How to Avoid the Rejection Blues
At least 100 times. This is an estimate of the number of times my first novel was rejected before it was picked up by the Champagne Book Group. Please, never let being rejected stop you from reaching your dreams.
The paths to our goals are seldom easy. The road is often filled with curves, pot holes, even moats with crocodiles. But,quite often, there’s a way to get to where we want to be. Herearemy top 5 ways to avoid the rejection blues:
1-Validate your feelings. It’s okay to be upset, angry, scared…any feeling you have is valid. Tell yourself that you accept that you feel this way. You can also validate your feelings by acknowledging them and saying to yourself, “It will be alright. We will find a way to deal with this.” It may seem silly,but trying to discount the way you feel could actually hurt your chance of success. You could pretend rejections don’t bother you at all—but this could lead to discounting the importance of your goal.
2-Be accurate. One rejection—even 50 rejections - does not mean everyone and everyplace will pass on your novel. It just means this place did. Be accurate when you think about each rejection. Perhaps the publishing house you submitted to is only accepting books from authors that have an agent-and you don’t. They might infrequently work with your genre. The truth may also be you knew your book needed another round of editing and you rushed to send it in. Don’t assume a bunch of negatives. Analyze the situation with accuracy.
3-Look for the positive. If your rejection came with a critique, capitalize on it. Maybe they are asking you to change something and resubmit it. This type of rejection gave me great encouragement. Someone in the industry took the time to comment. With my first book, Camouflage, I resubmitted my book 3 times to the same publishing house based on their comments. I ended up not working with thembecause I received another offer, but having a publishing house waiting for my rewrites helped keep my spirits up. If you receive a form letter rejection, cross them off your list. At least you don’t have to wait any longer for their answer.
4-For every one rejection-send out two more queries. Many times, after I received a rejection, I would look for two more places to send my novel. This kept my spirits up because it kept the momentum going. It was encouraging to find new agents and publishing houses that wanted books in my genre.
5-Change your focus. The truth is you only have to live in the world of the “rejection blues” if you focus for an extended period on the rejection. Once you validate your feelings,try any of the suggestions above. I’ve had my fair share of publishers and agents turn down my book, but I kept my focus on finding the right home for it—and in time,the door opened.
Ivy Keating
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Date of Publication: March 22, 2021
ASIN: B08Y81T7C4
Number of pages: 268
Word Count: 82,700
Cover Artist: Sevannah Storm
Tagline: The time for hiding is over.
Book Description:
The fearsome Dark King of Bounten, with a magical creature known as a Valomere by his side, is on a quest to find the rare metal tarilium. His brutal ways incite the powerful psychic Allani. But when news of his plans to invade the kingdom of Attaveer spread, a new opponent emerges---Sarana, the daughter of a farmer…or is she?
At birth Sarana was sentenced to death for her "cursed" white hair. The delivery nurse, Meriden, whisked the fair-haired babe to a loving home across the waters from Bounten. Her entire life she hid her appearance to avoid prejudice. Things changed when she discovered she too had a Valomere. She strived to learn the creature's magic and master fighting skills with the hope of becoming a warrior. Her dreams came true when she was allowed to join the Attaveerian king's network of spies--a group poised to help defend the kingdom from an invasion by the Dark King and his powerful army.
When word of the white-haired messenger reached the Dark King he vowed to stop at nothing to capture or kill his opponent.
The time for hiding is over.
Can Sarana save herself and her kingdom? Follow Sarana from death to destiny as she joins forces with psychics, Valomeres, and the power of inner strength, to defeat an evil king.
Bewitching Exclusive Excerpt:
Cabe moved
closer and put his arm around her. “Are you afraid?”
“Of what?”
“Of war.”
“Yes.”
“What scares you
the most?”
“That I’ll let
everybody down.”
“You won’t.”
He stroked the
side of her face. She looked up at him and closed her eyes. The next sensation
she experienced was the brush of his lips against hers. In the chilled air, he
was the warmth she craved. He pulled off the cloth that tied her hair and ran
his fingers through it. The fondling awakened her senses. There was nothing
else. No forest, no war—just the need to feel his strong body against hers and
the taste of his mouth. Her hair blew with the wind. He grasped her around the
waist, and she tossed her head back to expose herself to the pleasure of his
kisses on her neck and his hands on her body. Their lust enveloped her soul,
but it could not contain her mind.
“Is something
wrong?” he asked, as she rested her fingers on his chest to gently hold him
back.
“Cabe, I want
you. But tonight, I am a warrior.”
He held her
close and gently bit her neck. The sensation aroused her. “I want you too.”
“Will you find
me after the war?” she said into the night.
“I’ll be at your
side.”
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