Getting Back on the Horse That Threw You...

Ruthy here, giving you a break today! (remember that old McDonald's tune:  "You deserve a break today...") Hear it HERE. Then come back using your page-back arrow!

With our great Speedbo response, I figured the declared and undeclared participants needed a BREAK from my yammering so I called on some friends to yammer at you IN MY PLACE.

You're welcome.  ;)

Because, you know I'm not gonna cut you much slack. I'm not going to get all smiley-smiley, blow sunshine at you Pollyanna-ish even though that's one of my all-time fave movies. No. I would simply KICK YOUR BUTT which is why I was so proud of Connealy on Monday. Did she really call the lot o' youse MAGGOTS????

Ouch. Oy. Oh my stars!!!  And you took that, LOL????  (Ruthy grin here, mostly because my teeth are too big for my mouth....)

Anyway, here are some lovely "from-their-mouths-to-your-ears" tales of climbin' back on the horse that threw ya'.... from some of the most gracious authors I know.

"With excitement and hope, I sent my first manuscript to a contest. Though I knew I had some things to learn, I thought sure I was on the right track. But the judge slammed me hard and basically said I didn’t have what it took, that I should forget about being a writer. Wounded, disappointed, I curled into the fetal position and wanted to quit, but I didn’t. “Suck it up and get back in the game,” is a phrase I often said to my kids. Now, I said it to myself. You can do this. You will do this. If nothing else, prove to yourself that the judge was wrong. It wasn’t easy, but nearly forty books later, I’m glad I got back on that horse and learned to ride." Rita winner Linda Goodnight

"After writing four books for two small New York publishers who did nothing to promote me or my books, I was dropped by the second publisher.  I didn't want to be writing for them anyway, and couldn't believe they were dropping me!  When I decided to write for them, I'd been disappointed, hoping for a better offer from a bigger publisher.  The whole time I was with them I felt like I was at least going to the prom---even though with the ugly, dorky boy.  And now even the ugly, dorky boy didn't want me!

I almost quit writing.  But my good writing friends and my agents didn't give up on me.  They made me keep writing.  And even though I cried just about every single day for an entire year, I kept writing.  I was just shy of my self-imposed deadline for hanging up the towel when I got the call from my agent telling me that Penguin had given me an offer for 2 books.

I tell my kids now that even when it appears that the worst thing that could ever happen to you happens, if you stick around long enough you just might find that it's actually the best thing that could ever happen to you."  NYT bestselling author Karen White

And gentle words of wisdom from NYT bestselling author Robin Lee Hatcher:  "I bought my first horse at the age of 14 and I owned many others in the decades that followed. Although horseless for many years now, I remember well what it's like to be thrown from a bucking or shying or spinning horse.

"Publishing can feel like that sometimes. We think we are safely in the saddle, and all of a sudden we are unseated by unexpected circumstances. The line we write for is cancelled. The editor who loves our work leaves the house and the new editor doesn't care for our style. Our agent becomes ill or passes away and we lose our greatest champion. Or the muse suddenly goes on vacation and our creativity seems to dry up and we feel lost and alone.

"But like all good horsemen, after we dust off our fannies, we must approach that horse again and step back into the saddle. If we don't, we will allow fear to rule our lives instead of faith ruling it. So if something in publishing has thrown you for a loop, it's okay to feel the pain as you hit the ground, but don't lie there for long. Get up and get back to the writing."

AND THEN THERE'S THIS:

"It was September 2005. I was at my second ACFW conference. Every year Barbour Publishing has this great moment when they announce contracts to unpublished authors. They had a book of mine. They'd had it a long time. I'd been through some edits even. But they'd never agreed to buy it.

I'd also sent in a proposal for a second book, but only about a month before conference.

So, I knew I could be a contender. IT COULD HAPPEN.

The announcement night came. I visited with Lena Nelson Dooley just before dinner and she something like, "I know Barbour wants to work with you." I don't remember just HOW she said it but my impression was 'I know Barbour wants to work with you, just not on these projects, keep trying."

In other words, "Forget it. You're rejected." (Please remember that Lena said NONE OF THIS. I managed to make it all up in my fevered brain. Lena is a sweetheart.)

It was like a blow to the head. I was crushed. In the time it took me to get into my seat at the conference dinner — lo and behold I'm sitting at Rebecca Germany's table. Rebecca Germany, acquiring editor for Barbour Publishing.

The dinner goes on. Then speakers. Sitting there, I went from crushed to "As God As My Witness I'll Never Give Up Again!" Insert Scarlet O'Hara and a fist full of onions. Silhouetted against a blazing Georgian sky.  

Then comes THE MOMENT! Tracie Peterson— then the acquiring editor for Heartsong Presents, the division  I'd pitched to—got up to make the announcement. I had completely given up. I was fine. At peace. I'd force onward, pitch again, write a BETTER book. A book so good no one could say no.

Tracie announced—someone else. Kathy Kovack. HEY!  I clapped. I'm a good sport. I was happy for her. I would not be defeated BY THIS!!! And then after that showoff Kathy went up and got her contract, Tracie Peterson said, "And this year we're giving two. We're offering a contract to Mary Connealy."

This moment is somewhat like skidding in a car, maybe doing a 180 turn on loose gravel. No, make it a 360. I was stunned. I'd gone through the whole emotional gamut.  Hope, despair,  defiance, determination…a little side trip into intense (though well concealed, I hope) jealousy, then TRIUMPH.

I had mental whiplash so bad it's a wonder I didn't need an neck brace (well, more likely an ego brace)

But the point here is, I'd already gotten back on that horse before that announcement was made." Mary Connealy, Bethany House and Barbour Publishing author

And here's a message I bet most of us didn't know from multi-published, Rita-winning Irene Hannon who writes for Love Inspired Books and Revell:

"For those of you who haven’t been involved in publishing very long, the

simple truth is it’s a tough, tough business. There are very few overnight
successes. It took me years to sell my first book, and after that line
folded, six years passed before I found a new home. When I stopped writing
for that publisher, I was in limbo for three more years before I sold
again. Meaning one or two sales don’t guarantee future sales. 


Today I write shorter romances for Love Inspired and trade-length romantic
suspense for Revell. I’ve sold 40+ books, achieved bestseller status, and
been blessed with many awards, including two RITAs. My latest book, Deadly
Pursuit, was recently named one of the top 10 inspirational fiction titles
for 2011 by Booklist. Things are good, right?


Yes—but you know what? In this business, that could change tomorrow. So I always remember the two lessons I learned in my early days: never stop believing—and never stop writing. There are a lot of roadblocks in this business, but no one can steal your dream and no can stop you from writing—except yourself. If I
persevered with a pile of rejections staring me in the face, so can you.
The race goes to the people who stay the course.

"My problem was that I didn’t fall off the horse—I got tossed. Far, and repeatedly. I got sick of it and left the arena, brokenhearted and much worse for wear. When I decided to take another shot, I chose a growing market open to new authors: Love Inspired. That leap of faith produced Hometown Family, which comes out this May. For me, the trick was to find the right horse…and hold on tight!"  ... Love Inspired author Mia Ross

Mia's debut Love Inspired novel comes out in April!

"Life can play rough. It can knock you down, throw you off your horse, take you to your knees. The last five months have been the hardest of my life. But I learned something through the drought, the deadly accident, the health crisis. When life knocks you flat, get back up. Keep going. Stay grateful. Don’t quit. The Donnie McClurkin song (which comes from Ephesians) says it so well. It encourages me."  Rita winner Linda Goodnight (yes, twice, because she's that nice... sigh...)


Ruthy note: (and yes, go listen to this amazing song and be blessed. Be blessed. Then come back and have coffee with us. Or sweet tea.)

From award-winning historical romance author Janet Dean:  "As the years rolled by, I'd received enough rejections that when I sent queries and proposals to publishers, I kept my expectations bottom of the barrel low. But then an editor read my proposal and asked for the complete manuscript. No editor had ever done that. My hopes soared! One day, after long weeks of waiting, my d/h came in from the mailbox, calling in this excited voice that I had a large priority envelope from a publisher. With his announcement, my hopes crashed and burned. And my husband found himself in the rubble. I'm not sure what I said, but for a few moments loving wife "had left the building." After all the years I'd been submitting, I couldn’t believe he didn't “get” the business. That he didn’t recognize my handwriting on the SASE. That he didn’t know immediately that this was a rejected manuscript, not good news. In reality I'd taken my disappointment out on him, the man who’d paid for contest entries, supplies, conference expenses...for years. He’d done everything he could to support my dream and I’d just lambasted him. 


Contrite, I apologized and he accepted that apology. We both got a whole lot smarter that day. I climbed back on that horse, sure. He even gave me a hand up. But from that moment on, I kept tight rein on my hopes and tighter rein on my tongue. I learned that when I fall off that horse I needed to be careful where I landed. :-)

And then there's this one!

"I used to joke I was the "Queen of Rejections" because anyone who attended the 2005 ACFW Conference will remember me as the poor slob who waved her hands wildly in the back of the room when Brandilyn Collins asked who had the most rejections in a year. I won hands-down with 19 and went on to garner in excess of 45 (both agent and publisher rejections, including three received AFTER I signed a 3-book contract with Revell Publishing!). Even my agent Natasha Kern blanched a bit when she first signed me, realizing after the ink was dry just how many times I’d been rejected. I believe the word she used was “daunting."


But apparently not too daunting for her amazing skills because she landed a contract for me within six months. Imagine my shock and awe when a few years later I stood on the same stage on which I’d received a booby prize for the most rejections, to receive ACFW’s Debut Book of the Year! A true testimony to God's grace and blessing ... and total confirmation that it only takes one "yes" to trump a sea of "no's. "  Award-winning Revell novelist Julie Lessman

Okay, join me inside for Speed Book Writing updates.... "SPEEDBO!" and a cup of great joe! And everyone leaving a comment will have their name tossed into a hat (or a clean, freshly washed cat dish) for a copy of any Ruthy-Book.

 And, today is another day of our March Speedbo. Find out more about Speedbo and our exciting weekly prizes here. Comment today for a chance to win! Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.