"It only takes one yes." This is the advice a fellow writer and good friend of mine told me once, and she's right. It does only take one "yes" to make your dreams come true. But its finding that "yes" that's the challenge sometimes. I enjoy hearing stories from other authors sharing how they got their big break, but as much as I enjoy hearing of their success, I just as much enjoy hearing about their failures. No, I'm not cruel and sadistic, although misery does love company, but I believe there is a lot to be learned in those rejections.
Rejection teaches us patience, and perseverance, while developing growth and character. It's easy to quit, easy to give up, but it takes strength and courage to repeatedly put yourself out there, hoping to catch that one "yes". You pray that your work will find its way into the right hands, of the right literary agent or publisher, who's in the right mood, at the right time.
It's taken me almost a year to find the right home for my novel, Until Darkness Comes, tentatively scheduled for release March 21, 2012. To the published, I'd love to hear your experiences breaking into the literary world. To the unpublished, I'd just like to remind you to never give up. It only takes one "yes" :)
Have a great week!
Melynda Price
3 comments:
I keep a folded slip of paper in my wallet. It's an email from one of my ghostwriting clients.
Some back story: This is a great kid with a great story which really deserved to be told. We'd gotten a great agent and he'd been subbing for most of the fall and, like now, the year was winding down.
We were on a conference call and the client was a little discouraged and the agent said, "Hey, kid, it only takes one 'yes.'" I nodded, silently, in agreement and have been living that motto ever since.
Fast foward to that Christmas Eve and I'm checking my email for the last time before I sign off for a few days and I get an email from my client. "Good news," it says. "We're getting published!"
I printed the email on the spot and have been looking at it every few months ever since. Just sayin'....
GREAT post, Melynda! Actually, I needed to be reminded of this truism myself this week/month/year!!! Best to us all as 2011 winds down and we gear up for whatever 2012 brings...
This is a great post and I needed it today.
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. I think we all need that little reminder sometimes; myself included. In trying to find a home for Until Darkness Comes, I finally stopped keeping track of all the rejections. After talking to many authors, I realized they've all been there, done that, and have their own amazing stories to tell. After a discouraging year, I was offered two contracts for this novel at the same time. Surprisingly, I met my editor on Twitter. Never underestimate the power of networking :)
Post a Comment