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Rejection Is Part of the Job

By October 30, 20102 Comments

I’m still trying to find a publisher for my first book of memoirs, a series of personal experience essays about my dating experiences. I had high hopes for a publisher that specialized in nonfiction with a strong female voice, but I received a personal rejection letter from the publisher saying it found my project “very compelling” and said, “we were impressed with your candid, and often humorous, descriptions…” and yet it went on to say “our most recent titles include quite a few memoirs, which means we’ll have to hold off on acquiring any more projects in that genre for the next several seasons.”

A personal rejection letter is rare these days, but rejection still sucks. I still have several other queries still out, and I know that even J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was rejected by most major publishers before a small house took a risk and published 1,000 copies, half of which went to libraries. The rest is history. See http://io9.com/5668053/15-classic-science-fiction-and-fantasy-novels-that-publishers-rejected for other great books that were rejected so many times they almost didn’t get published, like War of the Worlds and Animal Farm. We writers must never give up. Success could be right around the corner.

For those who asked, the latest figure on my weight loss is 37 pounds. I’m not calling it a diet, but a healthy food plan, instead. Follow my weight-loss blog, full of my experiences and tips you might like at http://dontyoudarecallitadiet.blogspot.com/.

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Bobbie Christmas

Bobbie Christmas

Editor Bobbie Christmas is your book doctor. She can also be your mentor, ghostwriter, copywriter, and writing and publishing consultant. After spending decades writing and editing for a living, Bobbie became a much-sought-after seminar and workshop leader. She began Zebra Communications in 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia, to provide professional editing services to publishers and to writers like you.

2 Comments

  • Lisa Ricard Claro says:
    November 8, 2010 at 10:38 pm

    Hi Bobbie – I receive your newsletter, but this is the first time I've visited your blog.

    Congrats on your weight loss!

    I purchased your book, Write in Style, last year and learned so much. I recommend it to people all the time.

    Thanks for the reminder that success could be just around the corner. Perseverance is a virtue, that's for sure.

    Thanks for your insights!

    Reply
  • CabinWriter-- says:
    November 22, 2010 at 11:36 am

    I must admit at the Gulf Coast Writers conference recently I met another "Book Doctor" took one look at her and said, "You look wonderful" thinking all the time you had lost that weight! Never looked or thought her name. What a surprise. I, too, have a book needing editing based on one high school boyfriend– now many, as I wasn't the date every guy wanted. Let a bit more time pass and everything in "the old days" will appeal to the editors.

    Reply

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