Being an author can be tough. We often spend a lot of time by ourselves in fantasy worlds talking to imaginary people. While those people might be more fascinating and better conversationalists than certain individuals in the real world, they are still fake.
As authors, we spend a lot of time working on our stories and creating something we hope people will enjoy. It takes a lot of courage to put our work (and ourselves) out into the world because there’s always the possibility that someone will hate it and tear us down.
Of course, we’ve learned to grow a thick skin and not take bad reviews or rejections personally. We know that publishing is a business and that the decisions are made on whether or not they are going to make a company or agent money, not about how they feel about us personally. Of course, on occasion, that doesn’t make rejections sting any less.
If you’re like me, given enough time and rejection, you’ll start to feel weighed down. We all deal with rejection differently, but we all deal in some way. You might question whether or not you’re doing the right thing and if creating stories is worth the hassle and heartache.
But I’m here to tell you that no matter how many rejections you get or how low you sink, there are still people in the world who think you are amazing!
I don’t doubt that you have readers and fans who enjoy reading your work. Focus your energy on them, not on making people happy who aren’t ever going to be happy. And if you’re feeling really down in the dumps, a great way to feel good about yourself and your writing is to talk to kids.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t write kids’ books or middle grade or young adult novels, being a writer is enough for them. They think it’s super cool that you get to put words on a page and create new worlds. Don’t believe me? Schedule a time to read to some kids at your local library or at an elementary school and see how they react when you tell them you’re an author.
I don’t doubt that they will be full of questions and wonder what types of books you write and how you started writing and where you get them published and if you make money from them and where you get your ideas. Some may even tell you about the book they are working on.
You may feel inclined to tell them the truth about how hard writing is and how it can suck the life out of you, but when you see the optimism and hope on their faces, you won’t. You’ll remember when you had visions of greatness and were encouraged by someone you looked up to, and you’ll find a way to be a great role model.
All the questions they ask will remind you of why you started writing in the first place. You’ll feel inspired and excited. You might even leave with a smile on your face and a renewed reason to write.
If you’re like me, given enough time and rejection, you’ll start to feel weighed down. We all deal with rejection differently, but we all deal in some way. You might question whether or not you’re doing the right thing and if creating stories is worth the hassle and heartache.
But I’m here to tell you that no matter how many rejections you get or how low you sink, there are still people in the world who think you are amazing!
I don’t doubt that you have readers and fans who enjoy reading your work. Focus your energy on them, not on making people happy who aren’t ever going to be happy. And if you’re feeling really down in the dumps, a great way to feel good about yourself and your writing is to talk to kids.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t write kids’ books or middle grade or young adult novels, being a writer is enough for them. They think it’s super cool that you get to put words on a page and create new worlds. Don’t believe me? Schedule a time to read to some kids at your local library or at an elementary school and see how they react when you tell them you’re an author.
I don’t doubt that they will be full of questions and wonder what types of books you write and how you started writing and where you get them published and if you make money from them and where you get your ideas. Some may even tell you about the book they are working on.
You may feel inclined to tell them the truth about how hard writing is and how it can suck the life out of you, but when you see the optimism and hope on their faces, you won’t. You’ll remember when you had visions of greatness and were encouraged by someone you looked up to, and you’ll find a way to be a great role model.
All the questions they ask will remind you of why you started writing in the first place. You’ll feel inspired and excited. You might even leave with a smile on your face and a renewed reason to write.
