FROM REJECTION TO REJUVINATION

I’m not going to lie, when my last book was rejected—again, I kind of lost my fire. No one wants to publish my novels? Why, oh why, then, am I writing them? It takes tons of time to write a novel. It takes thinking of the idea—writing the rough draft of your idea—being as honest as you can with yourself while critiquing your rough draft.

It takes getting up the nerve to let someone else read your novel that, by this time, you think is pure literary genius. Then, when you get their critique back, you discover that your manuscript is NOT literary genius. So, you get out your computer and make more and more changes.

By then, you’ve gone with your inspiration, you’ve taken advice, you’ve checked and re-checked your grammar, you’ve read several books on how to write books and tried your best to make sure that your novel has structure, a definite beginning, a middle, and a super-exciting climactic ending—and that each chapter starts and ends in an interesting way. Then, thinking that this time you really do have it, by Jove, you hunt down another critiquer or two.

I’ve been in this editing cycle for seven years now (on this particular novel), so you can see why the air in my author-balloon kinda fizzled out.

After a month or so of pouting, I just cannot let it go. I AM AN AUTHOR. I AM AN AUTHOR. I AM AN AUTHOR. This is how I know—even though I have not found a traditional publisher, I still want to write. I still need to finish my stories. What if I died tomorrow and all I left behind was five unfinished stories? The thought sickens me.

And so I write.

One of my cyber-buddies, Christine Bryant has inadvertently helped me in this process as she is going through her own journey. She has decided to go “Indie”. I’d never heard the term before, but I like it. I will try one more time (with this particular novel) to find a traditional publisher, after that, I’m going Indie—or independent. Yeah, baby!!!

The Literary Rejection

I finished novel one of my Danish sister novels and sent it to Covenant for their consideration in June. Unlike my other submissions, I had high hopes for this one. I’ve worked on it so long and so hard trying to meld it into a really good novel. Some of you can understand then, the heartbreak of rejection I felt when, barely a month later and just before we moved, I got my rejection email.


“Dear Ms. Scott,

Thank you for submitting Farewell, My Denmark. After careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that it is not something that fits our publishing needs. We appreciate the skills, effort, and time that have gone into preparing your manuscript.

Best wishes in your future writing endeavors.

Sincerely,

The Editors

Somehow, I think being rejected by email is worse than getting a letter. When I read this, I envisioned them treating my manuscript the same way that I’d treat a stinky, cloth diaper—one that’s also soaking wet. I was devastated. I cried like a three-year-old who’d just experienced the loss of a pet.

Discouragement—I’ve come to know the feeling so well. Not only in my writing life and my artistic life, but my family life as well. It’s all grown together to form a large, sticky mass surrounding me and my endeavors.

How does one relieve themselves of the anti-life-form of discouragement? Shall I be discouraged then, until someone grabs up my novel and eagerly publishes it—or until all of my children learn to be good citizens and valiant in their faith?

That would be a pointless waste of my time, and my life. I must rise above the goo.