Comments on: Rejection vs. Failure

By: Linda Gartz

Linda Gartz — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 01:57:09 +0000

Hi Annette,

I came across your essay as I was exploring the SWP site. I know exactly how you feel. I actually had been working on my memoir, one way or another (research, reading thousands of pages of letters and diaries, trying to decide what the focus should be; writing and rewriting) for more than 10 years (with some hiatuses in between, often just STUCK – but I always came back to it. When I had written it start to finish, and it was 135,000 words, I knew I needed help – and reached out to a writing instructor to just tell me what didn’t fit. That started in 2013 – and many drafts later, I just went right to SWP, after pitching to several agents at a writing conference. They all liked the idea, but it came down to: “How many twitter followers do you have.” Ugh. I like having some input too. Congrats on your wonderful book.

By: Rosemary Rudland

Rosemary Rudland — Sun, 23 Jul 2017 20:13:53 +0000

Congrats, Annette, your article is a great boost. I live in France where French friends and potential French agents are crying out for me to translate my books myself but it means I’ve got to rewrite them. Scary, but a challenge. Keep on the good work!

By: Bethany Reid

Bethany Reid — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 14:11:00 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing your journey. I’ve been working on — of circling back to — a book for 10 years and one more story of “instant” success is not what I need to hear. Company on the road, yes!

By: Dori Jones Yang

Dori Jones Yang — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 05:06:42 +0000

Thanks for writing this heartfelt piece. Your story is my story, your pain my pain, your frustration my frustration. There is something seriously wrong with the traditional agent/publisher path. Hurrah to She Writes Press and its authors for being part of the solution!

By: Lynette Benton

Lynette Benton — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 22:15:12 +0000

What an incisive article. I loved reading it (though I felt terrible reading it)! There’s so much in it that I’m still digesting your words, and admiring your persistence, and the solution you finally hit on. Best of luck with your new book! I’m eager to read it.

By: Annette Gendler

Annette Gendler — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 23:00:37 +0000

In reply to Linda Strader. Congrats, Linda, that you rewrote and did finally land a publisher. What a long road! You're right though, I wouldn't have been satisfied either had I not tried to find an agent.

By: Linda Strader

Linda Strader — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 17:47:09 +0000

I can so relate to your story here! Except I’m the one that initiated the rewrite after many, many rejections. And I’m so glad I did. Because I got it right this time. I started querying again, tenaciously, and landed a book deal with a small publisher a couple of months ago. I queried over 200 agents during a long and challenging 4 years-and later 50 agents and small publishers with the rewrite.

I think it was worth a shot to find an agent. I don’t think I would have been satisfied had I not tried.

Congratulations for hanging in there and for landing a book contract!