The road to rejection

Perseverance isn't cheap."
​James Dyson

The other day I ran into a friend when I was feeling a little down. I’d received an email from a publisher suggesting what I thought of as a substantial change to my manuscript, ​My Beautiful Mistake. It was a blow.

In case I haven’t talked your ear off about it enough yet, my novel is told from the first person point of view of a woman looking back on her friendship with another woman. The narrator, Kittie, recounts the story of their increasingly obsessive relationship and the tragic event that ultimately binds the women together forever. (Have I piqued your interest?)

While I fully expect to edit and rewrite (again and again), this publisher’s suggestion felt like it would change the flavour of the book and perhaps not be true to my vision of the story. In any case, I’m still not sure how to take it. After receiving the email, I felt discouraged and disappointed.

My friend reminded me of the many famous authors who went through years of rejection. I’d heard it all before and poo-pooed it, in my annoying distracted way.

Then she recommended a podcast called ‘We Regret to Inform You’, produced by that silky-smooth ad man, Terry O’Reilly. I’m a huge fan and have listened to his CBC show, Under the Influence, for years. Now I’m a regular listener of his podcast.

Each episode treats us to the amazing journey of celebrated actors, writers, musicians, artists, inventors and entrepreneurs. Each one has faced debilitating career rejection on the road to success. Their stories are fascinating. Because inside each rejection is a unique insight.

As Terry says, “Talent gets you in the race, perseverance gets you across the finish line. Never, ever, give up.”

I encourage you to have a listen. At its heart, it’s about persistence and inspiration. And can’t we all use a little of that, no matter what journey we’re on? In the meantime, wash your hands, wear a mask.

Until next time, happy reading.
Joni

apostrophepodcasts.ca/rejection/