Navigating a path onwards through rejection

The young Beatrix Potter

If you read my last blog post, you'll know that I was feeling less than positive about my novel and, in fact, my writing in general. It was extraordinary, but it had become a physical thing - whenever anyone asked me about my novel, I could feel this tightening across my chest and was keen to leave the subject as quickly as possible. But I'm glad I wrote that posting, because I received lots of encouraging emails as a result of it which made me feel much better. And then last night, a writer friend came round; she's also writing a novel and we've been helping each other out with feedback. For the first time, I counted up how many agents I've sent my novel to (27 - OMG!), but my friend insisted I keep going, keep sending it out, not to give up.

And so, with these encouraging emails and my friend's advice, I have a renewed determination this morning. I have done so much work on this book. I had fallen out of love with it, but it's amazing how this can change so quickly. It's not my novel but my attitude to it that shifts the delicate balance of tension I've been feeling.

And just to make myself feel better, here are a few well known writers who took a while to reach their dream:

Stephen King received dozens of rejections for his first novel. One publisher replied with the words 'We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.' Ha!

CS Lewis of Narnia fame received over 800 rejections before he had a single thing published.

Margaret Mitchell who wrote Gone with the wind was rejected 38 times before finding a publisher.

John Grisham was rejected 28 times before his first novel was published.

Beatrix Potter  never managed to find a publisher and eventually self-published.


This list could go on and on...but suffice it to say, I WILL GET THERE!