Rejection and Resilience

I think it's the secret hope of every aspiring author that the moment we place our work on the proverbial altar of prospective publishers, someone will snatch it up immediately. We know the odds are slim to none—but the possibility exists, and so we leap. To those lucky few who have been plucked from obscurity on their first try . . . may I come breathe your air? Perhaps some of your magic will rub off on me.

When I received two rejection letters in one day (What are the chances of that? It has to be some sort of record.), even after more pages had already been requested, I was disappointed. Okay, fine, I was beyond disappointed. (Link to my video on the five stages of grief.) I mean, they didn't even get to the best part!

But this is just part of the process. Or so says my husband . . .

Honestly, I'm grateful that one of them took the time to explain why they felt the way they did. And darn it all . . . maybe they were right.

So, it's back to editing. Back to researching. Back to learning from others more experienced than I. Back to putting myself out there and reservedly asking people to read and give feedback.

Goodness, do I have so much more respect for those who have gone through this process and survived.

Blood, sweat, and tears, my friend. Blood, sweat, and tears.