Roxanne Longstreet had been writing since she was 14.

She had lots of ideas and wrote lots of stories.

You know the story.

Years later as an adult, Roxanne submitted a novel to an agent… and got rejected.

Taking it as a sign that she wasn't supposed to be published, she stopped submitting, but kept writing for fun.

I know many of you have felt this way.

Maybe you've followed in her footsteps after a particularly demoralizing moment.

This could have been the end of the story if not for a friend who supported her efforts.

This friend picked her up and took her out to lunch, but instead of a restaurant, he dropped her off at a writing conference. By the end of the day, she'd signed with an editor.

Soon after, got an agent and a publishing deal.

Yahoo! Lightning strike! Right? Happy Ending!

Nope.

After publishing four of her books, the publisher didn't want book five. Her books weren't selling. The publisher released (fired) her.

To restart her career, she came up with a new name and wrote more books. Those also didn’t sell. The publisher released her.

Rinse. Repeat. You get the idea.

She took a break.

A few years later she picked a new name, wrote a new book, and sold it to a new publisher.

With her new name, Rachel Caine, and the first book in the Weather Warden series Ill Wind, she helped pioneer the genre juggernaut urban fantasy.

The market shifted and she was there still writing when it did.

Since then she has published over 50 books in different novels for adults and young adults.

The lessons for writers here are:

• Inspiration is just the beginning.

• If you quit before you get there, you’re never going to get there.

• Surround yourself with people who support your efforts.

• Keep writing, keep getting better, keep doing the work.

• Sometimes it’s not personal–it’s the market.

​

Many writers give up when their first novel doesn’t immediately get them a deal with an agent, a loyal group of readers, or a fat wad of cash.

There is no magic bullet story or fairy godmother wand out there that will guarantee success.

You can write the best book possible, and if the market timing isn't right or the readers aren't ready for it, it doesn't matter.

That doesn't mean you stop.

You want to be a writer. You keep writing.

Inspiration without perspiration won’t get you very far.

Sometimes it’s just the pain in the ass stubbornness to keep writing forward until the rest of the world is ready for what you’re writing.

At worst, you’ll have a drawer full of novels.

But in the process, you just might find you’ve become an author ready for the career you dream of.

You got this.

Keep going.

Hello!
My name is Jocelyn.

Story warrior, book lover, day dreamer, gardener, and creative. I help serious writers roll up their sleeves, get their novel ready for publishing, and reach readers. When I’m not elbow-deep in the story trenches, I’m outside world-building in my garden and battling weeds with my three criminal mastermind cats.