I put a new page on my website in the goose girl section, recounting its reject history and including a few rejection letters. I'm so glad I saved all my rejection letters. Those of you who have come hear me speak may have seen my letters laminated into one long roll. It's satisfying now, battle scars, and collecting them felt like some kind of progress during those long, anxious years of submitting books and stories and receiving nothing but rejections in return. I really do believe that rejections are good. Rejectionsn of any kind hurt, but through them we are gently pushing into the path we should go, the place we should be. My life would be very different if The New Yorker had taken that story I sent them eleven years ago, or Realms of Fantasy. Through the discouragement, I found the kind of writing that I really had the most passion for and the best place for it. I love the children's book world so much.
I finally updated a few other pages of my site, including upping the number of children in my bio from 2 to 4. I can hardly believe that's true. I'm a mother of four. Good golly. Yesterday I took my babies to my parents' house, their first outing besides church in two months. They were like, "What is this strange place? We're very skeptical, mother. What was wrong with home? Why, there are entire days when we don't even enter every room of the house. It's a veritable world unto itself. Let's not be hasty with this manic globetrotting. Home, if you please."
I know exactly what you mean about rejections. I am so grateful for every rejection I received, because now I have the most amazing agent who really understands my writing!
I'm a twin myself, so I have a very healthy dose of respect for you! (Even though I am on the other end of the spectrum.)
Posted by: Nicolekrell_ | April 04, 2011 at 10:26 AM
Thanks for not giving up! I am excited for my theoretical future children to one day read your books. :D
Posted by: Diana | April 04, 2011 at 10:28 AM
I am very impressed that you are a mother of four! I have three kids and I definitely feel like I'm running around in a confused blur for most of the time.
Sometimes I look at published writers and forget that yes, they too went through a lot of rejection. It feels like it would be nice to skip through all that to the published part, but I think you're right that being rejected helps refine who you want to be as a writer. Or at least I hope it will work that way for me.
Posted by: megwrites | April 04, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Thanks for posting these rejections, Shannon!
I just got my first one from an agent who read my book a few weeks ago (and liked it but didn't think it was marketable enough) and I've been trying to suck it up ever since. Seeing that an author I love had trouble getting published (why? GG is so good!) is very encouraging.
Now onto another batch of queries...
Posted by: Carrie Jo | April 04, 2011 at 10:54 AM
They just announced the 2011-12 NC Elementary Battle of the Books list - and Princess Academy is on the list! I'm so excited!
Posted by: Megan J. | April 04, 2011 at 11:12 AM
Your babies are so eloquent and mature for their age.
I'm glad you got out of your house--I hope it was a satisfying adventure.
Posted by: Susanne | April 04, 2011 at 11:14 AM
I'm not sure I could have been strong enough to persevere through that many rejections. You ARE a warrior! I am so happy for your success! I read the confirmation in the one letter about YA lit becoming more edgy. I, for one, hate that. I don't want edgy for my emerging young adult. Why does everything need to be edgy? Sheesh. By the way, my daughter's and I were watching Tangled this weekend, and my oldest said, "Mom! That's just like Rapunzel's Revenge!" (referring to Rapunzel using her hair as a weapon). I love that she gave you and Dean credit for the idea. :D
Posted by: MelissaPete | April 04, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Ooh, I gonna go check them out...
Posted by: Christen | April 04, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Thank you for posting your rejections, it gives me hope!
I just moved to the UK and your UK covers are gorgeous!
Posted by: Alexa | April 04, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Thanks for posting the rejection letters--it's encouraging and interesting at the same time!
The editors who declined your work were very complimentary to you. Did that ease the sting at the time or did it make it even more frustrating?
Posted by: Jenn | April 04, 2011 at 01:16 PM
These were so interesting to read! Most of these editors seemed on the fence -- uncertain/worried about marketing (middle grade or YA audience?) or biased based on their own editorial inclinations (lyrical style doesn't work for them, this type of fairy tale retelling doesn't work for them, not sure about pacing of plot). Which goes to say that writers really shouldn't see these "criticisms" as pronouncements on the future of their book -- they are motivated as much by the idiosyncratic preferences of the editor/house.
Congratulations to you (and your agent) for having pushed through to the editor who totally "got" what you were trying to do!
Posted by: MJ | April 04, 2011 at 02:44 PM
Oh -- and also wanted to share that once I read a manuscript that I was on the fence about and in the end rejected. A year later I saw it had been published and received rave reviews. Funnily enough, the reviews said same things I had said in my rejection letter -- but they loved the story nonetheless or sometimes because of those very things. Another triumphant story for you!
Posted by: MJ | April 04, 2011 at 02:45 PM
It's funny, I read your post right after reading this post: http://sugarnspicecreations.blogspot.com/2011/04/like-currant-bush.html
and the message is very similar. Is the blogosphere conspiring to prepare me for some impending rejection or disappointment?
Posted by: Shayla | April 05, 2011 at 06:09 AM
Wow. Thanks for posting those. Perseverance is definitely the key. I'm glad you persevered!
Posted by: Linda W | April 05, 2011 at 11:02 AM
What is wrong with these editors, that they can't recognize amazing writing when they see it? Their loss!
Posted by: Dassie | April 05, 2011 at 06:46 PM
Oh, the twins! Isn't is crazy to double the number of kids in the family every time you get pregnant? Did I ever tell you that I had one boy then one girl then twins, too? Then we had 'the baby' I was afraid that he was going to be quadruplets if the pattern was going to be adhered to.
Posted by: Shelly M | April 06, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Sometimes I feel like your babies. :D Being homeschooled can have its disadvantages...:D
Posted by: Gwen | April 08, 2011 at 06:59 AM
Oh, and reading your rejection letters makes me feel happy. Happy because I know you were published in the end, giving me a great series of books to read! :D
Posted by: Gwen | April 08, 2011 at 07:00 AM
I really appreciate you sharing your rejections. I really needed to read those today. I'm in a stage that feels exquisitely painful--having had several such replies to fulls (with agents) on more than one manuscript. Now I've got a book I think is better written, not to mention much more marketable--and it feels like I'm going backwards. It's hard to have faith in one's own judgment when you think you've improved yet are getting worse results than before. Just because someone else has succeeded in finding readers who get their story doesn't mean I will--but it helps to know that I'm not the only one on the planet to walk this ouchy stage. So thanks for sharing.
Posted by: RL | April 10, 2011 at 10:59 PM
I'll look at the rejections...
Posted by: yaks | April 16, 2011 at 11:09 AM
alone. No one is exempt
and everyone's pain has a different smell.
At night when all the colours die,
they hide in pairs
and read about themselves --
in colour, with their eyelids shut.
Posted by: True Religion Outlet | April 23, 2011 at 02:19 AM
Oh my goodness! In all of the rejection letters to Amy, they said, "sorry for the delay, blah blah, sorry it took me so long to get back to you, etc." The name insertions certainly made them funnier. :) THANKS for sharing them.
Posted by: Angela | April 27, 2011 at 09:20 PM