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I think every writer has heard stories about someone somewhere getting his book turned down for publication ten or fifteen or twenty times before finally hitting pay dirt and landing that big publishing contract.
Are you kidding? I get that many turn-downs before breakfast! My e-mail In-Box literally sags beneath the weight. My eyes roll around my head at the sight.
Of course, not all of those rejections are of the actual work itself. A lot of them are from editors rejecting the proposal without ever laying eyes on |
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the manuscript. You know, the topic isn't right or the timing is off or we recently published a similar work. You've heard it all before. Still, no matter the reason, that's a lot of rejection for one person to take in stride.
And that got me to thinking: Is there a better way? Is there a way of writing a book without having to go through so many turn-downs?
If there is, I haven't found it. And I've been fortunate enough to have published a ton of books in my lifetime. I've done so through sheer persistence. If an editor doesn't like one of my books because the topic is wrong for the moment, I shelve it and wait for a more propitious time. Or I tinker with it until it's right. And then I move onto pitching my next book.
As you might have guessed, I always have more than one book in the hopper at any given time. More like 20 or 30 in various stages of development. So if one doesn't seem right for the day, I'll drag another out of mothballs, freshen it up a bit, hone it to fit the times, and start plugging.
I can't imagine having only one or two projects going at a time. I don't see how any writer can possibly make it as a full-time freelancer that way. Even if you're fortunate enough to land a publishing contract for one of your books, sooner or later, that book will be published, run through its sales cycle, and quit generating income. And you'll be scurrying around looking for your next big score.
No, I like to have a backup book (or twenty) behind me. Makes me feel a little more secure, a little less panicky. When that editor takes a look at one of my offerings and comes back with, "I'm afraid this didn't grab me the way I had hoped it would," I want to be able to say, "Well, how about this one then?"
But, of course, that's just me and the way I work. Everybody, I'm sure, does it differently. Until someone finds a better, more expeditious, more predictable way of freelancing, I guess I'll keep on plodding through those rejection slips.
In the meantime...
Smoke if you got 'em.
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