In interviewing published authors, I've discovered one thing they all have in common -- Perseverance.
I recently spoke with Bethanie Murguia, author of just released picture book Buglette: The Messy Sleeper. (look for her interview in the next couple of weeks!) Buglette is her first publication, but not her first book. Like so many of us, she wrote and submitted several manuscripts and received plenty of rejections before finally landing that coveted publishing contract.
Jay Asher, author of my favorite YA novel 13 Reasons Why, waited years and years before finding a publisher. And by the time my own first novel, The Rock of Ivanore, hits the shelves next spring, it will more than five years since I sent out my first of fifty submissions.
So, today my message is for those of you who might be feeling a little discouraged. Maybe you've received enough rejection letters to wallpaper your house. Or maybe you've gotten some interest, but that contract hasn't quite materialized yet. I urge you to keep on trying. And keep on writing. Maybe manuscript #1 and #2 and even #3 won't get anywhere -- but #4 just might be your magic number! You'll never know if you give up.
In the words of Commander Peter Taggert of Galaxy Quest: "Never give up! Never surrender!"
How do you keep going in the face of discouragement? What little rays of sunlight keep you writing?
Laurisa, I've heard that perseverance is the difference between published and unpublished authors. Love of writing is what keeps me going.
ReplyDeleteI agree that perseverance is the most important element in our writer's toolbox. My writing partners always know how to put a positive spin on the glitches in the writing journey. Julie says it all - it's the love! We write because we have to - it's our bliss.
ReplyDelete