Oh look, there’s a picture of my actual book as it was being celebrated by my dear friend, Susan (you’ll meet her in the book). No, you didn’t miss my debut. It’s 11 days, 3 hours, 27 minutes until the official release (not that anyone’s counting). But let’s just say there are a few early copies out and about.
Ah, so at this happy time in my life we are blogging about the dreariest of topics: rejection. Well, maybe it’s fitting. I think for a lot of us beginning authors, we think that once we get past the early and necessary pile of rejections (agents, publishers, magazines, you name it – I’ve been rejected by them), it’ll be rejection-free smooth sailing from here on out. But the truth is, the entire path of publishing is littered and potholed with rejections. Yeah, we all know too well about rejected queries and passed-over submissions. But there are also rejections of second (third, fourth?) novels and book proposals. (What? And here we thought if we climbed our way out of the slush pile once, we could breathe free forever!) Then there are the insidious rejections that come by way of bad reviews (How dare you say my baby’s ugly?!) and the outright rejection of poor sales! And that’s just on the professional level. The last I checked, the rest of life was mired in rejection as well: schools that didn’t accept us, jobs we weren’t offered, friends who don’t return our phone calls. I still smart over the Fulbright award I didn’t get when I was doing HIV/AIDS work in Uganda. (And I didn’t even submit my portfolio in a duffel bag!) And we haven’t even started on unrequited love. My god, it’s a minefield of rejection out there!
So what words of wisdom can I possibly offer? Only these: DO NOT GET OUT OF BED!
Truly. This is the best I have to offer. Because frankly, when it comes to handling rejection, I am the worst at it. I take EVERY slight personally (oh, so sorry your dog died … was it something I said???). And I am so thin-skinned you could read a newspaper through me. (Now that is a truly disgusting image and, again, I am so sorry if I offended you.) I know, I know, this is no way to go through life, nor through the publishing industry. Because I know what’s coming: the feedback, the criticism, the bad reviews, the helpful readers writing in to tell me about all the typos! And I am trying desperately to steel myself for it all. How? you ask? Well, I am taking to my bed and taking a helluva lot of dark chocolate and red wine with me!
If you don’t hear from me next week … you’ll know why!
~ Deb Eve
You’re hilarious, Eve! I love the image of you staying in bed with wine and chocolate. But I know from reading your book that you’re way tougher then you say. If you can handle living in Uganda, dealing with the bugs, and–oh, I don’t want to give anything away (y’all will just have to read the book)–then you can handle a few wimpy reviewers and typo corrections…
I’m not sure I need to take to my bed and stay there, but maybe I’ll just arrange for a fainting couch?
Taking to one’s bed is sometimes the best thing, even if it’s just for a little nap, a bit of time away from the world before hurling oneself back out there.
Your book is fantastic though, Eve, and I know you’re going to be WAY too busy to spend much time in bed.
I love the idea of a fainting couch too…
Having read (and written a review of) your book, I don’t anticipate you having to worry too much about rejection from readers and reviewers. And if you do get some bad reviews, just keep going back to my blog where I fawn over you like a silly school girl (by the way, my mom already preordered your book for a friend of hers based off my previous mentions).
I’m going to start sending things to my agent in custom-made tote bags. Much classier than some old duffel! I’ll make you a custom tote bag that you can put over your computer screen so you can pretend it’s not there while you loll in bed (not “LOL” in bed–totally different!).
So now, is that every one of us ’09 Debs who has a declared dependent relationship with chocolate and red wine?
Hey ladies – maybe we all should have fainting couches installed in our homes and underneath a cabinet loaded with chocolate and booze! I love it!
Meredith – it might sound odd, I’m tough in some ways and a total mush in others. I know, it’s odd, but true. Malaria, elephants rampaging through the trash, hand-grenades … no problem (well, maybe a little problem). But hurt my feelings and I’m a goner!
Danielle and Jen – you are both too kind. Does everyone know Jen from Devourer of Books? Jen, honey – I LOVE YOU!!! You’re my new BFF!
And Katie – I am soooo taking you up on your offer. Yes, we need custom covers for making our computer screens go away while we all take to our beds with our vices! BTW and trust me on this, I used to be a health educator – there are FAR worse vices than chocolate and wine! Bon Vivant as Deb Tiffany says!
A softie at heart? If true, thank goodness you won over St. John! 😉
When Eve says to me…”Mom do you want my head to explode?”…is she rejecting my motherly advice? Should I feel rejected as I gaze at her in bewilderment??? Ummm, rejection…ladies, when you reach my age, rejection becomes “defection”, as all you bits and pieces just leave you flat.
So, Eve, hand grenades don’t hurt your feelings? I might take a little thing like that personally!
I’m going to put a fainting couch in my next book!
Rejection does suck… and what a fitting blog topic for me at the moment what with colleges and such. In terms of coping, I’m more of a TV and ice cream person. I’ve become quite the connoisseur of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavors over the past few weeks. And, I am practically caught up with every show on the food network at this point.
-Joey
Eve, I have to say you don’t have to worry about rejection! I’m almost done with First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, and I can already tell you this will be a 5 star review on my blog.
At least this blog post didn’t get rejected. 🙂
I can’t wait to read your book since both Jen and Swapna have said such fantastic things!
There are no rejections here! I feel like the Debutante Ball is the one place where we are all appreciated with warm support from one another and from our readers. You guys are the best. Swapna – nice to meet you, although I’ve certainly heard lots about you and your blog. Thank you for the 5 star review. And all of our readers – you are what makes risking rejection bearable!
Now, Joey C. – what ridiculous college rejected you? Clearly, not a place worth going to anyway. I predict wonderful things ahead for you. No worries!
Mom, do you WANT my head to explode?
Mom answers…yuk, would I have to clean it up???