I've tried for a good six years now to get several novels published. During which, I’ve signed with two agent, but neither panned out in the end. ‘How long’ is probably a loaded question with many different views. BUT, I still wanna hear what you guys think. After years of aspiring to be published the line between “keep hope alive” and “give it up already” gets VERY blurry.
How long is too long?
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I'd say keep going until you get published or you just can't take it anymore. If you stop trying it'll never happen. As long as you keep writing and querying there's a chance. So unless you really feel that you can't do it anymore, I'd say keep on until you're on your deathbed. 
Only stop when you know the agent has done everything they can and when you know you can't query anyone else yourself either.
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When it sucks the joy out of your life and you would rather clean public toilets and stick pine cones up .... while eating roaches coming out of said toilets.
Otherwise, keep at it. You never know when luck will strike; meanwhile, you will improve your writing over time.
Otherwise, keep at it. You never know when luck will strike; meanwhile, you will improve your writing over time.
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There was some author I read recently who said she endured "failure" for 10 years before she got something published, and now has been published steadily ever since. I also remember her saying that even her husband and friends tried to gently dissuade her from wasting her time. Now, she says she'd hate to think what she'd be doing today if she gave up. She is living her dream.
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I am with the camp of "what does it hurt to keep going?" Unless it is making you miserable, what's the point in stopping?
I've done the cleaning public toilets thing. Trust me, writing is much more fun.
It took me fourteen years of serious work on writing and not-so-serious work on marketing, one trunk novel, and one perfectly fine agent who wasn't able to sell the trunk novel before I got my break.
If you enjoy writing for its own sake, if rejection isn't making you tense and miserable, why not persist? From what I've seen, the ones who sell are usually the ones who persist long enough to make their own luck.
If you enjoy writing for its own sake, if rejection isn't making you tense and miserable, why not persist? From what I've seen, the ones who sell are usually the ones who persist long enough to make their own luck.
I'm pretty miserable during rejection time, but writing time is a blast!! It's a rollercoaster with no off switch.
Maybe this is just me, but I actually enjoy getting rejection letters. I'm a mail whore, so ANYTHING at all in my mailbox is really, really thrilling. Somehow getting them, even though they are rejections, makes me feel like I'm making progress. I DID something. I am pursuing my dreams!
PS I just found out that my neighbor is the MAILMAN. Now I know where he lives... muahahahaha!
PS I just found out that my neighbor is the MAILMAN. Now I know where he lives... muahahahaha!
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For me, it's 8 years, over 300 rejection letters, 2 contracts with failed publishers, one contract turned down, and I am still writing. I love it. I am miserable when I don't do it, although my husband would much rather I be miserable than embarrassing the hell out of him by writing anything. I am not to discuss my books with anyone that he associates or works with. That said, I am working on book 17, and oddly enough, after finally agreeing that I would send out submissions on three more m/s I would stop and just accept that I like to write and give the stuff to people to read just for the hell of it, I received a response asking for the complete m/s (this after they asked for the first 3 chapters and exclusivity based on my query letter, and then not getting back to me within the specified time limit -- they still want it.) The strange thing now is that if they decide to offer me a contract, I will be thrilled, and if they don't, I will still get out of bed the next day, wait for hubby to leave for work and then sneak off to my laptop again. If I could just write and say to hell with all the rest, I would be the happiest person on the world. So, my advice -- write because you love the journey and the challenge and the satisfaction.
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parking and selling
i am thin skinned by nature. i let things hurt me that would never hurt anyone else. i lose sleep over the stupidest, even imaginary, slights.
some 8 years ago i let myself get down over 6-8 rejections. i gave up. i had a great excuse: i was getting through some family sad stuff and could not handle any further stress. at least that is what my mental health quasi professional told me.
it was a huge mistake. i could not stop writing. i wrote every day. all i stopped doing was trying.
writing for only your enjoyment is pointless. why not just daydream and never throw a word down? because the very idea of the written word is communication. in the beginning was the word. before that word we were self centered savages.
--see, you are not trying to sell; you are not trying to make pretty stories. you are trying to communicate your vision. communication is what makes you tick. --s6
i am thin skinned by nature. i let things hurt me that would never hurt anyone else. i lose sleep over the stupidest, even imaginary, slights.
some 8 years ago i let myself get down over 6-8 rejections. i gave up. i had a great excuse: i was getting through some family sad stuff and could not handle any further stress. at least that is what my mental health quasi professional told me.
it was a huge mistake. i could not stop writing. i wrote every day. all i stopped doing was trying.
writing for only your enjoyment is pointless. why not just daydream and never throw a word down? because the very idea of the written word is communication. in the beginning was the word. before that word we were self centered savages.
--see, you are not trying to sell; you are not trying to make pretty stories. you are trying to communicate your vision. communication is what makes you tick. --s6
How long
It depends partly on how prolific you are. If it takes five years or ten years to write a single novel, then you're probably going to take forever to break in, if you ever do, and you should keep trying for a longer period. If you're closer to average, and write a novel or so per year, then you should either break in sooner, of give up sooner.
But I think the real answer is always to quit whenever you want to quit. There's no law that says you have to keep writing after the fun stops, and if writing fills you with discouragement and woe, then stop, for haven's sake. If, however, it's still fun, if it's still something you really like doing, then keep going forever.
It depends partly on how prolific you are. If it takes five years or ten years to write a single novel, then you're probably going to take forever to break in, if you ever do, and you should keep trying for a longer period. If you're closer to average, and write a novel or so per year, then you should either break in sooner, of give up sooner.
But I think the real answer is always to quit whenever you want to quit. There's no law that says you have to keep writing after the fun stops, and if writing fills you with discouragement and woe, then stop, for haven's sake. If, however, it's still fun, if it's still something you really like doing, then keep going forever.
I'm too afraid to count my rejection letters. they're in the hundreds for sure. I like writing and love the finished product. I know I should be happy with a job well done, but I crave more. I feel there is more to it then just finishing the darn thing.
Dreams really do come true, that is my new motto now after finally getting my first book published. I began writing when I was 11 and at 12 or 13, I began trying to get my first book published. I'm still working on that one but I decided to keep writing and tried to get those books published. I never gave up and I recommend that you don't either. You just haven't found the right house for your book. It takes time and determination. While your manuscripts are out there seeking aproval, keep writing. Then send more manuscripts out. Don't wait for one to be accepted before sending another one out unless its the sequal lol. I did that so I've lost a lot of years. I wanted to be known for a certain book so I held onto the others but no anymore. As soon as one is finished, I begin searching and then begin the next book. I keep it going like a circle. Now I have 2 books published. And all that this year! Take your time, get your book written, edited and rewritten, then search for a publisher. Remember, it took Dr. Seuss a long time before he had his first book published and now he's well known. The same thing can happen to you but you'll never know if you give up. So keep going if that is what you want to do, become an author.
I've found it. Several, in fact. I know exactly where they are. It's just . . . they don't want it. Don't want any of them.
Dog house, maybe. Warm bedding in the winter.
caw
Did they give you the reason for the rejection? My second book was rejected by the same people who later accepted it. All I had to do was make a simple change to the story. It could be the same for you, maybe in a different spot. I don't know what your situation is but in my opinion if it was right house, they would have given you a reason or even accepted it. I don't know. There are millions of houses out there so don't give up. All the houses I like and are really great, won't accept mine either but I keep writing new books so maybe they will take one of them. Get established and then I can try the others they rejected. It's worth a shot. I refuse to take no for an answer, I just turn to someone else. My family said no all my life and I proved to them yes.
Amber
Wait, what right does he have to tell you he'd rather you be miserable than embarrass him? And why the heck does having a writer for a wife make anyone embarrassed. Writing is a respected carrier, last time I checked. I'm plumb confused and a bit annoyed, and I don't even know the guy!
And to the OP, yes...dreams can come true. A librarian at my local library recently got one of his books published after 25 years of trying.
Too bad that, in this case, the dream really shouldn't have come true becuase the book is terrible.
Please don't tell him I said that.
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I'll give up when I'm dead.
If I'm not working on something, I feel that pang of guilt, like I'm not doing something I am supposed to be doing.
If I'm not working on something, I feel that pang of guilt, like I'm not doing something I am supposed to be doing.
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Well you know, I had given up hearing from one publisher after a couple months had gone by since my submission but yesterday I received an email from the editor telling me I forgot to include the attachment and she'd been waiting for it, and would I please resend it. You never know. You really never know. You can't write any submission off until you've received a firm no.
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