No matter what stage we're at on the writing journey, we face rejection of our work. Today, author Mary Alford shares what she's learned to help us through the experience. -- Sandy
Mary: We writers are an interesting breed. We see stories
everywhere we look. We pour our blood, sweat, and tears into every story. For
us, writing is very personal.
Today, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned
on my journey to becoming a published author and how I’ve learned to move
beyond the dreaded rejection letter.
1: You Have To Finish
The Book
After weeks and sometimes months, if not years of polishing
and stressing over every single word, you finally limp towards the finish line.
You type those fulfilling two words. The End. Now what?
2: It Takes Courage
To Submit
So now that you’ve worked up the courage to submit for the
first time, where do you go to look for the perfect fit for your manuscript?
Having a circle of published authors who were willing to
share their experiences with me was an invaluable part in my learning process. And
some great places to go for resources is Romance Writers Of America, and, if
you write Christian Fiction, American Christian Fiction Writers.
3: It’s Okay To Cry
The day finally arrives. The one you’ve waited on for so
long. Only the news is not what you expected. You’ve just received the worst
thing any writer can get. The dreaded rejection letter.
Dear Ms. ________ Thank you for your submission.
Unfortunately, it’s not what we’re looking for….
Those are the hardest words to hear. It’s almost like
getting punched in the gut. It hurts. The manuscript you worked so lovingly on
has been rejected.
Take it from me, someone who has received MANY rejections
along the way, cut yourself some slack and realize is okay to cry, (remember
when I said writing was personal?).
If you’re lucky, the editor will have taken the time to give
you some advice on what worked and what didn’t in their opinion. Some
rejections are simply form letters. Those are hard because you have no idea
really what you did wrong.
4: Don’t Take It
Personally
Easier said than done, I know. When you receive a rejection
letter, the hardest thing to do is not take it personally because that’s
exactly how it feels.
The reality is, the editor isn’t rejecting you as a writer,
they are simply letting you know the story you submitted didn’t work for them
at that time. Sometimes it a matter of having another story similar to yours
already under contract.
I wish that I could tell you that I breezed right through
every single one of my rejections and didn’t let them get to me, but that
wouldn’t be the truth. There were several that made me cry. Some made me angry.
All were learning tools.
5: Every Book
Deserves A Second Chance
The real challenge for every writer, it to pick yourself up
after you receive a rejection, and keep going. Don’t stop, because it isn’t
personal…its writing.
All the best…
Mary Alford
What gets you going again when those rejections get you down?
~~~~~~
About Grace And The Rancher:
Grace Bradford is living a lie. To the world she has the
perfect life: A promising country music career and a husband who adores her.
But her husband isn't the man everyone believes him to be. When a car accident
widows her and ends her career, Grace escapes to Delaney Mountain. But moving
to the remote town doesn't wipe away the ugly secret of her marriage. Kyle
Delaney never intended to return to Delaney Mountain, but he promises his dying
father that he'll turn their land into a working cattle ranch. He uproots his
life in Austin, sells his flourishing business as a music agent, and returns to
the Colorado town of his childhood. Can a runaway singer and a makeshift
rancher, thrust together by circumstance and held together by the common thread
of loss and a love of music, find hope and a happily-ever-after under the stars
of Delaney Mountain?
Mary Alford grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well
not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit
younger than her brothers and sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain
herself. Making up stories seem to come natural to her. As a pre-teen, Mary
discovered Christian romance novels and knew instinctively that was what she
wanted to do with her over-active imagination. She wrote her first novel as a
teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never
really pursued her writing career seriously until 2012 when she entered the
Love Inspired Speed Dating contest and sold her first Love Inspired Suspense,
Forgotten Past.
You can connect with Mary on her website:
http:www.maryalford.net, or on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/mary.alford.1272
