It seems that the first time we do anything is memorable. Remember your first kiss, your first dance, or your first best friend? They stick in your mind, don’t they? Then there are the firsts that we wish would not have such a prominent place in our memories, such as our first car accident or our first break-up.
There is definitely one thing about first times that is true – we can learn from them. When authors look back at their first story or article, they may cringe. Writing evolves and develops, just like anything else we work at in life.
Even today’s famous authors were not always household names. They were rejected just like us. Stephen King recalls that his first novel Carrie was rejected by publishers many times before finding a home. He took his rejections and used them as motivation.
The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected by 16 different publishers. One stated that “the girl doesn't, it
seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the 'curiosity' level.” Both the book and the movie captivate readers still today.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm and William Faulkner’s Sanctuary were also not picked up by the first, second, or even third publisher.
John Grisham’s first book A Time to Kill was not only rejected by publishers, but he was also rejected by agents that refused to work with him.
And my personal favorite is that Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was rejected 38 times before being picked up by a publisher. I realize it was first published in 1936 and all the editors are dead, but can you imagine those 38 editors kicking themselves for not picking it up when they had
the chance?
Do you see a pattern here? All of these authors mentioned are common household names today. Why? Because they were persistent. They believed in their own work. They kept going even when the going got tough.
We’ve all heard the statement, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Use these failures as learning experiences and keep on moving forward.
There is definitely one thing about first times that is true – we can learn from them. When authors look back at their first story or article, they may cringe. Writing evolves and develops, just like anything else we work at in life.
Even today’s famous authors were not always household names. They were rejected just like us. Stephen King recalls that his first novel Carrie was rejected by publishers many times before finding a home. He took his rejections and used them as motivation.
The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected by 16 different publishers. One stated that “the girl doesn't, it
seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the 'curiosity' level.” Both the book and the movie captivate readers still today.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm and William Faulkner’s Sanctuary were also not picked up by the first, second, or even third publisher.
John Grisham’s first book A Time to Kill was not only rejected by publishers, but he was also rejected by agents that refused to work with him.
And my personal favorite is that Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was rejected 38 times before being picked up by a publisher. I realize it was first published in 1936 and all the editors are dead, but can you imagine those 38 editors kicking themselves for not picking it up when they had
the chance?
Do you see a pattern here? All of these authors mentioned are common household names today. Why? Because they were persistent. They believed in their own work. They kept going even when the going got tough.
We’ve all heard the statement, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Use these failures as learning experiences and keep on moving forward.