Project: Writer Forum The Writer: what it takes to b..

Nannette LaRee~	The Writer: what it takes to become noteworthy 16 Years Ago The Writer: what it takes to become noteworthy by: Nannette LaRee Hernandez (2005) Near the beginning of my writing career, senior editor Judith Regan of Simon and Schuster Publishing sent me a personally penned rejection letter in response to my presented book proposal. Of the 276 rejection letters I received from various US publishing companies, hers was the most callous. Where other publishers simply sent me a standard rejection slip, Judith Regan made it her duty to make clear to me that I would never sell my book; that, in fact, I would never make it as a writer. In 1993, Judith Regan was at the height of her publishing career: she had successfully edited crass radio personality Howard Stern�s, as well as Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh�s tell-all books, proving she could easily gravitate to the Left as well as to the Right, and keep an even and amicable balance. Judith Regan was an expert at writing. And she came unprofessionally close to calling me a Nothing. Not nearly enough has been written about the real benefits of Nothing. Because under any circumstance, Nothing is often the significant fuel needed to propel one forward. And Nothing, was all I had to lose. So I paid $16.00 for the business name Brilliant Creations and printed 500 hundred spiral bound books at Kinko�s Copies in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and sent my book to every radio station, talk show, magazine and newspaper company in the United States. Two weeks to the day that I�d received Judith Regan�s letter, the phone started ringing for me from California to New York. It didn�t matter to the interested parties that my book wasn�t perfectly published or represented by a big publishing house. What mattered, was that I had taken the subject sex, which is extensively written about, and said it like it really is, and not how some publisher had decided that the female public wanted to read it or needed to hear it. From that point forward, I sold over 300,000 copies of my self-published book worldwide. I have been a guest on just about every television talk show, on several hundred radio shows, in most newspapers and featured in almost every magazine. In late 2006, I negotiated a contract with a big publishing house on my terms: that my book stays True to its creative form from it original publication. It took fourteen years, but I did it. For this writer, Nothing is the most eloquent word in the dictionary. When a person writes, whether it be an essay assignment, Thesis, article or book, he or she is offering to the world not only who they are, but how they see things, how they want things to change, how they hope for the future or would attempt to modify the past. There never has been nor will there ever be, a �bad� writer. Writing is a talent endowed upon the masses, and too often, when something written is presented as �bad�, it is only because the writer has allowed their work to become structured and submissive through the opinions of a Critic. A Critic, is anyone: a parent, a good friend, the guy at the carwash, an editor. A Critic is anyone who doesn�t �get� either the writer or what the writer is saying, and must therefore incorporate the writer�s work to best suit their own outside interest and perspective. Therefore, what makes a writer truly great; what makes a writer outstanding and significant, and, at last, successful, is the writer�s own Clarity, Uncompromising Stance of their own Truth, and the final formation of their own Trust. Not every word written, either past or present, is penned for every reader. Some like poetry, many Science Fiction, others documentaries. The writer then, must first learn Clarity. The writer must see, feel and understand his or her literary goals, and not deter from it. With Clarity, comes the Uncompromising Stance to stay true to who he or she is as a writer, willing to make use of suggestion and comment, while unwilling to allow outside influences to break his or her foundation. With Uncompromising Stance, comes Truth; that ability to always stay True to his or her inner voice and gut instinct. And with Truth, comes the Trust that someone who reads their written work will ultimately want it, and be delighted to share it with the multitude. There is no need to become structured and submissive. Not when the writer becomes skilled at Clarity, Uncompromising Stance, Truth, and Trust. When the writer recognizes that there is no need to become structured and submissive, rejection becomes a surety, and therefore the most difficult of all responsibilities to endure. Once given to the writer, rejection becomes a responsibility because rejection is an action that requires balanced management if the writer is to become successful. Therefore, when rejected, which will often happen on a daily basis, the writer has only two options: 1) to use the rejection as a trampoline, which will eventually give-to flight, or 2) to use the rejection as a pit-fall, which will inevitably become an abyss. Rejection, like Nothing, is an eloquent word. And managed with balance, the worst rejection often leads to the right acceptance elsewhere. And the right acceptance is guaranteed, if the writer never quits. Writing is one of the few genuine methods of self-rejuvenation and Universal transformation. Writing is where ideas are made, problems are solved, thoughts are exposed and communication gaps are bridged. It is the writer�s distinct Creation that is the blueprint which formulates what humanity feels, thinks, sees, and hears. Without the writer�s individual perspective, dreams, ideas, opinions, emotions and options would die. The writer is the pulse, heartbeat, conscience, brain and breath-of-fresh air, that makes Life meaningful.
Michelle Ross	[no subject] 16 Years Ago I'm very happy that you put this post up. Too many people try to discourage other's from going the self-published route. They try to tell people that no publisher, or agent will ever want to represent you if you self-publish anything. Anyone who does their research knows better than to believe that but it's nice to hear from a previously self-published author who HAS been accepted by what is referred to as a "traditional publisher". I hope that the number of rejection slips you mentioned serves as an encouragement to others. Getting a rejection slip, or 276 does not make one a bad writer. Even the best selling authors got them when they started out. This was a very detailed, and helpful article that I hope everyone in this group will read. I encourage you to also copy and paste this to the Self-Publishing thread in the forum for all to read.
Nannette LaRee~	[no subject] 16 Years Ago Thank you, Michelle, I have done as you suggested and posted in the Self-Publishing Forum. Indeed, everything that you said ia 100% correct...and the Self-Published writer has one thing Overall: POWER...the power to write and sell their words exactly as they edit it. I learned a lot and I hope to pass that on. NEVER< EVER< EVER GIVE-UP. THERE ARE NO BAD WRITERS...only critics who cannot create. :)
Tomás Ó C..	[no subject] 16 Years Ago So in a world of prose poems that is allergic to rhyme... I just might sell a few copies!!! That is the fdrem. But then Im not writing about the s-e-x- topic!!! The way you write, the Pope himself would read it and not be offended though Im sure hed be exited. Indeed he might even track you down and bring you to Roma for the weekend. Just to read the MASSIVE collection of sex books in the Vatican, and you could personally place a copy of yours in with them!!! What is the name of your books anyway?
Vicky Ann Smith	[no subject] 16 Years Ago Thank you for sharing, this is an inspirational story to all of us with those rejection letters! Vx
Brooklyn Darkchild	[no subject] 16 Years Ago I want to thank you too, for reinforcing what I've been saying for a very long time. Staggering under the weight of my very own personal Mt Everest of rejection letters, I was demoralized. I've posted to some pretty good reviews on a couple of websites yet no one seems the slightest bit interested in signing/repping me. Then a friend suggested Lulu. After doing some research I was excited about the level of control I'll have over my book. It's written in a very different style, and I won't change it for anybody. Thanks again for your testimony.
Pendelum Poet	[no subject] 16 Years Ago This was really great to read. It hit home with my writing. I know I am not the best of writers, especially since I am just starting again after 7 years of creative block, but I have been trying to keep my story ME. I want to present it as I want it to be, and thats that. Again, this was wonderful to read, thank you for posting this!
Ignitedstar	Re: The Writer: what it takes to become noteworthy 12 Years Ago I am going to reply to this despite it's age. I have yet to publish anything (and have yet to try), but the message you have written is very inspiring to any writer anywhere. Indeed, never change what you write when it is the process of capturing thoughts and ideas put into words that makes every author distinct. I have often wondered about whether to change my stories so that "people will like them more", but whenever I tried doing so I always felt I was ripping myself apart on the inside. The first time I tried, I couldn't bear to keep the first paragraph I changed. The pain of changing a story to cater to everyone except yourself is too painful. But as we have seen from your experience, patience is truly rewarding. It was a long fourteen years with your own original, not-edited-for-anyone-but-me work, but I cannot imagine how satisfying it is to have it published while pure and intact.