A successful Scottish author has just had a book he wrote 15 years ago – which was rejected – published.
The book, Lockdown, is based in a pandemic-impacted London which, along with the rest of the globe, is in lockdown. Just like the world is today. Except back then the publishers laughed and said in modern Britain it would never happen. The book was too farfetched. How little did they know, right?
Fast forward 15 years and we are in exactly that situation. The author remembered that book he’d had sitting in a drawer for 15 years and re-submitted. No-one laughed this time.
You can read more about Peter May’s lockdown story here.
This is why we should never let rejection get to us. Whether it is your writing or something else. Never give up. You never know when the time will be right, or in what other way that rejection might steer you clear to other successes.
Do you let rejection get you down?
May 5, 2020 at 9:25 pm
My novel Wolfborn was finally published after about ten years of rejections. A publisher who had liked it but been unable to take it at one company made contact to say she was working elsewhere and had a slot available due to another book that had to be postponed. Two short stories found a home long after rejections. It happens!
May 6, 2020 at 8:17 am
Perseverance is the key, as you’ve demonstrated, Sue. You never know what’s around the corner (and that’s also why you should never burn bridges!).
May 6, 2020 at 1:43 am
I saw that book somewhere and wondered at the amazing writer who could put it together in a few months. Now I know.
May 6, 2020 at 8:20 am
Oh yeah, that would be fast to write a book and have it polished and ready to publish in such a short time.
May 6, 2020 at 7:08 am
Very prescient of him.
May 6, 2020 at 8:21 am
Lol, I know, right! Weirdly, it is the only one of his books that hadn’t been published.
May 6, 2020 at 11:23 am
Fifteen years! Good for him! I wonder if it was saved on a floppy disc 🙂 Never give up!
May 6, 2020 at 10:43 pm
Oh my gosh, Jenny. I didn’t even think of that! Technology has changed a lot in 15 years hasn’t it.