There must be some value to all this hurtful no-thanks, right?
Of course there is. It’s a clear sign that you’re on the right track. Why? Because a huge majority of the people calling themselves writers are not sending anything out to anyone.
Sure, if you try, you might fail. And I do. Frequently. But the surest way to fail is to not even try… every day that you don’t try, you have already failed. And the only way to succeed is to put yourself through the risks.
Like every writer (EVERY writer) I get lots of rejections, and they hurt. But it’s worth it. This is a labor of love. Love is always worth the risk.
Pain lets you know you’re alive.
It’s not easy for me. I was looking over what I have finished and realized that I have more than 10 completed works that I still think are good enough to submit. They range from short stories to novellas to full length novels, and cross all kinds of genres. Why am I not submitting these works?
Partly it’s because I’m not the world’s most organized person. Once I have motivation (someone liking my work, or asking to see more, etc) I am really going to keep on top of everything. I’ve never failed to turn in revisions on time, or not meet my professional obligations, or screwed up on a deadline. It’s the initial submission process that is hard for me to get started on… actually putting things in the mail.
Partly it’s because query letters and synopses are hard to write. I have a head start on the synopsis thing, thanks to my work on the blurb team for another publisher. I have some experience thinking in terms of condensation and snappy word hooks. But it’s still not the easiest part of writing!
But these can’t be the whole story. Perhaps some self-image issues. In any case, I hereby swear to do better and submit some things!
