The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.
The road to publication is long and hard. Sometimes we just want to give up after so many rejections. But the key to making it as a writer is perseverance. Many great novels would've never been published if the author just gave up. So to help inspire you to carry on, here's how many times these famous writers were turned away.
Stephen King's CARRIE was rejected 30 times. Stephen threw the book into the trash, but his wife retrieved it and sent it out. Lucky for him! And us.
A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle was rejected 26 times. Once published, it went on to win the prestigious Newbery Medal.
DUNE received 23 rejections before Frank Herbert was picked up by Chilton.
WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams was rejected 26 times.
LORD OF THE FLIES was rejected by 20 publishers. William Golding was told it was absurd and uninteresting.
J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected a dozen times. It was only picked up at the request of a CEO's eight-year-old daughter. Thank you, little girl!
Judy Blume had nothing but rejections for two years straight.
Don't ever give up. Keep writing. Keep submitting. You can do it!
