In my last post, I mentioned sending out queries. A long and grueling, but necessary process if you are choosing the path of traditional publishing. Well, query number sixteen was the one I needed. No, it wasn’t a request for a partial or full. It was a rejection. The agent mentioned my synopsis and query letter being great, but my first chapter fell short, and I should find some beta readers. Something I had already done over the summer. But maybe not enough of them. When I read that rejection, I knew I should have followed my gut months ago. The first chapter had been bothering me, but I ignored that restless feeling that gnawed at me each time I read it. It was time to find a fresh group of beta readers.
I joined Facebook groups, searched Twitter, and joined BetaReaders.io. The result was amazing. Not only did I find some great beta readers, but I also found a wonderful book to beta read. The point is, a rejection like this made me happy. Not happy that I was rejected. I’m not completely nuts. But happy not to receive a form letter. Happy that I received actual feedback I could work with to better myself as a writer. Plus, because it pushed me to find more beta readers, I ended up making an amazing friend abroad who I enjoy chatting with and shares the same passion for becoming an author as I do. Bonus their book is fabulous, and I can’t wait to see it on shelves.
This experience also pushed me further in wanting to self-publish. Why? Because I have a story to tell, and I want to publish my book as a series on my terms. My love for this series is something I hold dear to my heart. I want the best chance to tell my story the way I want to tell it.