Being an author can mean joy one minute and agony the next. It’s not an easy job most of the time. Oh, there’s nothing like the feeling of successfully publishing a book and holding that first copy in your hands… looking down at your name and feeling such a sense of accomplishment, Nothing quite compares.
On the other hand, when you write your heart out, complete the manuscript that you think is going to be “it”–the one that makes your mark in the literary world and you get rejected, it’s a horrible, defeating feeling. You write in the same style you’ve always written, but the house to whom you’ve submitted doesn’t like gerunds or adverbs. There isn’t enough sexual tension, your characters aren’t deep enough, but, oh you’ve done a great job of avoiding head hopping and your sentence structure is clean. One person can make or break your chance, and that’s pretty disheartening.
What happened to panels? Shouldn’t more than one person get to choose what’s accepted and what’s not. We all have such vast opinions. Who is that one person to tell me that my ending wasn’t what she expected. Actually, that’s what I was shooting for…an ending that no one saw coming. Oh well, it doesn’t matter, now I have to decide what to do next.
First I have to dust off my feelings and remind myself that everyone gets rejections. Even the big dogs have binders of them. I don’t. I’ve had the good fortune to have all except one story accepted on first try, so this was a bitter pill. The only other rejection I received was on my debut/swan song Erotica. The reason given: my heroine had an affair and some readers might find that offensive. This from a publisher who offers sex with werewolves, aliens, shifters and mummies, and most likely in any bodily orifice available, but something that happens every day in real life is offensive. Really? I’m pretty turned off by intimacy between a hairy beast with drippings fangs. Give me a choice of cheating or boffing an alien, and I have an affair any day. *lol* Luckily, my second query resulted in a contract, but as I said, the book was my one and only Erotica. They’re just too hard to write. How many ways can you describe genitalia?
So, as I search through submission guidelines for new places to submit my manuscripts, I try to remain positive, knowing every story will please someone, somewhere. It’s just tedious weeding through the jungle to find that one person who’ll be in the right frame of mind when he/she reads my synopsis. Sometimes, being an author is like an mosquito bite you have a hard time scratching. It’s annoying until you find the right way to contort yourself just enough to quell the itch. I sometimes have a hard time explaining why I continue to try to establish myself as an author, and answers aren’t always forthcoming, especially if I’m stressed and tired. I usually fall back on the real reason I keep typing away… because I love what I do, and I can’t wait to see where I’ll travel with the characters in my next novel or story.
You’re right, it should be decided by panels because I cannot agree with you more than everyone has different opinions. Some books that I’ve extremely disliked, are some of the highest rated on Goodreads, and then on the other end there have been books I’ve loved that have really low ratings on Goodreads.
We’re all different and it shouldn’t be one person deciding the fate of your book.
Good luck though! I can imagine it’s really hard to go through the submitting/rejection process. Keep on girl, you can do it! 😉
~ Sarah ♥ I’m Loving Books
I agree about the panels. Someone’s hardwork shouldn’t be dismissed because on a certaain day where many things are going on, someone has a deadline and hurries to review a manuscript. Hellooo. Some periodic days I don’t like my own work but if I wait the next day or even later in the same day, I’ll discover I was just in a mood. Still…having a thick skin is key in this business and I’m excited that not only you’re here now but hosted by one of my favorite authors of all time.
I think finding an audience be it reviewer for submissions, or buying audience for the end product is like rolling dice…subjective and dependent on a lot of luck.
For me, perhaps because I did not write with the anticipation of ever having anyone but immediate friends and family read my ramblings, the publication process is not as nerve wracking. Each new contract is a major surprise.
As for rejections, and yes, I’ve gotten them too, my own don’t phase me. I shrug and return them to my writing folder, but my daughter’s THOSE I will sweat and cry over until we have managed to bring them up to snuff. I am and always will be a writer, but I’m a Mom first and only then do I worry about the published author phase of my writing.
Hi, Claudine,
You don’t sound mean – just frustrated ;^)
I console myself about rejections by reminding myself that if an acquisition editor didn’t want a particular story, that probably means that was a good place to publish it. These days, especially, you’ll have lots of other chances. It’s just a temporary setback.
Warmly,
Lisabet