Hang in There

I just got my first official rejection of my newest book, A Dead Tomato Plant and a Paycheck. This is the humorous memoir I have been working on for about six months, and I recently finished the first draft and a proposal. The next step was to start sending queries to agents, which I did early in December.

The other day, I received a response from the first agent on my list with a pass. Interestingly enough, her response had a few typos. Hmmm..... Maybe it is just as well. So now, the query is out again. Attacking the marketplace is the best antidote I have found for the "rejection blues."

That same day, I received a message from my grandson that he had just been turned down by another publisher. So we could do the "poor me's" together for a while until I told him to just hang in there and send it out again. Or maybe send it out again and just hang in there.

In sort of a serendipitous moment, I just found this charming post on the Guide to Literary Agents blog written by by Abhijit Dasgupta, executive editor of India Today magazine, In the post, titled The Tale of My Novel, Two Agents, and Three Continents, Dasgupta chronicles his attempts to acquire representation in an enjoyable read. Not only is it funny and insightful, it also stresses the importance of not giving up.

Hear, hear. Tenacity is still the greatest strength a writer can have in this challenging world of publishing.

What do you think? How often do you consider quitting, only to bolster your muse and get back at the keyboard?

Guest Blooging Today

I'm a guest today at the blog for Backspace.org, which is a site filled with good articles, resources and advice for writers. The blog site is called and my topic today is tenacity.

A long time ago I learned that tenacity is as important for success as a writer as talent. So many writers get discouraged and give up, and I understand the temptation. The rejections, the steep uphill climb to get published, the demands of promoting, and all the other not-so-glamorous aspects of the writing game can wear anyone down.

I have been lucky to know some writers who have persevered despite even greater challenges, and their examples have kept me going when I was ready to throw in the towel.