Rejected

If there's one thing you learn to handle well as a writer, it's rejection.

Although that can be said for most jobs in the creative world. Acting, directing, writing, sculpting, drawing, etc. all come with a requirement that whoever the creator is had better be prepared to get a million "no"s. I've heard back from two agents and they've both told me that my book wasn't a good fit for them. Which baffles me, because based on their profiles it should have been.

This is an area of the writing life that can be incredibly disheartening. Getting told over and over again that your world isn't meshing with someone can make you re-evaluate everything. That's where doubt begins to run its rampant storm in your mind. What if no one likes it? What if it isn't good enough? What if I never get someone to support me? What if, what if, what if.

What a horrible two word phrase.

Ever notice how 'what ifs' always steer toward the negative? Why can't we say, "What if the book is so awesome that it gets a fanbase of its own and I can't keep up with them all?" Well, I know why we can't say those things. Those sorts of things can be considered "arrogant" and "pompous". I like to think that "what ifs" are the natural progression to keep our egos in check. For some people though, the 'what ifs' are so overwhelmingly frequent that they can't even begin to look on the bright side.

I know everyone hears it, but take it seriously: take rejection with a grain of salt (where did that phrase even come from?). Seriously. You're gonna hear it a lot. Regardless of your field, you will hear it. Rejection is a part of life and sadly, it's gonna be huge part of your book's life too. One day there will be a 'yes', and when that day comes, it won't matter how many 'nos' you got. 'Cause all it takes is one 'yes'.

Currently Editing: Unity
Currently Listening to: "Galaxies" by Owl City