What
do I say to an awesome author when new authors are so difficult to place? “Gee
your writing is so good, but no way will I be able to place it.”
That
has been the reality here for a bit. And I’m beginning to feel like the
proverbial broken record, but the fact is new authors are tough to place.
Exceptional as they may be.
Do I
tell them to give up and keep the day job?
Absolutely
not. Dig in harder and most important of all—keep writing. Keep doing what you
feel called to do.
A
writing career rarely happens overnight. It takes work, very hard work, and
perseverance.
So
what do I say to a potential client? Keep writing, never give up. If you are
called to write, persevere until it hurts. But never give up.
14 comments:
Some days, I really feel as if I am called to be a cheerleader in this business. And I'm grateful for that. I love to encourage amazing writers who I don't want to see give up! Imagine how sad if the many amazing authors out there had decided not to write after the first rejection.
Louis L'Amour, Dr. Seuss, Zane Grey, CS Lewis, Margaret Mitchell, William Golding, HG Wells, Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, Mary Shelley, and Nicholas Sparks. And this is just a drop in the literary bucket. Be thick-skinned and continue on! Never Quit!!!
Alex Haley, Norman Mailer, Mary Higgins Clark. All thick-skinned and never gave up!
Linda - you and Winston Churchill got it right.
ha-ha. I guess I'm in good company!
I was told Madeleine L'Engle's book, "A Wrinkle in Time," only sold 6 copies its first year. Discouragement comes in all shapes and sizes, huh? Especially in this business. "Never give up! Never surrender!" (GalaxyQuest quote of the day) :)
Absolutely, Kevin! I totally agree. Louisa May Alcott was told to "stick to teaching" and her books are still selling well 140 years later. Opinions are like...well...we all know. And it only takes one good one to get a book out there.
Thanks, Linda... I really needed to read this today. Getting a bit discouraged and even though I know it's all in God's good timing, I'm still a weak (and impatient and whiny) human being! As always, you've cheered me up.
Blessings,
Deb
I'm right there with you. I whine each day. My own work. My clients', but I try to remember these other amazing authors who, decades ago, way before ebooks, were going through the same rejections. God knows. He always knows!
Resolution: Never give up. Never surrender.
Second resolution: To keep practicing the craft so each new manuscript will be better than the one before and thus harder to reject.
I know... easier said than done. But the doing starts with the resolution, or nothing will happen.
Amen, Rick. Especially never quit writing, you will only get better and more prepared for the next round!
Thanks for the encouraging words! :)
We all need encouragement!
Thanks for the reminder not to give up!
You bet, Jackie. It is so important. A writer never knows what response might be waiting for them just around the corner. Perseverance!
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