Firstly, this may not be what you expected to hear but the truth is that you have to rise above rejection. We all know the famous story of J.K. Rowling who set a leading example in this case with her series of Harry Potter novels which became ridiculous best-sellers in the public eye. Although this is easier said than done, there are practical ways of responding to rejection in order to move forward and have your book published. For example, when you view rejections as a step in the right direction to finding the ideal person who is willing to invest time and energy into your beloved work, then you rise above the written refusal. In other words, it’s their loss.
Sticking with the example of J.K. Rowling, it is important that you believe in your book ideas and can justify its value and position within the market. If you can’t stand for your ideas, how can you expect others to? Just as we have established that rising above rejection means to keep going in confidence, the same principle applies with our book ideas – we have to run with them, even if we start to have pessimistic thoughts and feelings. When we remember our motivations and reasons for endeavouring on a book project, we should be fuelled with a positive outlook for its progress and development. All in all, writing is a passion and should be rewarding and fulfilling whether we see growth in our projects or not.
Suffice it to say, taking part in writing courses is a must-do if you are passionate about becoming an author with an imaginative mind and well-informed view of the creative industry. Recently, I completed the Harper Collins Author Academy course which aimed to help writers from underrepresented backgrounds to navigate the publishing industry. Overall, this course was deeply insightful as I was able to gain a glimpse behind the curtain of the publishing industry and learning from other authors in the non-fiction genre.