For every author that makes it to the New York Times Bestseller List there are countless others that suffer in the Land of Rejection. Writing is a hard, sometimes gut-wrenching, battle and it’s not for the fair of heart. Of course, most of us wouldn’t stoop so low as to try this stunt I saw over at the Smart Bitches Blog: http://dianafox.livejournal.com/4789.html
After I read this all I could think of is Wow. Part of me was stunned at the sheer audacity of this person and yet another part felt a bit of pity for him too. He must have been pretty desperate to actually fake an email. I wonder how he thought he could get away with it?
Rejection is part of being an author. Most of us can wallpaper our walls with those dreaded form letters. They can either make a writer more determined to go on or they will completely kill their motivation. The choice of what they do is totally up to the writer receiving them. In my writer’s group we swap tales of rejections and take strength in one another’s support. Others turn to their family or spouse for comfort. Then there is always critique partners or other writer friends.
I’ll admit it’s easy to go off into the deep end of despair especially when you see something like this: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07egan.html?r=2&ref=opinion . (Thanks to Kelli Finger who forwarded this link to me.) To know that after you have been working for years, written thousands upon thousands of words, and faced almost as many rejection letters only to see some guy just waltz into a contract, it would make anybody see red. But remember this is an exception not the norm and most authors worked long and hard to get where they are.
So my advice to all authors out there is to keep going and not let the road bumps in life slow you down.
-Stephani
Sunday, December 7, 2008
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2 comments:
Wow...interesting...very interesting. BUT having been in this business a long time, I will say that people will try anything to get noticed even if they have to resort to dishonesty.
The most appalling thing I ever saw was at an RWA National conference when a wannabee author followed an editor in the bathroom. The editor was very polite and handed her a business card, asking the woman to please send her a query. The editor then went into a stall. The author went into a stall next to her, swearing the editor would love her book as she shoved a complete manuscript under the wall between stalls. The author then gave the room she was in and told the editor she’d be waiting for her then she left.
The editor was hotter than a hornet when she came out of the stall. She asked me if I’d seen what happened. All I could do was nod as I was so stunned. The editor then took the manuscript and tossed it right there. The editor fumed a few minutes more and then asked me if I would never do something like that. I told her I’d never be that stupid then shocked I had said that, we both laughed. I got her card that day and we correspond occasionally but I will never forget that day.
Lynn
geez, the nerve of some people... fake emails... annoying people in bathroom stalls... no wonder it gets tough for those of us who play by the rules.
"So my advice to all authors out there is to keep going and not let the road bumps in life slow you down."
good advice. thanks for the post!
=)
C.
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