Hi everyone, and happy June! It certainly doesn't feel like six months of 2020 has gone by already, but it's probably because we've spent half of it in quarantine.
Last month, I posted on my blog that I'd like to start a bi-monthly chat about everything writing called #TheWriteWay. Today, I'd like to make my first post...
And start off by writing about following your dreams. The idea came to me when I received this email the other day:
This was for a query I sent out for my YA horror novel, WHAT SHE DESIRES, back in October. I'd completely forgotten about it until now. What's happened since then?
I signed with a literary agent from another literary agency -- Jessica Reino of Metamorphosis Literary -- for my YA mystery novel, JESSICA PRINCE AND THE CRIMSON CAPER, in January 2020. (I intend to bring all my novels to my current agent after we've sold this one to a publishing house.)
This rejection email reminded me of a time not too long ago when I didn't have an agent. I was filled with self-doubt, wondering if any of them would ever like my work. I could've given up -- I'd known many authors who had already. They had dreams of being traditionally published, but ended up quitting or turning to self-publishing after constant rejection. I felt like I was heading down that same path, too.
I'd already been published by a small publishing house called Fire and Ice, but it was my dream to get an agent. After all, they're the gatekeepers to the editors at the big publishing houses, and I've always wanted to see my books in stores and reach more readers.
One day -- after suffering almost 400 rejections over the span of a few years and many different novels -- my dream came true and I landed a great agent. (I don't miss those querying days -- believe me.)
Why? Because I was stubborn and refused to quit.
This email goes to show how subjective the publishing industry is. You could have a rejection and an acceptance in the same day. (And that one magical 'yes' could change your life among a sea of a thousand 'no's.)
This agent in particular didn't like my work, but my current agent does. It's a testament to how we need to all keep following our dreams -- no matter how daunting or impossible they seem.
You and your work won't be right for everyone...but you WILL be right for someone one day.
Rejection isn't the end. You WILL make it to the other side -- as long as you keep going. Remember why you're writing. Remember how much you love it.
And realize how much you could achieve if you stay persistent.
So keep querying. Reject rejection and remember that your time is coming. Keep hoping, dreaming, praying, and wishing for an agent. One day, you'll get one -- just like me. And then you'll be glad you didn't quit and all those rejections you received won't matter anymore.
For your sake, keep following your dreams. The world needs your stories -- and it also needs your tenacity, your dedication, your persistence.
Too many people give up, and it always makes me sad. How much more could humanity have accomplished if everyone was stubborn? How many more books, pieces of art, movies, and ideas would be bouncing around?
It isn't easy, but it's rewarding -- and inspiring, too. I hope our books sit on the same shelf one day.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Dana
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