The Courage To Move Beyond Rejection by Mary Alford

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?

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Christian Book ~ Pelican Book Group

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

It Starts with a Dream by Mary Alford

Mary Alford

Most success stories don’t happen overnight. For many, it takes years of perseverance and hard work. But our goals can only be reached when we refuse to give up on our dreams. Author Mary Alford shares how her dreams finally came true. 

~ Dawn

It Starts with a Dream

by Mary Alford

It starts with just a simple thing … the dream.

I was about seven years old when my dream began. It started when I read my first Nancy Drew mystery and knew that I wanted to create stories when I grew up. That was it. Career settled. Life put neatly into place.

If only it were that simple. Fastforward six years and then I discovered Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt and became hooked on the romantic suspense genre. I had no idea when I decided to write that I was about to embark on a dream that would last a lifetime.

In the beginning, writing was a trial and error experience for me. I confess I tried other genres in the process before I came back to my first love, inspirational romantic suspense. Some wise author once told me, write what you enjoy reading and then perfect it. In other words, if you don’t read contemporary romance, then don’t try to write it.

Fast forward again many years later. For me, my ten years of writing came down to just five minutes in the spotlight. In 2012, I entered the Speed Dating Contest that editor Emily Rodmell hosted, and I was one of the lucky ones who got an appointment to chat with Emily. On the day of the pitch, I was on vacation in Colorado. At our cabin, internet service is nonexistent. I could have given up and said, well, that’s it, better luck next time, but I didn’t. My husband and I drove into the small town of Pagosa Springs where I did the entire chat on my laptop in the parking lot of the Ace Hardware Store.

Emily was kind enough to request a synopsis, although I was so nervous she probably didn’t understand anything I told her. I promptly sent the synopsis out to her. Then she requested the first three chapters followed by the full manuscript. With each request, I tried not to get my hopes up.

In December 2012, Emily called. To this day, I can’t tell you what she said to me other than that she wanted to buy FORGOTTEN PAST for Love Inspired Suspense. It was a surreal moment. One that still hasn’t fully sunken in yet. It's a great feeling to have your dream become a reality and even greater to hold your book in your hands.         

So my advice is simple to anyone whose dream is to become a published author. Keep writing through all the bruises and tough breaks the publishing industry can dish out (did you notice I said it took me ten years of writing seriously to become a published author?). Don’t give up when life gets in the way and makes it seem like your dream is a near impossible feat to accomplish. Keep writing because if you’re a writer that’s all you can do.    

Tweetables:

It starts with just a simple thing … the dream. Click to tweet.

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Don’t give up when life gets in the way and makes it seem like your dream is a near impossible feat to accomplish. Click to tweet.

Forgotten Past

Forgotten Past

Forgotten memories.  How can you have a future if you can’t remember your past?

Two years ago, Faith McKenzie died. The woman who came back to life after a brutal attack that took her memory and the life of her best friend, Rachel Jennings, wasn’t the same person who died. Faith doesn’t recognize the woman she’s become. In fact, she doesn’t remember a single thing about her life before waking up in a hospital room in Austin, Texas and being told how close to death she’d come. Although her doctors believe the amnesia is temporary, when weeks turn into months, the detectives working her case are convinced Faith is hiding something significant about Rachel’s murder. A few days after her release from the hospital, someone begins calling Faith’s apartment. At first, it’s just a couple of random hang-ups, until one day Faith hears the words that send her running for her life.

Reviews:

Romantic Times: 4 1/2 Stars!

Fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action and false leads make this a keeper that gets more engaging as the story progresses. Faith is a strong character who shows that, despite insurmountable odds, God is in control.

--Marion Faith Laird

Where you can purchase Forgotten Past: Amazon; Harlequin

Mary Alford is a Texan whose debut novel, FORGOTTEN PAST is now available at Love Inspired Suspense. When Mary’s not dreaming up people in dangerous situations and writing them down, she’s also a mom, wife, grandmother, avid reader, a proud geek-girl. For occasional updates and news about upcoming publications, please go to the contact form on her website: www.MaryAlford.net and subscribe to her newsletter!

You can learn more and connect with Mary here:

Website: www.MaryAlford.net

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mary.alford.1272.  

Twitter: @MaryAlford12

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29757134-mary-alford