Received my first response from a publisher!

[pmmg]

Persistence and Attitude will win the day. We must persist, and approach with the attitude that you will make it. If not with this story, than the next one.

I would not give up on it, but I would keep the creating going. You never know when that first story may find its home.

 

[The Dark One]

Update: It's been 31 rejections and I have officially given up

Good god... after a measly 31 rejections?

I had at least 500 rejections across my first three novels until the fourth one was accepted - some 15 years after I started writing seriously.

Writing is is extremely difficult and unbelievably competitive. That's why I always encourage people to do it just for the love of it. If you don't love writing for its own sake then you probably won't have the resilience and determination to go on improving and gradually build your networks.

That's how you finally get a yes.

 

[The Dark One]

It was a "Your manuscript has many strengths, but..."

Well, that's a start.

After so many rejections we learn to scan across any opening praise looking for the BUT.

Imagine my surprise about a year ago when I got an email from one of my country's bigger agents which started with quite high praise. I had to read it three times before I fully realised that there was no but and, in fact, she was offering to represent me.

Happy days. Hasn't got me a big publisher yet but the big publishers are now realistically in my scope and it's nice to have such strong professional feedback and support.

I have had five novels published in the small press but this is a whole new level for me. And to the OP... I've been writing for 30 years. You have to keep turning up if you're serious about being a professional novelist.

 

[skip.knox]

>You have to keep turning up if you're serious about being a professional novelist.
Or even if you are serious about being an amateur novelist. Being an amateur means doing it for the love of it (the original meaning of the word), and one does not give up on what one loves.

Keep at it, and stop counting the rejections. Just file them away and forget about them. ... except ... sometimes even the rejection can provide motivation, if it arrives at the right time with the right words.

 

[Karlin]

For whatever it is worth: I found my publisher by reading a book on a related topic, and thinking "I wondered who published this?" I contacted the publisher, sent him the first page and page 42 (as requested on their site).

I was in a hotel room in Kyoto talking to my wife when I received "...I have looked through it and think it is well written and an interesting idea. I’d be happy to publish it." Rather interupted our phone call. (by the way-best not to be checking your email while talking to your wife of 40 years)

I'm hoping that having one book published will make it easier in the future. Hoping. Time will tell. I expect to have another one ready for The Search in a month or two..