For the Unpublished

I guess this is for the people who have spent months, perhaps years, writing their stories. Their tomes.

Then, flush with triumph, they send it with roses and expectations to an agent or a publisher, and wait anxiously for the call confirming what they already knew, that the next great writer has been found.

But then the first rejection comes in.

Devastation.

But, gritting their teeth, the plucky authors send out another query, another submission, another hope.

Weeks later, rejection.

The writers despair, but then re-write the beginning chapter, maybe adding some action. More time is spent in the crafting of the perfect query letter.

So with new courage, the new submissions go out.

And come back, or, in some cases, don't come back, as more and more agents follow the 'only reply if interested' approach.

After dozens and dozens of these minor, though major to them, defeats, the despondent writers wonder if perhaps they aren't as good as they thought, or as their readers (friends and relatives) thought.

Some quit. Some grit their teeth and gamely soldier on, trying to get their story into the public, others move to the next project. They know that authors who are famous today knew their own defeats. Some best selling authors have their own boxes of rejections. Harry Potter was rejected by a number of publishers. How do these publishers feel today?

So today let's rejoice for the stories that never are read. The stories that are deemed unworthy by the publishing gods. And I tell you, no matter what, if you enjoy writing...

Write!

Norm

www.normcowie.com