Rejection

REJECTION!

So I have been shopping my YA fantasy novel for a brief five months, short compared to many. I still receive my fair share of rejections peppered in with some requests for more. 

Each rejection I log on to my tracking program. Watching as the percentages dwindle down with each entry. Needless to say it can run havoc with your self esteem. But since I waited in line several times for self esteem, mine is still in fine shape.  I think this might be the key:

DON'T GIVE UP AND DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! 

Anything worth doing takes time and energy and just because one person says no doesn't mean I am a failure, it just means it wasn't right for them.  RIGHT?!? 

I used to be in sales where rejection was common, but I have to say, I have never 'sold' a piece of me. And that's what my writing is, a piece of me. My white knuckles clenched upon my manuscript, not letting go, but the more you release, the easier it becomes.  

So here is a list of what I am doing while waiting:

• Take criticism, with a grain of salt, of course using it to improve my novel. Remove the 'oh poor me' glasses, and put on reality eye wear.  
• Don't take rejection as a failure. We can all recount stories of other authors who struggled for many years. 
• Begin a new work, each book you write should be better than your last. So I take this to heart! (Plus my new WIP is rocking right now, or at least I think so.)
• Read. Reading makes one a better writer! I don't worry if I will be influenced, I just read!
• Learn/Study - investigate industry terms, and agencies. Ready with a set of questions for when I do get an agent/publisher. 
• I Praise God for allowing me the opportunity to write! I am so blessed to have a husband and family who support what I do and gives me the space to do it.

So what do you do while waiting for good news?  I want to hear it!

Luke1:37 ~ For nothing will be impossible with God.

Query Query Query

I finished my book in the spring of last year, then began editing, fixing, and tinkering with the manuscript, finally I felt it was ready to share with the world.  So I began to figure out my next step - The Query-

Okay, this shouldn't be that hard right, WRONG, it was painful.  I would sit at my desk and read site after site on how to do it, then read query after query.  This query stuff is a hard.

So I began with reading and learning as much as I could about Query's. The right and the wrong way to go about them.  I came up with my first letter and man I thought it was just simply perfect, then I put it up for peer review.  Shredded to pieces, I think my greeting and closing were all that remained after they got done with it.  They were right, of course, it did stink.

So back to the drawing board.  Again, I labored long, laborious hours to achieve the penical of perfection. I read it my family read it, my kids' friends read it.  Until at last I had a stack of discarded query's, but out of that stack came a really nice letter.

So my advice for query writing:

• Read and learn everything you can about query letters.
• Out line your novel, some do it before they even begin their book, but I just don't work that way, so mine was after. 
• Write, re-write often.
• Let the letter sit for a day, don't think about it or read it, just leave it alone. Then read it with fresh eyes. You will be surprised how stupid it sounds or how great it sounds after a day.
• Peer review, but you must have thick skin and be willing to learn and also willing to discard the bad advice. It's a tightrope act.
• My best advice- I had a friend who recently graduated from college with a degree in writing read my query.  She had my interest in mind (unlike some of the peer review websites) and really helped me fix the flaws. Kudos to her!!

Now, I don't think I will ever be done.  I am constantly refining the letter, tailoring it to fit the agent I am sending to.  

So do you have any hints, tricks or secrets to query writing?  If  you do let's hear it!