"The Best Revenge is Massive Success"

Soooooo, I've been thinking about starting the querying process over again for quite some time now. I didn't realize why I was doing it, but for a few months now I've continued to put it on hold. Let me share my very legitimate reasons *cough cough* I mean lousy excuses with you.

• Spring, "Well, it's still early in the year. I want to work on this query a little bit more, pass it around, and then see if I'm comfortable enough to send it out."

• Summer, "Nahhh, the summer isn't a good time. Agents are usually in conferences and super busy during this time."

• Now that we're approaching fall, "Eh, there are a lot of holidays coming up--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and New Years--maybe I'll just wait till January."

Folks, you know what's going to occur if I wait till January? I'll just have another excuse up my sleeve to whip out. That excuse will defer my querying process yet again and my progress will be stagnant.

It took me a while to recognize or rather accept that fear had such a stronghold on my life and writing, but I eventually did. And you know what my butt was doing when I realized I was deferring my own dreams from pure silliness? I got caught up browsing recipes, quotes, exercise tips, jewelry, and hairstyles on Pinterest during my allotted time to write. Shameful, right? Soooo Right!

So I gave myself a stern talking to and I ended up looking up inspirational quotes regarding writers. I just needed some words of wisdom to help me get over the fear of rejection. The last time I queried I thought I was ready but I wasn't. I had many rejections and just a few R&Rs, full requests, and partial requests--in the end I ended up needing to do another major revision. Gah! Like always right? Lol. So then I researched famous authors (gotta love the internet, right?) who were rejected countless times. Here are a few below. And many of them are sooo ironic!

Stephen King's "Carrie" novel was rejected dozens of time. --One publisher's response,"We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell."

Tim Burton's "The Giant Slig." --Walt Disney editor's response, " It may, however, be too derivative of the Seuss works to be marketable--I just don't know. But I definitely enjoyed reading it"

Nicholas Sparks "The Notebook" was rejected 24 times

Alice Walker "The Color Purple" was rejected many times.

J.K Rowling's first Harry Potter novel was rejected by a dozen publishers including Penguin and HarperCollins.

William Faulkner's "Sanctuary" was rejected countless times. One publisher's response, "Good God, I can't publish this!"

 

Rejection is a part of life. No use in trying to avoid. Sooner or later someone will say yes. 

Two Week Read #1

So I'm doing something new here on Rissa Snepp Wreck! Two Week Reads!

Every two weeks I will pick a novel to read. Initially I will post a summary of the book and encourage others to read it as well. Two weeks later I will hash out a short review on the book--why it's so awesome or why it isn't so awesome (honestly, honesty is a beautiful thing). Then I will randomly choose one of my followers/subscribers to receive the book!

Yayyyy! Let the Giveaways begin! Prizes! Books! BOOKS AS PRIZES! Yippie!

Moving right along....

The book will mostly come from various sorts of Young Adult or New Adult genres. The novel will, of course, be a good read but I also want it to be a novel that can help writers cultivate their own craft. I don't think I've ever stressed the importance for writers to read, read, read! But folks, it is a MUST. There is nothing wrong with learning to perfect your own writing skills while studying successful (Not just PUBLISHED, but SUCCESSFUL-there is a huge difference) authors too. How else did you learn how to write so well? Where did your love for books come from? Reading! Duh!

So whilst browsing the lovely Barnes and Noble this weekend I found myself searching for a novel with some effective world building, a well done complicated plot, innovative concepts, and well developed characters. After reading the summaries and flipping through the pages of a few books I came across All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.

Below is a short summary from Good Reads of the book.

****"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. 

Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.****