ForeverBlog: Rejected!!

One thing that is a must when you produce art, a product, and/or a service, is the ability to handle rejection well. It's been said that true success only comes after learning from failure.

I've got another quality to add to that: patience.

For the past year, I've submitted a promotional package to dozens of publishers, and to dozens of literary agents, in hopes of getting one, and possibly both, to support my book. The majority view is that getting a literary agent makes things much easier as far as getting published...it's just that it's almost as hard to get an agent as it is to get a publisher!

To date, I have lost count of the number of rejection letters and emails I've received. They are either floating in my email inbox, or sitting in a large Ikea container that (somehow) manages to fit all of my book research.

I won't lie; there are some days when a rejection letter gets me down. Maybe it came from one of my favorite agents/publishers. Maybe my day was already crappy and I would have appreciated a pick-me-up. Or maybe I had a breakthrough with writing and was hoping for the good mojo to continue.

To be completely honest, all those waves of promo submissions came during a time when my book manuscript wasn't up to snuff. It was unclear at times, the total page number was bloated, and the branding that adorned all the fancy stuff I sent out didn't quite fit.

Right now, a friend of Shelley's is looking over the manuscript, which has prompted me to refrain from contacting other literary agents out of courtesy. Other friends have given me clear feedback from the 7-chapter excerpt (the link is below), from which I've made further edits and added some polish. I've been reworking the book branding and logos, and even started conceptualizing an official web site.

So there is definitely opportunity and excitement on the horizon, but I won't lie: today is one of the hard days. After the first few days like this, you get some support and bounce back, so I'm no longer surprised at the onset of Publishing Funk.

Although it's uncertain when my book will get published, by whom, or how, I do know that I believe in the story I wrote - something so compelling that I've devoted the majority of my waking moments writing. Thinking. Planning. Hoping.

Some initial impressions I've gotten have expressed some concern about mixing science fiction concepts with today's world, blending religion and science, etc. What matters more than the theme is the execution. Of course the idea of blending magic with children and British boarding schools sounds completely unprotifable at first! Yet the person who executed it so well is the first person ever to become a billionaire solely from writing.

I've looked at books with premises far more "out there" than mine. I'm solidified in what I wrote about, where it takes place, when it takes place, and who is involved.

I can never stress enough how important it is to know that your life's work is supported by friends and family. It's why I check so often to see if my book has picked up any new Facebook fans. It's why I've connected with this blog, and with Twitter, and LinkedIn.

And so, the day goes on, doin' the networking thing, figuring out new directions to go with the second book, Forever-Eventide, and field suggestions. There will certainly be some lean times, but it won't always be this way.

The Forever Saga Facebook Page

7-Chapter Excerpt of Forever-Flash

ForeverBlog

Forever on Twitter

Forever on LinkedIn