Yesterday, we talked about rejection—what it means and what it doesn’t mean. Today, I’d like to discuss rejection as a barometer. How many rejections can you handle? What number of rejections signal to you that maybe your project isn’t all that good? When do you quit under the pressure of rejections? At what point do you stop sending out your book manuscript or pitching your amazing article idea or short story? Is it 5, 10, 100?
For one woman it was 16. After her book manuscript had been rejected 16 times, she threw it a funeral. I know others who give up after only a few rejections. And still others are showing their manuscripts around after years and years of rejection.
Not every hopeful author has this kind of endurance. And not everyone gives up completely.
The many (85 at last count) fee-based POD “not” self publishing companies are eagerly waiting in the wings for authors to fail, so they can pick up the pieces and lure them into their publishing contracts. Thousands of authors, eager to be published, sign on the dotted line.
Which author are you? Would you quit cold turkey and give up altogether? Would you sign with the first “POD” company that comes along? Wait! You have another choice.
If you can’t get even an inkling of interest from appropriate publishers, if agents are refusing to represent you, maybe this is a message you should pay attention to. Maybe there is something wrong with your project, the way it is being presented or YOU. I don’t mean there is something wrong with you—but, perhaps, in the way you are presenting or representing yourself.
If you are sick of being rejected, don’t give up. That’s sort of like throwing the baby out with the water, isn’t it? I mean, maybe you have the essence of a viable product and it just needs to be more well developed. Maybe your idea or your presentation is lacking something. Perhaps you are targeting the wrong audience or you haven’t really thought through the purpose for this book. Maybe you haven’t achieved the self-help aspect that you promise in your description or your story doesn’t move along smoothly or fast enough for today’s readers.
Have you established your platform? When you present your proposal to publishers or agents, do you stand apart from the other authors because of your outstanding platform and succinct marketing plan? Or have you even prepared a proposal at all?
You’ve been reading and hearing for years that there’s a tremendous amount of competition within the publishing industry. Well, multiply that by dozens or hundreds today. The economy has put hugely increasing pressure on hopeful authors to present the absolute best manuscript possible—one that is needed or desired and that you back it up with your willingness and ability to aggressively promote it.
If you have received rejection after rejection for your book or article manuscript or idea and you’d like another opinion as to its viability, contact me, Patricia Fry, for a free evaluation.
PLFry620@yahoo.com.
Whether you are thinking about writing a book for publication, you are in the process of writing it, you are pitching it to publishers or you are marketing a book, this is the time when you should be reading my book, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.” Think you can’t afford it? You can’t afford not to read it. Without the information, perspective and resources in this book, you are liable to make some costly and embarrassing mistakes. Order it here:
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html