The Power of Persistence

“You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success–but only if you persist.” ~Isaac Asimov

Rejection. It’s part of being a writer seeking publication. We face the chance of creative rejection from those closest to us, from readers, and in some ways, ourselves. But there’s a special sting to the rejection from agents and publishers. These are industry professionals–if anyone knows what good writing is, it’s these guys, right? Their rejection carries a great deal of weight, and if we let it, that weight can crush our spirits.

If you have dealt with or are currently dealing with rejection, take heart. Many, many successful authors have been right where you are now. Below are just three famous writers who persevered to achieve their (wildest) dreams of publishing success.

Stephen King

Stephen King was no stranger to rejection. From age fourteen, he kept a nail on his wall on which he impaled his rejection letters. When the nail became too heavy, he replaced it with a spike and kept going. King was so frustrated in the process of writing his debut novel Carrie that he literally threw his draft in the trash. His wife dug it out of the trash, brushed away the cigarette ashes that were on top, and encouraged him to keep at it. Carrie was rejected thirty times before it was finally picked up by the publisher Doubleday. It sold a million copies in the paperback’s first year of publication and launched what is arguably one of the most successful and prolific writing careers of the modern age.

JK Rowling

JK Rowling faced huge challenges before trying to get the first book of the Harry Potter series published–an abusive spouse, single motherhood, and poverty. Her hardships made her contemplate suicide for a time. She began submitting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for publication, and the book was rejected by a dozen publishers before Bloomsbury gave her a “yes.” One of the primary reasons Bloomsbury picked it up was because the eight-year-old daughter of the publishing house’s chairman read the first chapter and desperately wanted to read the rest of the book. By 2004, Rowling was a billionaire, less than a decade after her first book was published.

Frank Herbert

Frank Herbert’s publication journey with Dune was set up for obstacles. It clocked in at a whopping 215,000 words and was light on the “science” of “science fiction,” both features that were risky for publishers to accept. In Dreamer of Dune: The Biography of Frank Herbert, Frank’s son Brian writes: “Twenty-three book publishers rejected Books I, II, and III. They would not publish the material in any form, separate or combined.” Finally, Dune was published by Chilton Books, a company known for publishing auto manuals. Dune went on to be so successful that it won the first Nebula award in 1966. Now, the first book has sold more than 20 million copies and has had a grand influence on sci-fi since its publication.

The stories of the above authors are meant to lift you up, to assure you that you, dear writer, are not alone in facing rejection. Very few people will be the next JK Rowling, but really, that doesn’t matter. Focus on what success looks like to you. Don’t compare yourself with others, and certainly don’t allow others–publishing experts or otherwise–to get you to stop pursuing writing. Take rejection on the chin, make yourself a cup of coffee, and try again. You can do this.

“Rejection has value. It teaches us when our work or our skillset is not good enough and must be made better … Rejection refines us. Those who fall prey to its enervating soul-sucking tentacles are doomed. Those who persist past it are survivors. Best ask yourself the question: what kind of writer are you? The kind who survives? Or the kind who gets asphyxiated by the tentacles of woe?” ~Chuck Wendig

By Madeleine Mozley