A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success. – Bo Bennett
If you read my last post, you know that I shared about a rejection that hit me hard just when I thought I might be moving toward success. Isn’t that the way of it sometimes? Just when you think things are going your way, you hit a pothole on the road you thought was getting you where you wanted to be.
I did hit that pothole, ran right up to a brick wall that seemed to have no gateways in it. At least that’s how I felt for a few days, maybe a few weeks. But then I shoved that rejected book out of sight and kept going on the new story road I was ready to head down. Whether they had sold or found favor, I had written two novels from the first sentence to the last. Word piled on top of words.
It’s such a confidence trick, writing a novel. The main person you have to trick into confidence is yourself. This is hard to do alone. – Zadie Smith
I needed to believe I could to it again. To have confidence to not only write another book, but to write one full of historical details along with bringing my imagined fictional people coming to life. I rolled a clean sheet of typing paper into my typewriter, still a manual model but an upgrade from the portable one I’d bought from my sister’s friend when I was a young teen. This was a desk model. It had keys that strengthened the muscles in my fingers. It made a loud clatter as I began hitting those keys to make words spill across the white paper.
I had my characters all named and imagined. There was Sarah Douglas, my main heroine and Matthew Stoner and Cave Hawkins and a young boy, Sarah’s brother named Johnny. I’m sure I had pages and pages of historical research and character studies. I needed all that to have the courage and confidence to type that first line to get me underway. I probably have that first draft around here somewhere. Maybe. Anyway, here is the first sentence of the novel now. Like a misty purple border outlining the far horizon, the mountains were in sight at last.
Reading it now, I think it could have been better. After I wrote that first sentence and filled in that first page, I rolled in 300 or so blank sheets and filled them with words too before I wrote “the end.” It took me a year from getting the reject on the cattle drive story to get this new story written and then a few more months editing it and retyping it on nice crisp paper to be able to send it out. When I think about this, you can’t imagine how thankful I am for word processors where mistakes can be easily corrected without typewriter erasers. It took me hours and hours to retype that story but that was how everything worked back then.
Eventually I had the big stack of pages done with Kentucke Dream by Ann Gabhart on a title page on top. In November 1977 I sent the manuscript off to my agent who was still willing to look at this new story even after her rejection of the last one a year and a half before. In a few weeks, my agent wrote back that the story was “quite well put over.” She said she’d do her best for me. What more could I want?
I got a rejection in the mail the next month, but the rejection had personal remarks on it. The editor said the story was good but the romance needed to be more clear but and it didn’t fit in their genre. I handled that rejection with ease since it wasn’t final. That was a good think about having an agent. She sent it right out again.
And then the letter came. On January 3rd or 4th, I’m guessing now since I write about it my journal on the 4th. We were stripping tobacco and getting it ready to be off to the warehouse to sell. Tobacco was our farm’s cash crop and we raised about an acre. In December and January we spent a lot of time as a family in the stripping room pulling the dried tobacco leaves off the stalks, tying them into hands to thread on a stick and press flat in a specially made press on the stripping room wall. The older kids helped. The youngest mostly watched if his granny couldn’t keep him. I came to the house and someone had gotten the mail. There was a letter from my agent. I can still remember standing at my desk in the kitchen opening that letter even before I washed the tobacco gum off my hands. And it said Warner Books had made an offer on my story. They were going to give me a few thousand dollars in an advance. I know my hands had to have been shaking. My agent asked if I wanted to accept the offer since she wasn’t totally satisfied with the terms. Uh, yeah, did I want to accept it! The very thought of my book being published was almost more than I could comprehend.
I had a letter in the mail to her right away. Not long after that, I began to learn more about editing to get my story ready for public consumption and that actually getting a book from manuscript to store shelf could be a slow process. But persistence had paid off.
You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success – but only if you persist. – Isaac Asimov
Thanks for your patience as I explore the past in my writing journey. While I’ll never forget opening that envelope in my kitchen before I started preparing our supper, plenty of other things I would have forgotten except for my writing journal. And now I’m sharing it here to make another record of my journey.
Have you had times when persistence paid off for you?
Remember, I’ve got a giveaway going to reward those of you reading these writing journey posts. So far, not many entries. I’m going to pick a couple of winners who will win their choice of one of my books. Unfortunately, not this first book I published since I don’t have copies of it. Anyway, you can get an entry by any comment you leave on each post, with extra entries for commenting on the new posts. Deadline to enter is midnight EST August 23, 2025. You have to be at least 18 years old to enter and winner will be notified by email. Maybe if you’ve entered my giveaways before and not won, persistence in entering again might pay off this time. 🙂
Comments 34
I bet that was so exciting, and rewarding, to have someone buy your first book. This is has been so fun reading about how you got your start.
Author
I was excited, Megan. The very idea that somebody would pay me that much money up front had my head spinning. In Stephen King’s book On Writing, he tells about his first sale. Carrie, I think it was, and although his amount was more and he went on to earn boatloads of money and I didn’t, his response was much like mine. Amazement mixed with unbelief and happiness all mixed together. I have to think that most authors may feel something the same on those first book sales.
I think “A Forbidden Yearning” was the first book I read written by you. Think I still have it here somewhere.
Yes, patience & persistence are important, but don’t know if I’ve ever had much of either.
Wilma
Author
My copies I still have on hand have turned brown with age, but I still treasure those copies that seemed to prove I could write a story that others would perhaps buy and read. It was a good time in my writing life. How neat that you remember reading that story so long ago. That has me smiling, Wilma.
Have you ever thought about rewriting those rejected books now?
Learning to use a computer for the first time in my 50’s took much persistence from me. I was taking a few classes at the community college to learn some basic things. But I didn’t have a computer at my house yet. I eventually got a computer, but dial up was the only thing available in my area and it was quite a challenge. It was so slow. Over the years the speed of computers have improved greatly. When I get stumped on how to do something now, I just ask my computer and I find out that someone has already asked that question and is willing to share their how to’s.
Author
Do I ever know about that, Connie!! When I got my first computer it was a used model that had been wiped clean and was ready to the next owner – me. No directions. No handbook. Nothing. All I knew was how to plug it in and push the power button to make the screen glow – green, I think. I bought a book called DOS for Dummies that saved my sanity and slowly learned how to make the machine work. Well, enough that I could type stories on it anyway.
I’m always asking my computer questions too and am continually amazed that answers will pop right up. Once I even bought this little compact of makeup and I could not get it open. I tried everything. Finally I asked Google and found out I wasn’t the only one struggling with this packaging, but there was also a suggestion about what might work. And it did. Saved me smashing it open with a hammer. LOL.
I’m really enjoying reading about your writing experiences. I forward them to my husband’s computer since he’s enjoying them too. I would love to win your newest book!
Author
That’s great, Mary. Glad you’re sharing them with your husband and that he is enjoying the read too. I’ve always been super curious about other writers and how they got started and about the books they’ve written. But then I like hearing anybody’s story about how they chose whatever they wanted to do or what they really enjoy whether it’s work or play. Hope you will hang with me for a few more posts.
I love learning how to become an author from you Ann.
Author
I guess everyone comes to being an author in different ways, Carol. I’m sure you have your own stories, but I’m glad you are taking time to read about some of my writing journey. Thank you. I may gather them all together in a little book when I run out of things to say about the journey.
I am blessed that you persisted and did not give up because I get to read books that you have published. Not that I can say that I have read them all, but you are on my list of favorite authors. And I enjoy these Writing Journey posts, too. Thank you.
Author
Glad you’re enjoying my Writing Journey posts, Ann. I’m thinking maybe I should try to finish them off even though plenty morel happens before I get to now. Some good. Some not so good.
What a great place to be – your list of favorite authors. Hope you’ll give more of my books a try, and thank you for reading my books.
I am really enjoying your writing story.
I was persistent when I homeschooled my kids and we all survived!
Author
I can see that taking plenty of persistence and patience and work to be a homeschool mom. That is quite an undertaking that many parents are doing these days.
I’m glad you are enjoying my writing journey posts, Paula.
I had to be protestant in not giving up after my cardiac arrest 20 years ago. I had been in the hospital or rehab for 3 months. I needed time to get my strength back.
Author
Health recoveries do take persistence, Una. That was a long time for you, but I’m glad you were persistent and didn’t give up. My husband has had to find some of that perseverance and persistence to recover after he fell and broke his arm badly back in March. Hope whatever challenges you have now aren’t as difficult as your cardiac arrest recovery 20 years ago.
I always enjoy your posts Ann. I’ve been off social media for most of the past few weeks. So I just read through your writing journal posts that I missed. This one about being persistent is particularly good. I’m putting one foot in front of the other this past week too. It’s been a very hard week for me. But each day is a little better. (details are on my facebook page last Tuesday)
Thanks for keeping on keeping on with your writing. I love your stories and wish I could read that first published one! I bet it’s better than that agent believed.
Author
I saw something on Instagram about Ollie. Made me very sad. I’ll have to check out your FB post. I loved your furry buddy from afar.
Thanks for reading my writing journey posts.
I’m persistent every day, as I continue to adjust to life on my own, five years after mom’s passing. You think you’ve adapted, and then something else you hadn’t had to deal with on your own comes out of left field!
Author
Each day can bring its own challenges, Trudy. It’s hard to have to figure out everything on your own after you lose a loved one who was always cheering you on and ready to be there to help.
Well, you know I had to look up your first book and read the summary. I’m sure it’s a great book! Persistence???? I know I have persistence about just about everything! Growing up with 3 brothers, my Dad taught me at a young age how to be tough – tough about everything. I’ve always had a “drive” in me to put my mind to something and make it happen! If I didn’t have to be persistent about getting some things accomplished before our church ladies’ meeting tonight, I’ve give you some examples!
Author
I hope you persisted and got the ladies’ meeting going just the way you wanted, Susan. I think we all need persistence in doing whatever we think needs doing. Rigth now I should be a little more persistent in washing my windows. Somehow, I find it more fun to be persistent in writing. Windows do have a way of just getting dirty again. Still… That’s not really quite the same as working toward a goal such as me hoping to write something others would read.
interesting post
Author
Thanks for going back and looking at all my writing journey posts. I hope you liked seeing the writing trail I followed.
Some of best things in my life have come from being persistent. How easy it is to give up, especially in today’s world when we are used to instant gratification. You are an amazing example that persistence pays off!
Author
I think most writers have to have a certain reserve of persistence, Dana. It takes that to write a story from beginning to end and in a novel, to keep going with characters you’ve imagined and made real in your head.
Ann, I admire your persistence and tenacity! Are they the same? Not sure, but they’re qualities that are required to achieve anything of worth. I’m just glad that the Lord instilled those in you. All of your readers have benefited. Thank you for “sticking to it”!
Author
I’m not sure they are exactly the same, Judi., but very similar. The internet dictionary included persistence in the definition of tenacity. The slight difference in the definitions was that persistence was continuing on even when things were difficulty and tenacity was not giving up on what you wanted to do – sticking with it.
My family sometimes calls it stubbornness. 🙂
Yes, in some things that I had to finish. Thanks for an interesting post.
By the way, I commented on your previous post but I don’t know if it went through or not since I don’t see it.
Author
I checked my message center, Diana, and your comment and a couple of others were in the spam folder. I corrected that now and will keep a better eye on those messages that are awaiting moderation. Thanks for telling me about your message not showing up on the post and being persistent. 🙂
I’m glad you found my posts interesting.
Yes, in certain projects that I have sought to do. And finish.
Author
Sometimes persistence can be difficult, Lisa, but somehow it usually pays off – in getting whatever project you were doing done or knowing you did the very best you could.