Should you give up on submitting a MS that has 5, 10 or 20 rejections?
If you believe in your work and have had it edited to within an inch of its life, I say no, don’t give up.
There are many writers who don’t want to self-publish and take on all the jobs the publishing house normally does. They just want to write books that people can buy and enjoy. These writers work hard on their babies and when they send them out to agents or publishing houses and the MS’s are rejected, maybe 1, 5 or 20 times they give up and move on to the next story.
Don’t give up! If you’ve made the book the best you can and you believe in it, keep sending it out.
I used to critique with three other ladies around 1997. One of the ladies was Sue Grant, a three time Rita finalist and one time winner. In the 1990’s she had yet to publish a book. I remember her telling us that she was papering the one bathroom wall with rejection notices. She felt the one she wanted most, the letter buying her book would eventually arrive in her mailbox. And it did. After 23? Some rejections.
She sold her first two books in 1999. She is now a NY Times best seller with many books written and bought by publishers. And with a big fan base she ventured into self-publishing too.
In 1973 horror writer, Stephen King sold his first novel, Carrie, the story of a bullied teen who gets revenge on her peers.
He sent Carrie to over 40 agents and publishing houses and then threw it in his office trash can. In his book on writing the novel he says his wife picked Carrie out of the trash and sent it in one more time. That was when it was bought and sold and he was able to quit his job and write full time.
I guess what I’m saying is if you believe in your work, and you’ve polished and made the MS as good as possible, don’t give up on it. If your dream is to be published by a publishing house keep trying, keep sending don’t give up.
Are you self-pubed or are you sending to agents and publishing houses?
If you are a reader, do you buy a mixture of self-pubbed and publishing house books? Or just one or the other?
4 comments:
Good inspiration, Diana. I often think that each rejection is a stepping stone to a "yes."
I like your attitude, Lynn Lovegreen!
Thanks for stopping by.
Hope did spring eternal when I read this. I freely admit I did not get as many rejections to get to the point of being discouraged. I tend to write three chapters at a time, knowing it may take forever to hear back from a traditional publisher. There's also a time to just let that book baby go, write another, and then send it out with equal fervor.
So true, Diana ... And, you never know - if you really love the book, and it's not selling, try self-pubbing. I was offered a contract on one book and decided to self-pub. I am so glad I did, because that one book has now turned into a series, and I have control on whether those get published too. Truthfully, I like it better, because I love the process of working with a cover designer to get my vision of a cover realized. And I enjoy working with a formatter - to make my book look beautiful inside - and unique to each book with fun and unique chapter headings and chapter breaks. And recently I just republished some of my books in print, so I am now able to sell in local bookstores and do book signings. What fun! But no matter the publishing route you take - as Diana said - do not give up!
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