Ask the Author: Adrienne Benson
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Adrienne Benson
Be tenacious! This holds for both writing the book and for getting it published. The road to publication for "The Brightest Sun" was neither fast nor easy. When I began querying agents, I very hopefully created an excel spreadsheet to track who I'd sent it to and what their response was. I figured I'd have... maybe a dozen entries. Um, not even close! I began to think of it as "the excel spreadsheet of doom," because so many of my queries either went unanswered or came back as rejections. I couldn't decide which was worse--the definitive no, or the not knowing.
Anyway, I read a quote (and I can't remember where I read it, or who wrote it) but it said, "the only difference between an agented writer and an un-agented writer is one day." So, I decided I wouldn't be the first to quit. I continued working on the manuscript but also continued sending query letters. The 64th (yes, 64th!) agent sent me an email saying he'd love to read the manuscript, so I sent it to him. But I knew not to get my hopes up because others had also requested the full manuscript and then either ghosted me or passed on it.
Guess what? A week later I checked email while at a stop light (I know! Never do that!) and there was an email from him saying that he loved the book and wanted to sign me. After a million people honked at me from behind, I finally put my phone down and kept driving (sorry to those people!) I can't imagine if I'd decided 50 rejections was enough, or even 60. The take away is--have faith, keep working, and don't give up.
Anyway, I read a quote (and I can't remember where I read it, or who wrote it) but it said, "the only difference between an agented writer and an un-agented writer is one day." So, I decided I wouldn't be the first to quit. I continued working on the manuscript but also continued sending query letters. The 64th (yes, 64th!) agent sent me an email saying he'd love to read the manuscript, so I sent it to him. But I knew not to get my hopes up because others had also requested the full manuscript and then either ghosted me or passed on it.
Guess what? A week later I checked email while at a stop light (I know! Never do that!) and there was an email from him saying that he loved the book and wanted to sign me. After a million people honked at me from behind, I finally put my phone down and kept driving (sorry to those people!) I can't imagine if I'd decided 50 rejections was enough, or even 60. The take away is--have faith, keep working, and don't give up.
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Sep 23, 2020 12:13PM · flag