Wednesday, June 16, 2010

So many mixed emotions right now...

And I just don't know what to do with them.

This past Saturday was my big release party for A Bitch Named Karma. My family was here, my close friends were here, my writer's group was here. We had food, we had music, we had fun. It was a great party...I was on such a high! I mean...how can you not when you're the center of attention?? LOL! It's so rare that I get that kind of opportunity.

But thank God I did not check my email that morning. Bad news. Rejection for a project I'd had such high hopes for. Life sucks like that. You try to be positive about certain things and sometimes all that positivity does is give you false hope. And it makes the rejection suck so much more.

I'm so torn here..between being ecstatic about my debut being published and the sadness that my second book is going no where.

I tried working on a couple different projects today....got about 800 or so words down on two different stories. But it was forced. I am having a hard time finding inspiration right now.

14 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm glad your party was a success, though. Just remember you've gained what many of us haven't, and we all deal with rejection and criticism. It's how we handle it that matters most. Keep moving forward!

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  2. Just keep swimming!! I ordered your book today - for my new kindle since the Sony DIED and cannot be fixed (talk about a bitch!!). Can't wait to start it tonight after work!! (Not sure where my kids will be but I'll be reading - somewhere!)

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  3. Thanks Michelle....it's very hard to feel two completely conflicting emotions at once...and trying not to let the bad one overtake the good one. I wrote this post yesterday afternoon....a "woe is me" kind of day. But I feel better now. Usually that's how my rejection process goes....the ones that hit me hard take a couple days to work through my system. I think I'm good now. :)

    Thanks Kristie! Hope you enjoy it!

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  4. I'm glad you're feeling better, Stephanie. Just gotta keep your chin up and keep pushing through! :-)

    Wishing you many words today...

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  5. My best advice for getting over rejection. It's my own version of the ten steps program but much shorter.

    1. Yell profanities at your inbox.
    2. Pour yourself a drink
    3. Open up your manuscipt and get back to work

    Not every editor has the same view point just keep that in mind.

    If all else fails just repeat these words:

    Step by step, oh baby, gonna get you publi-eh-eh-eh-ished.

    Congrats on the print release!!!

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  6. I think you just have to look at all you've accomplished and not dwell on the rejection. Not "everything" you write is going to be well received or get published. It doesn't mean you can't still love it, or even that maybe that just wasn't the right home for it. Try elsewhere! You have something wonderful out that you worked hard on, you got the Chicken Soup-you're doing fantastic!! Focus on that!

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  7. You've got to focus on the positive! You have such great accomplishments, try not to let the rejections get you down. (They do for me, too-they suck my creative energy)

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  8. Awww, I'm sorry about the rejection. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'm sure it'll find a great home sooner or later. Just remember your first book is published! Everything works out in the end :)

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  9. You guys are the best!!!

    And thanks Gina....New Kids lyrics always make me feel better!!!

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  10. I'm so sorry about the disappointment, Stephanie. I am excited for you on your success with the first book, however. If I were you, I'd keep working on the second book while holding on to the thrill of being published. If you did it once, you'll do it again. Don't give up!

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  11. Oh goodness! The worst time ever to get bad news is right after good news. However, I agree that if you've done it once, you'll do it again. It's just always a round of digging through the dirt to find the gold (publisher) that is. :) Hope you're feeling better after a good rest. At least you wrote 800 words. Forced or not...Good job!

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  12. Hi,

    Enjoy the high of publication! Treat the rejection as nothing more than "one person's
    meat another's poison" - you will get it out there eventually.

    I've been down the publication route all the way for several books, had a bad riding accident and dropped out of writing for a while, now I'm trying to break back in - it isn't any easier than first time around! That said, I have a warrior spirit! I will conquer!

    Suggest you kick on with a new project. In the meantime find a large cardboard box write the publishers name on it and flatten it every which way.

    best
    F

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  13. Rejections. No matter what anybody says, no matter how many you've had (my stack is up to about 150, mostly from those dreaded agents --which incidentally I was about to capitalize, but now I can see they really aren't as important as I once thought), they still suck (the rejections, not agents ). And hurt. We sent off those partials and wholes with so many hopes, thinking THIS will be the ticket, the door-opener. And then the R comes, and it stings.
    You have such a positive attitude, though, I know you'll pick yourself back up and move on.
    Also, I can tell you in all certainty, an agent is not necessarily a ticket to the fast train. I see them submitting all the time to LPI -- a place you got into all by yourself. Plus, one of my good friends/CPs landed an agent almost 2 years ago through a contest entry. And guess what? Still no sale. Not even close. She's working with an excellent ms too, so I don't know if the agent is just falling down on the job or what. But the author kinda hit this plateau where she felt she'd really gotten somewhere, and now I don't think she's even writing anymore.
    The moral of my very long comment is... chin up, girlfriend. This just means ole Karma is looking out for you in a different way than you'd imagined! :)

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  14. :) Thanks Piper!! Your comment helps a lot!!

    Thanks to everyone else too- Roxy, Kristie, Francine!

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