Hello!
When I joined this website a year ago, it was because I was a lonely writer who thought she'd never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then, when I began commenting at QLH more often, it was because I'd finished my final draft and was ready to query myself. Only bits of light shone through the rejection letter covered tunnel. I thought I'd never make it anywhere, and I was close to giving up.
After understanding the publishing industry a bit more (and making my query a bit better after months of observing other ones), I realized that an agent for a new adult novel would be a hard, if not impossible, thing to come by. I decided to query publishing houses directly. More rejections flew in, more disappointment and self doubt.
UNTIL my acceptance email. It's with a small publisher, but that doesn't matter much to me. At twenty one (well, twenty two by the time it comes out), I'll be an actual published author. I never thought I'd see the day. I thought it'd be a hobby, something I dreamed about whilst doing my 9-5 job.
It's just the beginning of what I hope will be a long career and, as I fill out the cover sheet, it strikes me how real this all is.
If you're wading through rejections or struggling to finish your first draft, keep going. You won't regret it. You can only get somewhere if you try, and, as someone who has almost given up on numerous occasions, I can only be pleased that I didn't. Stick with it, guys!
When I joined this website a year ago, it was because I was a lonely writer who thought she'd never see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then, when I began commenting at QLH more often, it was because I'd finished my final draft and was ready to query myself. Only bits of light shone through the rejection letter covered tunnel. I thought I'd never make it anywhere, and I was close to giving up.
After understanding the publishing industry a bit more (and making my query a bit better after months of observing other ones), I realized that an agent for a new adult novel would be a hard, if not impossible, thing to come by. I decided to query publishing houses directly. More rejections flew in, more disappointment and self doubt.
UNTIL my acceptance email. It's with a small publisher, but that doesn't matter much to me. At twenty one (well, twenty two by the time it comes out), I'll be an actual published author. I never thought I'd see the day. I thought it'd be a hobby, something I dreamed about whilst doing my 9-5 job.
It's just the beginning of what I hope will be a long career and, as I fill out the cover sheet, it strikes me how real this all is.
If you're wading through rejections or struggling to finish your first draft, keep going. You won't regret it. You can only get somewhere if you try, and, as someone who has almost given up on numerous occasions, I can only be pleased that I didn't. Stick with it, guys!
I too am an aspiring novelist in my early twenties, so this is inspiring to hear. Thanks for the reminder to slog through this draft. And good luck going forward with your book.
