Huge thanks to Books-n-Kisses for letting me stop by today and take part in Writer’s Tips & Tricks.
My topic to touch on is: How to handle a rejection/how to develop a thick skin.
Rejection in the publishing industry is just a given. Does it suck? Well, of course it does. From publishers to agents to negative reviews, an author has to deal with rejection from the very early stages of a book right up until after it’s published. So, why do we, as authors, subject ourselves to this? Seems kinda crazy, doesn’t it? For me, I write because I love storytelling. That simple.
There are a few things I’ve learned along the way. The best of all, the power of the delete button. During the process of looking for an agent or finding a publisher who loves your work as much as you do, it’s likely you’ll receive a few – or more than a few – rejection letters. They are going to happen, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with hitting that delete button on the rejection letter with a little more force than normal. It feels kinda good to delete the email as if it never happened and you never saw it. Even better, it’s best to stay focused on moving on and waiting for that next email, hoping for good news. Always remember, it only takes one yes to make your dreams come true!
Next up is reviews. So, you’ve gone through all the emotional ups and downs to get a book published. Now your book is out in the world. Everything is rainbows and sunshine, right? Not likely. Someone is going to hate your book – there’s no way around it. You have to accept it….or, I should say, learn to accept it. I’ll admit that when I was first published negative reviews affected me for days, sometimes even a week. It got right inside my head and I found myself believing what that reader said, more than believing in myself. Terrible thing that is. Authors always told me not to read reviews, but heck, I could never do that. Once I realized how bad reading reviews was for me, I went a different route and found a way that put reviews into perspective.
Truth is, authors can get very hung up on stars that are given – and rightly so, we want readers to love our work – but luckily, Goodreads has this little thing that makes those stars simply go away. Here’s a screenshot so you know what I mean:
See how an author could get hung up on the one stars or two stars – that’s the type of rock in the corner kinda stuff – but when you see that 94% of people liked the book, it seems those stars just don’t matter anymore. Or at least, they don’t to me.
My advice to new authors wouldn’t be, “don’t read reviews”, it would be “go on Goodreads and look at that little line.” Then feel proud of yourself that you wrote a book people enjoyed! Oh, and of course, read all those gushing reviews that your loving readers send to you. Those are just good for the soul!
While there will always be rejection in the publishing industry, I think the best way to cope is to find a positive way to work around it. I’ve never developed a thick skin, and I doubt I ever will. Negative stuff bothers me. But it doesn’t mean I don’t have ways to ignore it. Whether it be focusing on the percentage on Goodreads or hitting that delete button to forever forget that rejection letter, you simply need to keep moving forward. Stay positive. Stay true to work. And more importantly, enjoy the experience of being a published author. It’s a fun ride!!
A little about Stacey:
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the CLUB SIN series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion – staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy.
Learn more about Stacey and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Make sure to check out Stacey’s upcoming release Freed
*****
Freed
| Fans who can’t get enough of USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy will love this wicked, wild spinoff novel that explores how sexy life can be outside Club Sin.
Mary Schmidt knows only too well how thrilling a Master’s touch can be. Her husband, Charles, had been her ultimate fantasy, a seducer in the erotic dance of dominance and submission. She misses the sensual lifestyle they shared, but mourns him so deeply she cannot bear to embrace her submissive needs with another Dom—until a man who exudes temptation reawakens desires she can no longer deny.
Elliott Foster is dazzled by Mary. He instantly knows that she’s the woman he’s been waiting for—a woman who turns games into need. As her Master, he dares to unlock the deepest pleasures of her flesh, releasing her from pain and healing her mind. When Mary’s lithe body comes to life under his, he knows their connection goes beyond sex. Now that he has found the perfect woman, the perfect partner, the perfect submissive, he desires only to give her everything she craves.
Awakened is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.
Praise for the Club Sin series
“Claimed sucked me in! Stacey Kennedy weaves together the intense BDSM lifestyle with the soft touch of a sweeter, more traditional love story in a novel with an engaging heroine at its heart.”—J. Kenner, New York Times bestselling author of Release Me
“Deliciously sexy, Claimed will captivate you at once, leading you on an erotic journey that you won’t want to end. A fabulous talent, Kennedy shines in this fast-paced and exciting novel.”—New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray
“Tender, emotional—and smoking hot!”—Savanna Fox, author of the Dirty Girls Book Club series, on Claimed
“Bared is a seductively haunting tale of control and surrender that will tantalize existing fans of the series while enticing new readers into the passionate world of Club Sin.”—Eliza Gayle, New York Times bestselling author of Submissive Beauty
“Bared is a hot blend of raw sensuality, and Stacey Kennedy is an author to watch!”—Eden Bradley, author of The Dark Garden and Dangerously Bound
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.
*****
Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.
All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.
This is great advice. Thank you very much. I just love your books by the way.
Definitely hard to do, but something to aspire to be able to do. I hope keeping a sense of humor can also help with the rejection. Thank you for taking the time to share with us 🙂