It is said that only three percent of people who set out to write a novel eventually complete it. Of those who write, “The End,” less than one percent get picked up by a publisher. These statistics can be daunting, especially for those writers who aspire to be traditionally published.
Why do some writers reach their goals whereas others do not? In the eight years it took Seeking Sasha to go from idea inception to bookshelf, I discovered a not-so-secret secret: A key ingredient to success is something we all hold inside of us—courage and determination to see it through. I call this secret the Triple Threat Toolbox, and it includes tenacity, patience, and perseverance.
There are dozens of reasons why a writer may not complete their novel or land a publishing deal. As I navigated the tough worlds of beta reader feedback and agent/publisher rejections, I started to notice something.
Despite the mountain of rejection letters piling up in my inbox, readers and industry professionals loved my novel. My voice was appealing, my characters compelling, and the premise intriguing; I just hadn’t found the right fit within the industry.
In many rejection letters, agents and publishers encouraged me to keep submitting. They said the reason why so many writers do not achieve their goals is because they throw in the towel too early. It’s not about the most beautiful prose or the most thrilling plotline. It’s about sticking it out long after everyone else has moved on.
First draft – The burning airplane
I have experienced the “soggy middle” many times—that place where the first draft stalls out. The story idea that once seemed thrilling and concrete in my mind became fuzzy, and my characters and plot were going off on weird tangents.
Some days, I wanted to delete the whole manuscript and never think about it again. A shiny new book idea would wave at me from the sidelines, enticing me to write that story instead. However, the hard truth is that shiny new project would most likely stall out at some point as well.
Years ago, I attended a writing lecture, and that is where I learned about the Burning Airplane analogy. Writers need to look at their stalled drafts like a burning airplane. If an airplane is on fire, the crew and passengers do everything in their power to put out the flames, save the plane, and land it safely. That’s what writers need to do with their first drafts.
Seeking Sasha’s sequel (currently undergoing revisions) almost didn’t make it to the end of the first draft. I was trapped at multiple points, the luster was gone, and I wanted to start on a different novel.
I knew there was a reason why I was writing it, and it was important to me to see it to completion, so I wrote through the mess. I put down word after word, even if it felt like trash, and I eventually finished my first draft.
I landed my plane.
It might not have been pretty, but I had a completed draft to work with.
And now, because of patience and perseverance, I have a story that my alpha reader says is my best novel yet.
Revising and editing – Mold your ball of clay
Editing gets a bad rap. It can be mind-numbing, and the joy of world-building and character discovery is mostly in the past. However, revising and editing are a crucial part of the writing process, and they too can be fun.
For me, revising is delicious. Revisions are where I breathe life into my story and characters.
My first draft is a ball of clay that I have created, and edits are where I get to mold it into shape. Through care and focus, I pull the details from the clay, and I turn it into something with heart and purpose.
But sometimes I stare at the same paragraph for an hour, and it still doesn’t feel right. Or my shiny new idea calls to me. During these moments, I dig into my Triple Threat Toolbox, and I work through the challenges.
If I were not patient and tenacious during this stage of writing, I would be tempted to say, “Good enough,” and move on. But I’d be left with a lumpy ball of clay that would die in the vast sea of published novels.
My stories deserve to be brought to life.
Submissions, queries, and rejections – Outlast to achieve
My novel submission process was taxing. I was sharing a part of myself with others, and pressing through despite crickets and form rejections was challenging.
I had to trust my beta readers who loved my book, and I had to trust myself as a writer. I kept sending out submissions, and I’d play my Perseverance Playlist each time a rejection letter came in.
While in the query trenches, I talked to writers who were in the same place as me—a solid manuscript in hand and a goal to sign a publishing contract. We would watch as other authors dropped out of the race. Some stopped submitting after twenty rejections. Others lasted to fifty, and others bowed out after one hundred.
I was tempted to follow the writers who self-published and now had books out in the world, but I reminded myself that I was in no rush. Although there are a ton of benefits to self-publishing, there was a reason why traditional publishing was the right move for me. I kept sending out submissions.
I received full requests along the way, and some agents and publishers were on the edge of accepting my novel. Personalized rejection letters praised my book and writing skills, and many agents were confident someone else would pick it up. But if everyone says that, then who is actually going to take the plunge and offer a contract?
I kept pushing, and after four years and over two hundred rejections, I received an offer that fit.
My querying story is not unique. I have spoken with many writers who received their offer of representation after hundreds of queries. As many industry professionals had told me, it is those writers with tenacity, patience, and perseverance who get picked up.
After publication – Dig deeper
Getting a publishing deal is not a free ride to kick back and watch things happen. In many ways, promoting Seeking Sasha required the most tenacity and perseverance. I was exhausted from twenty-something rounds of edits and from over 200 query letters. I was excited for my book to come out, but I did not come this far only to see it flounder.
I knew that even though Seeking Sasha has what it takes to make it out there in the big ocean, no one would find it without spreading the word. And so it began.
Podcast interviews (and preparing for podcast interviews). Writing guest blog posts (and don’t forget about the need to edit them). Calling bookstores to line up author signing events. Keeping up with social media accounts. Coming up with TikTok videos that are not cringy.
I just want to cuddle up and read a book, I thought. I want to write more short stories and work on my sequel. As my priority had to be on promotions, I dug deep and I learned how to do all the businessy stuff that does not come naturally to most writers. Some days, I feel like I have earned a business degree with all that I learned about networking and promotions.
And you know what? It’s actually kind of fun. But my Triple Threat Toolbox sure got a workout.
Never forget the joy
I write because I love the craft. It is my form of meditation, where the to-do lists, adulting responsibilities, and stresses flit away, and I become lost in the fictional worlds I create.
I publish to share my joy with others, and to draw emotions from readers and spark conversations.
Writing with abandon is thrilling, therapeutic, reflective, and fun, but the reason why I write can get lost amid rejections and imposter syndrome. When deadlines, edits, and promotions drag me down, I remind myself why I do what I do, and I reach for my Triple Threat Toolbox to navigate through the roadblocks.
After I’ve worked through the challenges, I relax into the joy of writing again.
In conclusion: The elephant
Writing and publishing is a wild journey that has taken me through just about every emotional high and low there is. At times it felt downright overwhelming and frustrating, and I had to remind myself that writing and publishing is a marathon, not a sprint.
Pressure is privilege.
One of the most valuable things I have learned along the way is that my best allies are tenacity, patience, and perseverance. I use my Triple Threat Toolbox alongside courage and determination to reach my goals and to make it out the other side, every step of the way.
And when my Triple Threat Toolbox feels depleted and the next challenge is daunting, I remind myself that there is no giving up. There is no easy route. I forge forth with passion and grit, for I see what is on the other side of the hard work.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
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