Pumped!
This blog entry is a 180 degree turn-around from my last one. I've gone from blah to ah -- and I have to tell you, ah is a much better place to be.
When I published my first book, I thought I was on my way. The publishing door had opened, and I was on the inside. It was a nice dream while it lasted, which was about as long as it took for my second novel to get rejected. Say what? How could that happen? THUD! With one ego-smashing rejection, I plummeted from the clouds and did a painful faceplant in reality.
Lesson learned? One published novel does not a writer make.
Eleven years and twelve published books later, not much has changed. I still get rejected. On a regular basis, actually, and generally much faster. Now most editors and publishers know my name, which means my submissions usually jump the slush pile and go right to a main editor. So, instead of taking three months or more to be rejected, I can get my manuscript back in a mere six weeks.
Many writers shred those nasty little letters the second they pop out of their envelopes -- or do a fast delete if they arrive by email -- but not me. I save them. No, I am not a masochist. I actually use those rejections to bolster my damaged ego during particularly bad spells. For instance, I can pull out the rejections for The Gramma War and sneer, "Oh, yeah. Well, I bet you publishers who rejected this book are sorry now!" (That novel was very successful, and after being rejected by a number of publishers, was picked up by Orca just three weeks after I submitted it.) Knowing other books I've written have gone on to do well after being rejected by various publishing houses, gives me the will to put myself out there one more time. Rejections also help me to improve my writing. Though I don't necessarily act upon all editors' suggestions, I do take them into consideration. The way I look at it is -- if an editor takes the time to give me feedback, I'm going to think about it. And, truthfully, a lot of times it has helped me to improve a story before I send it to the next publisher on the list.
At the moment, though, the rejections have slowed, and I'm riding a wave. Lots of wonderful writing opportunities are coming my way, and I'm feeling good. Oh, sure, I know that what goes up must come down, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the high.