Comments on: Rejection: What is REALLY in Control?

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 14:05:45 +0000

In reply to Sallie. Sallie, I don't usually ask this, but could you drop a link to your Old West work. I am a big fan of Westerns. YEs, it IS hard, especially when you really don't get much outside validation for what we do. I is why YOUR COMMENTS are so vital for keeping this blog alive. If I had to blog into the void? I don't know how long I'd be able to sustain that, so you are VERY appreciated.

By: Sallie

Sallie — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 15:37:39 +0000

Thank you so much for writing this! I laughed, I cried, I shook in remembrance. I’ve been fired twice in public, invited so-called friends to a party and no one showed up and school was on Monday!! I’m a senior citizen who write fan fiction (I know, not the real thing) and I blog and I love reviews. But the thing is, I don’t get a lot of reviews. In fact my latest, while read, has received, get ready, none! To be fair, hardly anyone reads this fandom but still rejection hurts. People didn’t know that I wrote the story for one fandom and because some people said it didn’t fit in I rewrite it.
To quote my Beta, I write for me. That repeated phrase haunts me every time I finish what I believe is a brilliant piece of writing. No spelling mistakes, grammar is perfect, phrasing fits the time frame (1870’s old west, no less).

But enough about me. Reading is subjective unless it’s mandated by jobs or school. I never read reviews unless I’m buying something or going to a new restaurant. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It helps to know that we’re all on this journey together and sometimes people don’t get it. Maybe I ought to write more reviews, because other writers feel the same way I do. Hmmm.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 20:19:29 +0000

In reply to Lisa Brooks. Lisa that was like RIGHT OUT OF MY HEAD! Scary place to be! I have SO been there. Thanks for sharing your experience. It sometimes helps to see we are not the only people being absurd. You really put a lot of thought into this and I am so thankful for such a lovely comment on this post.

By: Lisa Brooks

Lisa Brooks — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 16:10:59 +0000

My first book “Passing Whispers” (which is not on the market anymore) received comments that ran the gammet of “I will never forget this story for my entire life” to “that’s two days of my life I’ll never get back”. One comment in particular haunts me. 3/4 of it (and it was a lengthy review) was very complimentary. Left me exhilarated and flattered more than becoming Miss America. But one quarter of the review veered off course and insinuated that one part of the book was so unnecessary and odd that it completely ruined the story for her. So of course, instead of focusing on the wonderful compliments she left, I saw only the negative. It sucked all the air out of my big, red balloon. Now keep in mind she was the ONLY person who seemed to have this opinion… but it didn’t matter. She was a real, honest to God critic. She said so in her blog! So she was the sole judge of my writing. No jury trial for me. My peers were busy writing best sellers. No appeals for me, either. It was straight to the electric chair. And not to be attended by just 6 carefully chosen witnesses, but open to the entire public who apparently had absolutely nothing else to do that day but watch me fry.
To make matters worse it was released as an ebook with a promise that if it sold 400 copies in 3 months it would be released as a paperback. Piece of cake I thought. How many boxes of girl scout cookies have I purchased over the years from my fellow employees? They OWED me. My publisher swore that I never sold more than 50. I assured her that ALL my family, friends, neighbors and co-workers assured me they bought a copy. My publisher told me “people like that always lie. They don’t want to be bothered and they just tell you they got a copy. How would you know?” Ouch.
Well now, all the aforementioned people in my life who never wrote more than an absence note to the teachers for one of their sick kids, expected me to become rich and famous. Watching them wait for me to make the grand announcement that I would no longer be working at the hospital because New York and Hollywood were beckoning me was sheer torture. Eventually, the rumors of my upcoming place on the NYTimes Best Sellers List faded away like the pieces of confetti on the ground after the circus leaves town.
So as you see, not only are writers rejected, but because of our huge and glorious imaginations, those rejections are much more dramatic and painful.
But please know that I always enjoy and learn from your blogs. Always!

By: V.M.Sang

V.M.Sang — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:07:18 +0000

So glad you’re on the mend. What a wonderful post. It give us the hope to keep on going in spite of rejections and negative reviews.
I recently received a review that stated the book she read was aimed at the wrong audience. It should be YA. and she stated 12-18. She said this because there was no excessive violence (except for a crucifixion of a child’s father in front of him and his mother, and guerilla warfare where people were killed!) and no overt sex. Two girls were sent to a brothel, but she passed over that as nothing. Now, I would not want a 12 year old to be reading about girls being sent to a brothel, and the questions that might raise. I suspect she said what she did about the age-range because it deals with the growth of a young boy (6 at the beginning of the novel) into adulthood, and how he overcame his hatred of the Romans. A so-called coming of age novel. (I hate that term.)
Does this mean that to be a novel for adults we have to have overt violence and sex? Seems this person thinks so. Anyway, it’s the first book in a series, and the second book has enough adult themes to satisfy her. But then, if I marketed the first book to YA, they would go on to read the second (hopefully) which is definitely adult. Death, contemplated murder, miscarriage, child death!
A less than helpful review of my first book said ‘Good idea. Poor execution.’ Rather than upsetting me, it annoyed me. Totally meaningless. (1* review if I remember correctly.)
I had my fair share of rejections from agents and publishers until I found one that would accept my work.
New writers should expect it, although I don’t expect it makes them feel any better. But I wish that before they jump into self-publishing they make sure they haven’t been rejected for poor grammar, punctuation, etc like the one I’m currently reading.

By: successbmine

successbmine — Tue, 23 May 2023 02:18:39 +0000

I got fired once! Why? Because I was sick in bed for a few weeks. The truth, I believe, was that it was coming up to raise time for me, and he wanted to replace me with someone they didn’t have to pay as much. Actually, they used someone already employed by them, so probably they didn’t have to pay any extra for him to do my job.
Fortunately I have been retired for the past 13 years and do not need to make a living by writing. I can simply enjoy the process of creating book and cover design (I was a graphic artist). I self-publish on KDP and do all of the formatting etc. too, and find it enjoyable.
I have almost no reviews at all for my several books, but the ones I do have are 5star rated and excellent reviews. I believe that is only because I have sold very few books, not because I am a particularly good author. But it doesn’t really matter to me any more. There was a time when I would have been devastated by a bad review. But at this end of my life, I have different priorities. I don’t care if I sell many books. I have probably given away nearly as many as I have sold. 🙂 I have had a loot of people tell me how much they have enjoyed my books though they have never written a review for me. And that’s OK too.
I wish everyone commenting here, as well as you, Kristen, all the best in the writing, marketing and selling of your books and in getting more good than bad reviews.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Mon, 22 May 2023 18:00:39 +0000

In reply to markofthefaerie.

I feel SO badly I didn’t promote it sooner! See? I told you! I have enough guilt for EVERYONE! The presenters were FANTASTIC. One of the best conferences I have ever been to. I don’t know if they invite the same people back so soon, but I will ask because Idaho is my favorite conference. To your point, though, I would HIGHLY recommend going to their list of presenters and checking out all the cool stuff they have on their websites. EVERY PRESENTER was FANTASTIC. In fact, in upcoming blogs you WILL be hearing more about all I learned.

Yes, it sucks you didn’t make the conference. I would have LOVED to have met you. BUT, all of us were limited to speaking for an hour and I can tell you…you barely can scratch the surface. So, while you will have to wait for the next time to do the networking and the fun stuff, even I am going to their pages today on my rest day to dig in deeper because what I got—though LIFE-CHANGING—was only a taste. I can promise you.

I know I was rather whining in this blog and I really still was burned out. I came home and, for the first time in maybe years, had a great night’s sleep and I feel energized and happy and hopeful…even though everything hurts because I walked 20 miles in dress shoes loaded down like a sherpa.

By: markofthefaerie

markofthefaerie — Sun, 21 May 2023 14:54:03 +0000

Once again, a great post, Kristen! And I’m very interested in how it went for you at the Idaho Writers conference. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about this event. I’m not that far from Boise, and it would have been lovely to have met you. Maybe next year?

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sat, 20 May 2023 03:59:13 +0000

Reporting: Kristen rocks the house talking Villains at the conference.
Owning The Room.

By: C.Love

C.Love — Fri, 19 May 2023 14:24:44 +0000

Always enjoy your posts, glad you’re recovered enough to be back at it. Knock ’em dead at the conference!