The date was May 7, 2018. I had spent the weekend reviewing the manuscript for The Red Couch, researching agents and publishing houses, and landed on one.
The time was 10:31 p.m. I received the promised confirmation of receipt of my query. It was in that confirmation I was also informed that due to the number of submissions received, the agency now worked on a 'no news is a no thank-you' basis. If I heard nothing within 30 days, I was to assume the agent is not interested in my work.
The date was June 7, 2018. It was my 10 year wedding anniversary. It was the annual RCA Chaplain's Conference. It was also the one month mark of my first agent query--and I'd heard only crickets.
Now, despite the fact that basically no one is picked up on their first attempt, I was a little disappointed, but not for the obvious reason. I didn't expect to be picked up, yet I was surprised by how disappointed I was to simply hear nothing.
How am I supposed to know the reason behind the lack of interest? How am I supposed to muster the courage to do this countless times over, hoping and believing it is a book meant to be published? In other words, how do I overcome the fear of not being good enough and therefore keep my dreams of a writing career alive?
I keep writing. I blog. I start book two in the series. I work on the non-fiction book. I keep polishing my query and decide the next place(s) to send it.
Silence isn't always golden. No news isn't always good news. No action guarantees failure. It is this last one I must remember to push on and through the fear. I may self-publish down the road. I may find an agent. I may submit direct to a house that does not require representation. What I won't do is stop. I will not let the fear and self-talk take me down.
What fear is keeping you from reaching your dreams? How have you courageously motivated yourself to push through despite perceived failures? Leave comment and be sure to subscribe to the blog to be informed of the progress towards publishing!