Writers Ask: I believe in myself. Why can’t others?
Everyone has to start somewhere. Nobody is born with a book already written and a publishing contract to boot. Every successful author had to experience exactly what you’re experiencing right now. Oftentimes, the only thing standing between publishing and not publishing is just whether or not the author is ready to give up on their work. There are thousands of editors, thousands of agents, thousands of publishers and literal billions of readers that all come with their own subjective tastes. You just need to convince one person at a time, and often the most important person to convince is yourself.
Writers Ask: How many pieces do you produce in a year?
Some years are just more productive than others. Some years you’re not relocating your life. Some years you’re not writing a novel. Some years you’re feeling pretty good. Other years, you’re low in the lowest lows of rejection. Just last November, I was wallowing and complaining to my husband about how I’d had nothing published that year. That was less than six months ago. I’ve had two stories and two essays published since. I am in the middle of a very good year and I am going to take this year and run with it. I am going to celebrate as much as I can because next year, or even next month, may not be nearly as good as right now.