How many rejections does it take for you to give up? Ten? Twenty? Forty? Kathryn Stockett, author of the bestselling novel The Help, didn’t give up after even sixty rejections: “The point is, I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being …
Whether you are seeking publication or agent representation or just a blog audience, try overcoming your natural fear of rejection by thinking of your words as a gift that may please some (some is enough) readers. Offering that gift is an act not of hubris but of humility and generosity.
Ben Myers, in a piece in the Guardian yesterday on the public role of the private writer, bemoans the fact that “we’re living in era where a writer can’t just write. They have to be out there.” No kidding. Last spring I attended a local writers’ conference. I hadn’t been to one in a few …
“Publishing doesn’t change your life or make it easier to write.” ~ Heather Sellers I just finished reading Page after Page, by Heather Sellers, and while I’m going to wait to post a full review, today I want to share a passage from the latter part of the book. Heather writes that, on average, each …