Counteracting Disappointments - Tips for Writers

Disappointment often dots the landscape of your writing journey. Rejections, unfavorable reviews, and long periods of waiting are just a few bumps that writers encounter. Here are some ideas to help you navigate and turn disappointments into something more productive.

A Harsh Critique - It takes a lot of courage to share your work with others. If you have a good critique group or partner, they will give you honest feedback. Take a day or two to get past the angry or hurt emotions, and then look at the comments. What can you improve? The goal is to make your book the best it can be. When you query it with agents or publishers or release it to the world for sale, you’ll be competing for attention with all the other books.

Rejection - The writing life is full of rejection. Look at all the stories from famous authors who have received hundreds of rejections. Prepare before you start querying. You often only have one shot. Make sure your manuscript is as polished as it can be. Work on your query. Make sure that you target agents or publishers who are open to submissions and who represent your genre. Do your homework. Also make sure that you follow all the submission instructions.

Unfavorable Reviews - I’ve heard stories from authors about receiving one-star reviews because Amazon shipped a damaged package. It’s going to happen. Not everyone is going to like your work, or the review may have nothing to do with you. We received a one-star review one time for a MYSTERY anthology because the reader didn’t think there was enough horror in it. Holler, eat chocolate, or whatever you do to cope. Then take a deep breath and see if there is anything to learn from the reviews. Are there patterns or trends that you need to think about? If not, move on.

The Never-ending Wait - Authors spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting on responses to queries, submissions, and contests. Like your elementary school teacher said, “Use your time wisely.” Make sure you’re working on your next project.

Find Your Group - My writing friends are my support. They know the trials and joys. They celebrate my victories with me and provide a shoulder to cry on when it feels hopeless. Writing is a solitary effort. Make sure you have a peer group. They can share ideas and provide advice.

Writing is a business, and it’s work. Agents, editors, and publishers are looking for books that they can sell. Yours needs to be the best it can be. Learn from the hard times and keep at it. Edits and revisions take time and energy, but they’re worth it in the end.