This is what happened...
At the beginning of this year, I put together a book proposal for my new project—a
collection of true stories about criticism, rejection, and discouragement, and how to get through it. It's called YOU’RE GOING TO SURVIVE.
I emailed my book proposal to my literary agent. She told me she loved it, however, she was retiring from the industry and couldn’t help me. I emailed my proposal to my previous publisher. They said sorry, but they weren't interested. I emailed my proposal to about 20 other
agents and publishers. They all said: no, no, no.
I remember counting each rejection email, one by one. Twenty of them. It was pretty discouraging. Even though I’ve dealt with rejection many times before, it never really gets “fun.” Even if you’re a profoundly positive person, it still stings. Twenty little bee-stings on my heart.
I wondered, “Should I keep
trying? Send a few more emails? Will it help? How long is this going to take?” It felt very tempting to quit. I had plenty of other projects tugging at my attention—retreats to lead, clients to work with, newsletters to write. "Maybe I should put this whole book thing on the back burner," I thought. "I can always get back to this later."
And yet, if I did that—if I shoved this book off to the sidelines—I knew I’d feel disappointed in myself. I knew I needed to keep pressing onward, even though it was uncomfortable and a little tedious.
“When they say ‘no’, don’t give up. Go back in. Keep going back in.”
I decided to go back in. I fired off a couple more emails and newsletters, too. I made sure that everyone in my community knew, "I've got a new book and I'm looking for a new publisher."
A few weeks later, a response came out of the blue, which led to a
surprising introduction, which led to a phone call, then another, and just like that… I found a new publisher.
Brenda—my contact at the new publishing company—completely loved the book from the moment I described it. “This is an important message,” she told me. “Especially right now, because so many people feel so overwhelmed and discouraged for so many reasons. We’d love to publish your book.”
I couldn’t believe it. Seriously? Just like that? For real??! I hung up the phone, screamed and bounced around my kitchen, gushed to my partner Brandon, then called my mom and dad.
It took about 27 tries before I found a publisher who said, "Yes." I almost gave up after 20 tries. I'm so glad I convinced myself to put in 7 more.
This is what I learned...
Sometimes, it can feel like your goal is so incredibly far away. Like you’ll never, ever get there.
But what if your dream is just 7 tries away? What if you’re closer than you
think? What if it's right around the corner, within reach, and you just don't know it yet?
One more email, one more phone call, one more meeting might change the course of your life.
This is what I urge you to do...
Whatever you're working on right now—creating a book, starting a movement, developing a new product, finding your dream job or dream partner—please don't give up too quickly.
Imagine what might happen if you made 6 or 7 more attempts. Just a little more faith, patience, and persistence. Just one more try. You never know...
One more try could unlock the miracle you’ve been waiting for.
. . .
If I decided to post this story on my blog, I could delete the headlines that say This is what happened... This is what I learned... This is
what I urge you to do. Those phrases aren't necessary. Those are just guidelines to help me structure my story. Once the story has been written out, I can delete those headlines. The story works just fine without them.
