Writing through rejection
Today, I'm answering another reader question: How do you keep motivated to write after rejection?
Answer: It ain't easy. Rejection hurts. Self-doubt happens. Writing is personal; it's a part of you. To have a part of you rejected hurts. There's no getting around that. However, to keep going in this business (and yes, it is a business), you have to change that part of your thinking. Yes, what you write is a part of you, but you can't take that rejection personally.
What makes one agent/editor say "No, thank you" and another one email you and ask for a partial is PREFERENCE. Their personal preference. A rejection doesn't mean that your work is bad. It possibly means it could stand improvement. And that takes you examining your work with a critical eye. It helps to step back from it for a few weeks before sending out queries, then reading through it again. Does it still give you that same thrill? Or do you see places that aren't as strong as you thought they were? Looking at your book with fresh eyes can do wonders.
And adjusting your way of thinking (that rejection isn't personal) is vital to being able to push on through those rejections. And if you're like me, you'll get plenty of them before you hit pay dirt. If you're a writer, really a writer, you deal with it and you move on. Agents and editors WANT to find that golden needle in that haystack. They love great books, they love a compelling, page-turning story -- and they absolutely adore the writers who can give it to them.
I've heard it said many times, and I sincerely believe it's true: getting published is just as much about persistence as it is about talent. Plenty of talented writers got angry, got frustrated, got discouraged, and guess what? They didn't get published. They threw in the towel. As a result, no one got to read their books, to see how talented they were, because they gave up.
That being said, talent is a part of the equation. And nurturing talent takes practice, lots and lots of practice. For the vast majority of writers, success (i.e., reaching the goal of being published), takes a couple of manuscripts that are more than likely stuffed in a closet, before we write something publishable. (I've got my own "closet books.") Writing is hard work, but it's incredibly rewarding work.
I wanted to be published so badly that I was willing to write every day, even when I didn't want to, even when I didn't feel inspired, or even when I was just too danged tired. I wrote regardless of pretty much everything. That's not to say I didn't take the occassional day off. It's a good idea, for me and for my ever-patient & supportive husband Derek.
And a lot of people (sometimes family, friends, co-workers) don't take your work seriously. They think that if you haven't been published, that you're not a real writer. That's a load of bullpucky. If you write and work hard at it, you are a real writer regardless of whether you've ever signed your name to a publishing contract or not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise; and if they do, don't believe them. I always told people that it wasn't a matter of IF I got published, but WHEN. Determination will take you a long way.
That's the biggest thing right there -- you absolutely must believe in yourself and what you are doing.
I've got a sticker on my computer that says "If they can do it, you know you can." It's been there for years, and I have no plans to take it down. Believe in yourself and your work -- if they can do it, you know you can.
Lisa
Just added: To give you all a better idea of how the money end of the publishing business works (aka authors getting paid and approx. how much), Ilona Andrews's blog post today does a great job. She's a "sister author" with me at Ace Books.
Coming up: Information on the opening of my new CafePress store, and more of your questions, including:
How much time do I spend developing a character?
How to know if you are moving your story forward?
How to figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Getting "not quite ready" writing up to publishable standards.
Help! I have two writing styles.
How long did it take me to write Magic Lost , Trouble Found?
Answer: It ain't easy. Rejection hurts. Self-doubt happens. Writing is personal; it's a part of you. To have a part of you rejected hurts. There's no getting around that. However, to keep going in this business (and yes, it is a business), you have to change that part of your thinking. Yes, what you write is a part of you, but you can't take that rejection personally.
What makes one agent/editor say "No, thank you" and another one email you and ask for a partial is PREFERENCE. Their personal preference. A rejection doesn't mean that your work is bad. It possibly means it could stand improvement. And that takes you examining your work with a critical eye. It helps to step back from it for a few weeks before sending out queries, then reading through it again. Does it still give you that same thrill? Or do you see places that aren't as strong as you thought they were? Looking at your book with fresh eyes can do wonders.
And adjusting your way of thinking (that rejection isn't personal) is vital to being able to push on through those rejections. And if you're like me, you'll get plenty of them before you hit pay dirt. If you're a writer, really a writer, you deal with it and you move on. Agents and editors WANT to find that golden needle in that haystack. They love great books, they love a compelling, page-turning story -- and they absolutely adore the writers who can give it to them.
I've heard it said many times, and I sincerely believe it's true: getting published is just as much about persistence as it is about talent. Plenty of talented writers got angry, got frustrated, got discouraged, and guess what? They didn't get published. They threw in the towel. As a result, no one got to read their books, to see how talented they were, because they gave up.
That being said, talent is a part of the equation. And nurturing talent takes practice, lots and lots of practice. For the vast majority of writers, success (i.e., reaching the goal of being published), takes a couple of manuscripts that are more than likely stuffed in a closet, before we write something publishable. (I've got my own "closet books.") Writing is hard work, but it's incredibly rewarding work.
I wanted to be published so badly that I was willing to write every day, even when I didn't want to, even when I didn't feel inspired, or even when I was just too danged tired. I wrote regardless of pretty much everything. That's not to say I didn't take the occassional day off. It's a good idea, for me and for my ever-patient & supportive husband Derek.
And a lot of people (sometimes family, friends, co-workers) don't take your work seriously. They think that if you haven't been published, that you're not a real writer. That's a load of bullpucky. If you write and work hard at it, you are a real writer regardless of whether you've ever signed your name to a publishing contract or not. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise; and if they do, don't believe them. I always told people that it wasn't a matter of IF I got published, but WHEN. Determination will take you a long way.
That's the biggest thing right there -- you absolutely must believe in yourself and what you are doing.
I've got a sticker on my computer that says "If they can do it, you know you can." It's been there for years, and I have no plans to take it down. Believe in yourself and your work -- if they can do it, you know you can.
Lisa
Just added: To give you all a better idea of how the money end of the publishing business works (aka authors getting paid and approx. how much), Ilona Andrews's blog post today does a great job. She's a "sister author" with me at Ace Books.
Coming up: Information on the opening of my new CafePress store, and more of your questions, including:
How much time do I spend developing a character?
How to know if you are moving your story forward?
How to figure out what happens next?
Keeping your hopes up while looking for an agent.
Getting "not quite ready" writing up to publishable standards.
Help! I have two writing styles.
How long did it take me to write Magic Lost , Trouble Found?
posted by Lisa Shearin at
6:12 AM
13 Comments:
I'm going to view rejections as a red flag: the more I get, the more I'll keep writing! :)
Really will get round to reading her books - got her blog marked now, thank you!
Thanks for answering my question :) I originally posted it as Kate, so you don't get confused though.
I also have my own "closet books", but now they've ended up in the shredder because I know that I can write something better.
Thanks for the encouraging words :)
I'm glad it helped!
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm still in the `trying to write something I wouldn't be ashamed to see in print' stage, but it's good to know my bullheadedness is going to come in useful once I'm ready to send my work out there. :)
Bullheadedness is a definite advantage to getting published. ; )
I've had short stories rejected many times (sometimes a couple dozen) before being sold. I've had stories that one editor disliked and another liked and bought. What interests one editor might not another, so the best thing is to keep submitting. If all the comments are roughly the same, then maybe you need to revise some more.
This post was very inspiring. Although many of us know it to be true...sometimes we just need to be reminded of the fact that we shouldn't give up.
Lisa- What if, when I decide to send my manuscript out, I only get rejections? How many rejections do I need to get before I should start thinking about how to fix my project? How many rejections does it take to say that I should move on to something else? I am asking because I have never sent out a project before. So I have no clue what to expect.
Robert, great comment, thank you!
Victoria, Robert's comment above yours answers part of your question, but I'll answer the rest in a future blog, okay? I've added it to my list of questions.
Regarding: "And a lot of people (sometimes family, friends, co-workers) don't take your work seriously. They think that if you haven't been published, that you're not a real writer."
Oh, is this ever true.
I am an artist. I pen calligraphy. And guess what? People take my calligraphy seriously. Why don't writers get the same respect? Hard to say. I have learned that those who scoff at your efforts probably are either jealous of your eventual success (hey, I like being optimistic) or might not be such good friends after all. A good friend ought to be supportive.
It's my belief that if you give it up, it probably wasn't your calling to begin with. I only take up my calligraphy pen occasionally. It's not my calling. But in the past 20+ years, there has never been a time when I haven't written seriously, some of that time as a freelance professional. I don't believe God would have given me this ability and drive for nothing.
Amen. And I'm in full agreement, God wouldn't have made me so stubborn, pig-headed, and able to string words together into quasi-coherent sentences -- and not intend for me to put it to good use. ; )
Lisa
Agree whole-heartedly!
Thanks for the encouragement :)
You're most welcome!
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