on. Good luck with revisions. I remember reading once that you need to think of a rejection letter as just mailing the query to the wrong address (agent). Keep sending them out, then one of these days, you’ll address the query to the right address.
Sandy-
I like that-mailing the query to the wrong address. That’s brilliant. Thank you!
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