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Inspiration At Your Fingertips
A few weeks ago, I blogged about rejection and how those lousy little form letters can suck the motivation out of a writer. If they let it happen.
There’s no doubt perseverance and determination are key in reaching one’s goals. But, sometimes, maintaining that drive is easier said than done. In fact, I’m willing to bet there aren’t many writers out there who haven’t resorted to some serious wound-licking after a particularly rough round of rejection letters.
Some just happen to lick faster than others.
If being a writer is truly what you want to be, you have to develop a thick skin. You have to be able to separate yourself from your work in order to see rejection for what it is, learn from it, and move on.
Publishing is a tough business. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. And it’s probably not the best career move for those who find themselves down for the count after one punch. You want it bad enough, you keep swinging and you never, ever give up.
But every once in a while it’s nice to know you’re not alone. To realize that some of the biggest genre writers of our day have a pretty substantial file of rejection letters too. And to accept the biggest lesson of all—the only way to fail is not to try at all.
About a year ago, I was contacted via email by two authors who were in the process of pitching a book to Writer’s Digest. They’d heard about me somewhere along the way and asked if I’d contribute an essay that might inspire other writers to keep going. For about five seconds I wasn’t sure what I’d write, what I could say that would inspire others…
Until I opened my cell phone and looked at the first entry in my alphabetized directory of stored names/numbers. Because it was then that I knew exactly what I wanted to write about—what I could say that might give a boost to someone who wondered if they could ever make it as a writer.
I wrote up my essay and sent it to the author who’d requested it. He sent back a two-thumbs-up, and that was the last I heard from him until a few weeks ago. I got an email through my website once again, this time saying the book would be coming out with Writer’s Digest sometime in mid to late September. I was happy for him, especially since he’d landed a well-respected publisher like WD. But, to be honest, I kinda forgot about it once I logged off that night thanks to a few writing projects of my own.
Fast forward three weeks…
Out of boredom the other night, I googled my name and up popped this book, How I Got Published. I, of course, clicked on it and was immediately blown away by the company I’d been asked to keep. For once in my life I can honestly say I am truly honored to be one of the “and others.”
Since my complimentary author copy hasn’t shown up yet (and I have little to no patience when it comes to exploring new books), I purchased a copy at Borders the next day. And, after reading much of it, I’m even more proud to be a part of this book than I was after reading the list of my fellow essayists.
Why? Because this book has what it takes to halt a post-rejection-wound-licking session in its tracks. Essay after essay offers the kind of encouragement writers need to keep going, as well as undeniable proof of what can happen if you give it everything you’ve got.
I get no monetary compensation for touting this book. I get a complimentary copy (at some point) and the honor of being in some pretty impressive company. That’s it.
But it’s not about money, or even the company kept. Not for me, anyway. It’s knowing that something one of us wrote may keep a writer going when they’re having a blue day and contemplating the notion of giving up their dream. I mean, who knows? Maybe someone will be so motivated after reading these essays they’ll wind up on the NYT Bestseller list right out of the chute. In which case, a pretty substantial amount of room will be needed on their dedication page.
Okay, GG blog readers, here’s the scoop. I’m so pumped about this book I’m just itching to send a copy to someone in need of a little encouragement (or interesting reading material). So I’m looking for everyone to share the story of a particularly rough rejection and what inspired/motivated you to put it behind and forge ahead. I’ll put the name of everyone who posts a comment into a hat and draw a winner. The winner will be revealed in the comment section of this post on Wednesday evening to give people time to spread the word to fellow writers.
Good luck!
Remember, it only takes one yes.
Hugs,
Laura