blah blah writing, blah blah rejection

[rhienelleth]

A new query rejection today. Hmm, these have become almost so regular an occurrence as to be not worth reporting. This means I have to find a new agent to send to. Urgh. And done. Heck, maybe I'll find another one and send two, just because.

Also, because I finally feel my query is in its final form. I don't how else I could revise it, when the hook is down to less than a hundred words.

In the encouraging-and-uplifting vein, though, I was messing about Jim Butcher's website today (reading sample chapters of Small Favor), and I stumbled across his "how I got published" post. Now, I've had the pleasure of hearing this story from Jim himself, and it's more entertaining in person, but the written version is well worth a read. I often encapsulate the verbal story to fellow writers when this brutal gauntlet of finding an agent and reaching publication gets them down, and I think back on it myself during the same down moments. So today I found this, I read it even though I'm familiar with the story, and it did the trick of making me smile and lifting my writerly spirits.

Things to remember: authors I love, who write books I love, had those very books rejected many times before ever being accepted. Particularly telling was the story of the agent who rejected Harry Dresden, then two months later offered Jim representation for the very same project she'd rejected. The difference? She'd met him in person.

Note to self: must get to more writer cons.

In the meantime, dig up a new agent to query.

Oh, yes, and words truly cannot express how much I am looking forward to Supernatural tonight. YAY! boys.

Comments

[dark-opus.livejournal.com]

Boy, do I understand how hard it is to keep applying the "bootstrap pullup method" when form rejections continue to dribble in. It sounds like you're getting some personalized responses, which, though not an acceptance, is at least a small degree of affirmation and encouragement. Thus, I think you are right on to keep in mind the plethora of tales circulating about umpteen rejections before striking platinum. This industry is very much a right time, right place, right message business that penalizes those without persistence.

[rhienelleth.livejournal.com]

This industry is very much a right time, right place, right message business that penalizes those without persistence.

Yes, publishing gives new meaning to the phrase "Never give up, never surrender!"

Just think how the world might have been deprived of Harry Potter, if Rowling had given up on rejection 15 or so. :)