Blogger: Rachel Zurakowski
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Last week, Wendy Lawton blogged about authors who persist to the point of pestering or harassing an agent or editor. Persistence without first acquiring a teachable spirit (see Monday’s post) is a bad thing in the publishing world. However, I do believe that perseverance plays a huge role in getting a book published.
Perseverance is an attractive and necessary quality for a writer to possess. It’s kind of a no-brainer in one respect: a person without perseverance will never be able to finish writing a book. But the need for this quality in an author does go deeper than this. Let me illustrate:
Let’s imagine that your book continues to receive positive feedback from different editors or agents, but no one seems willing to take a chance on you. If you give up, your book is never going to be published. If you take the feedback, change the project accordingly and continue to submit, you’ll have a much better chance of eventually having a book (or two!) on a bookstore shelf. It could take A LOT of work, but giving up won’t ever get you to the finish line. Part of being a writer is learning to take rejection as a sign to revise and press on rather than a personal insult meant to deter you from success. If you aren’t willing to persevere, the author who is is going to beat you to publication will be the one with greater perseverance.
Sometimes perseverance in writing means scrapping one idea that you thought would really take off and moving on to a new project. Timing has a lot to do with getting a book published, and if one idea isn’t clicking with editors or agents, the timing might not be right for that project. Press on, start on a new idea. Don’t throw out the other one, but set it on the back burner for awhile. Let it simmer while you cook up another delicacy. Perhaps when your NEXT project garners more interest, the timing will be right for your first project too.
So press on! Keep at it!
Great point about perseverance as it pertains to putting aside a manuscript you’ve fallen in love with and moving on. I’ve encountered fellow writers in conference mentoring groups who are still reworking the same manuscript from the year before and the year before that. Personally, I love my first novel, but it’s never going to sell so it languishes on my hard drive with two others while I move on with one that has already garnered a contract.
Rachel, Thank you for the encouragement. The advice you give is invaluable!
Thank you! This was just the encouragement I needed to hear! I’m having a hard time waiting for everything: contest results, returned emails, feedback, etc.! But I’m really trying to find ways God is helping me grow through all of the waiting!
Davis Bunn spoke at the first Mount Hermon Conference I attended, and he told us he wrote seven novels before he sold one. That number has stayed in my head over the years–and I’ve now written five novels. Each one has improved, I’ve learned a great deal and since I’m still under Davis’ number, I’m hopeful. 🙂
I’m amazed at folks who think they can write one book–which I know takes forever, all that typing–and have it be published. That happens to some, but it is not the norm. Writing is a craft and like any crafts, takes practice.
I wonder, though, is perseverance a character trait?
Thanks for the timely reminder to persevere in a professional way.
Since we often hear “horror stories” about authors with a lack of professionalism, it’s been great to hear these positive aspects from you.
It’s gives us a target to aim at.
SO TRUE! I often say, “write on” …
Great post!
Perseverance! Sometimes I think I could be crowned Queen of Perseverance Island. It took a long, long time but my novel, The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow is releasing this September from Abingdon Press. The key was and always will be sticking it out, taking advice, understanding your gift, listening to others, and not giving up even when every cell in your body tells you to toss the laptop out the window and become something easier, like a neurosurgeon. I am so thankful for the people who believed and helped me press on. And still do.
It took me a while to learn that perseverance was critically important in this business. You’re way ahead to have grasped it at this point. Do you think there’s any contradiction between the motto “Do what you love and love what you do” and the importance of perseverance?
Etta
Thank you for explaining what attractive perseverance is. Putting into perspective the characteristic of a teachable spirit makes understanding perseverance much easier. It is often a struggle to determine how much perseverance I should put into something, and where the line is between good and bad perseverance. However, once I put humbleness and a teachable spirit into the equation any perseverance that comes after will be the attractive kind people like to see. Thanks again.
Perseverance and having a teachable spirit do truly go hand-in-hand. If we are not teachable, a rejection or even a negative comment can send us into despair and lead to quitting. But if we persevere and learn from our experiences, we (and our writing) will be stronger for it.
Karen B.
Michelle, when I was in elementary school we had a two-week long lesson on character traits and I remember clearly that one of them was Perseverance. Perhaps my teacher had it wrong, but I’m just going on what I was taught. 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement! This business can be rather disheartening at times. It’s always good to hear from someone who understands and wants to help.
I just read an author interview, with author Sarah Sundin, that applies to this topic. Check it out here: http://www.fictionmatters.blogspot.com/
Rachel,
I appreciate your wisdom and encouragement. Thank you.
Lydia Harris
Etta,
I don’t think the motto “do what you love and love what you do” and the idea of perseverance clash in this case. Even if an author loves writing, there are still going to be times when writing isn’t easy. Rejection happens, life happens–circumstances create the need to persevere even if you are doing what you love and loving what you do. Plus, if doing what you love isn’t bringing in the big bucks there’s always the temptation to quit, even if you believe it’s what God is calling you to do. 🙂
Thanks for a great post.
Persevervance and a teachable spirit,
useful character traits for many of
life’s challenges.
A J
ajhawke.blogspot.com
I have this fear that I will keep writing the book that I am working on and then not be able to find an agent who is interested in it. Then I get the secondary fear that I will have wasted all of this time and energy writing something that nobody wants to read. Will agents listen to ideas and give feedback before a book is even finished?
Gina, I do think that your first fear can become a reality for many authors. Sometimes an author feels lead to write something and the agents don’t see a market for it. I personally believe that you can touch lives through your writing without ever being published. So, even if an agent is never interested in what you’ve written, there is a reason to write your project, even if it only makes a difference in one life. Sometimes the writing of a book, especially a personal story, can be a healing experience for the author, and this is reason enough to have written the story. If you do write something that’s a total “flop,” you at least gain experience from it and we’ve all heard that practice makes perfect!
Some agents will give feedback on ideas before they’re finished, but the best way (I think)to get this kind of help is to attend a writers’ conference. You can form a lot of good relationships through a conference and you can have one-on-one appointments with agents and editors to discuss your ideas.
Thanks for your comment!