from EDGE Author Sara Grant
I received
my first rejection letter in March 1982 when I was thirteen years old. Seventeen magazine felt that my poem The Unnoticed Love didn’t quite suit their
current editorial needs. (Is it ironic or just unfair to receive a form
rejection for a poem about being rejected?)
But the dissuasion
started a few years earlier in elementary school when I turned in my first proper
creative writing
assignment. I always knew I wanted to be writer. I was thrilled that at long
last I could demonstrate my skill. I was sure that my teacher would recognize
the genius of my short story titled Adventures
in the Bread Drawer. This would be my moment. My teacher would probably read it aloud to
the class as an example of excellence. This would be the start of my
illustrious writing career.
 |
| My first rejection letter |
But alas
no. When my teacher returned my story, it looked like a study in blood
splatter. My teacher loved grading with a red ballpoint pen. The pages were
covered with glaring red corrections. Back then I couldn’t spell and my grammar and punctuation were rather
– shall I say – inventive. (This was the dark ages before computers – and spell check.) This was my first crushing artistic rejection. (I
shared this anecdote recently at a school assembly and the head teacher came up
to me afterwards and said the same thing happened to her. Young discouraged writers
unite!)
Those were
my first rejections, but they certainly weren’t my last. I’ve received more
than my fair share of rejection letters from agents and editors on both sides
of the Atlantic. I considered them badges of courage. They demonstrated my commitment
to my goal.
The path
to publication can be long and bumpy. I don’t know a writer whose past isn’t
littered with rejection. Tenacity and openness – your willingness to listen and
learn – are the real keys to getting published. I know so many writers who
never finish a novel or worse yet, let a rejection signal the death knell of
their writing careers.
I’ve heard
writers say things to the effect of “I’ll give it a year” or “if I don’t get an
agent with this story, then I give up.” Please don’t. If you want to be a
published writer with every fibre of your being – give it as long as it
takes.
Sure,
getting published is about writing an original and compelling story, but it’s
also a little about luck and a lot about things that are out of a writer’s
control.
So how do
you keep the faith in the face of rejection?
When I
submit a manuscript, I immediately start the next story. Not the next book in
the same series but a brand new original work. I don’t pin all my hopes on one
project. Sometimes we must abandon stories – maybe not forever. (I blogged about leaving my dark past behind.) Maybe in a few years the market will change
or you will discover how to revise your story to make it publishable.
Why not consider
writing something completely different? If writing for teens, experiment with a
story for young readers. If drawn to romance, try horror. You might be
surprised that your writing sparkles when you experiment with an unexpected
genre, or writing for an older audience suits your writing style better. Finding
a publishable story can be similar to singing karaoke. I love Bon Jovi but when
I tried to sing Living on a Prayer it
was an unmitigated disaster. Maybe the stories you enjoy reading aren’t the
stories you should be writing.
One of the
many wonderful things about being a writer is that no writing is ever wasted. The
novel you think will be your ticket to publication may, in fact, be an apprentice
piece that hones your skills and paves the way for the novel that will lift you
from the slush pile. That character you adore might find a home in a future
story. That world you’ve created might simply need new inhabitants.
I often
say I should be the publishing poster-child for ‘never give up’. I received my first rejection letter in 1982 and my first book deal in
2009. My advice: Write with passion. Revise with zeal. Experiment. Read and
learn from fellow writers. Persevere in the face of rejection. Enjoy the act of
writing. And in the words of the 1980s rock band Journey but usurped by the TV
show Glee – Don’t stop believing!
Upcoming Event for Writers
Undiscovered Voices
Submissions are open for Undiscovered Voices – an anthology with the aim of helping writers and
illustrators of children’s fiction find agents, editors and ultimately readers.
Undiscovered Voices has launched the careers of nearly 30 writers and illustrators, who have gone on to publish more than 120 books. These authors have been nominated for and won an amazing array of literary prizes: including the Carnegie Medal, Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize, Branford Boase Award, Blue Peter Award, the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and nearly 30 regional awards.
I’m on the team that organizes the competition. I love watching the submissions roll in and dreaming of the talent we’ll discover. If you are un-agented, unpublished and a member of SCBWI, please submit your work for consideration in Undiscovered Voices. It’s one road to publication – not the only one.
About Sara Grant
Website: www.sara-grant.com
Twitter: @authorsaragrant
No comments:
Post a Comment