The best part of being a writer, perhaps not surprisingly, is writing. You?re invested, you’re creative, you get to express yourself and have fun. As a writer, you are the lord of the page. What you say, goes. It ain’t half bad.
What can be less fun is the business side of publishing. Finding an agent, getting published. Given the nature of publishing, there?s just an inherent mound of rejection that comes with it, just like with actors or musicians or any other arts-type activity. Getting The best part of being a writer, perhaps not surprisingly, is writing. You?re invested, you’re creative, you get to express yourself and have fun. As a writer, you are the lord of the page. What you say, goes. It ain’t half bad.
What can be less fun is the business side of publishing. Finding an agent, getting published. Given the nature of publishing, there?s just an inherent mound of rejection that comes with it, just like with actors or musicians or any other arts-type activity. Getting accepted into the club often depends upon the whimsy of others?and oh, what fun that is.
When you get in … it is fun. Way fun. Getting rejection notices … less fun. And like most writers, I?ve got a huge pile of them, sort of a badge of honor, so that when you finally break through you can say, ?see, I made it through all this and now I?m here.?
I?ve had a few things published over the years, and it always feels good. And I certainly have my stack of rejection letters. Truthfully, none of them are fun to get, but they don?t all sting that much. Sometimes you go approach an agent or a publisher thinking that it?s a long-shot anyway, or it?s probably not a great fit, but, oh, what the hell, go for it anyway.
But sometimes it stings. It can really take the wind out of your sails now and again. It just happened to me. After sending out my revised query, and feeling good about it, a fairly prominent agency asked me to see 50 pages of Finders Keepers. And it was a neat little letter, too, with exclamation points and everything.
So there I was, all excited?trying not to get too excited?spending several days feverishly re-reading my manuscript to make sure it was as neat and tight as I could get it. And then I dropped it in the mail, really wanting this to be the one, and then hoping for the best. Feeling like, maybe this one could be it. Don?t want to get too overanxious, but I?m feeling the vibe. It’s the most optimistic I’ve been through the entire process.
And then the email came. That dreaded note with the phrase ?… but unfortunately, we didn’t feel your project would allow us effectively to represent you …?
… Sigh …
I know that every [i]no [/i]just gets me one step closer to a [i]yes[/i], but right now?in this moment?it stings, I?m a bit deflated. I hate this part.
By tomorrow or the next day, I?ll be just fine. I?ll be right back at it, as always, getting those letters out and doing what I love to do most?writing. I mean, [i]man[/i] I love to write. It?s a part of me. It?s who I am. And no amount of ?unfortunately? letters could ever take that away.
Getting published and writing are mutually exclusive. You don’t have to get published to keep writing. And I’ll write no matter what. It’s just that times like these remind me of those differences–that writing is one thing, getting published is another. And if I want both, I have to be willing to deal with both. The ups and downs. The excitement and bummer.
Today was a bummer.
Tomorrow’s a new day.
