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How I Found My Novel a Home with a Small Press After Refocusing My Energy
And no longer seeing rejection as an option.
The fun lies in writing the novel — something I barely realized while doing it but surely understand now. Compared to trying to get a book published, the pieces and parts of stringing an 80,000-word story together felt like a walk in the park (albeit a very long walk).
Picture this. You’ve just spent two years crafting characters your readers will root for (or against) and developing a logical and hopefully well-paced plot. You’ve done your research. Polled your beta readers and critique partners. Proofed and edited and revised and then revised again. You’re finally satisfied that your book baby is ready to share with the world.
You’re determined to take the traditional publishing route. The Big Five offers everything you’ve ever dreamed about — advance payment, wide distribution, marketing support, a publicity tour, and maybe even the chance for Oprah or Reese or Jenna to recommend your work.
Literary agents hold the key to playing with the big dogs, so you hit the query trenches. Crickets chirp. The rejections pour in. Your skin eventually thickens, although Imposter Syndrome keeps knocking at your door.
