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Saturday, April 28 2012
Earlier today, I read a blog post on Southern Writer's Magazine website regarding numerous forms of rejection we face as authors and ways to use them to our advantage. When asked about rejections we had received and their outcome, I posted a reply, which I will share with you:

"I laminated and keep posted in my office an old rejection letter I came across totally panning the plot and characters in one of my books that now has many fans. I revisit it as a motivation aid -- a black-and-white reminder that criticism is subjective and negativity should never be taken to heart. What's most important as a writer is to believe in yourself, in your ability and in your work."

The book was "For Molly", whose many flaws, according to the Executive Editor rejecting it, included:

  1. "There is no external conflict plot in the book."
  2. "Ashley has too many friends that are brought in and out of the story in steady of focusing on the plot line." (although she did spell it "focussing")
  3. "This is not a traditional contemporary romance novel."  And my favorite:
  4. "There is no plot, no mystery, no intrigue, no love story. Unfortunately, this just isn't the kind of book that we can sell."

Luckily by the time I received this rejection letter, "For Molly" had already been released and was gaining a healthy following , otherwise I might have taken the criticism to heart, lost faith in my work and never allowed anyone to read it.

The point being: what a few "experts" deem unworthy does not mean it is necessarily so. Ignore negativity, keep faith in your endeavors, hold tight to your dreams and always, always believe in yourself in whatever you strive to do. 

Posted by: Vicki Allen AT 11:38 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
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