Why can't I finish my book?!!!?

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Peace

Member
I spent 2 years writing my book. I was soo hopeful. When I finally finished, I sent it out to dozens of agents, publishers - all rejected it. So I went back to the drawing board and had editors look at it (for a $1000 a pop). I had amateurs, including kids, look at it. (It's a young adult novel/teen.) They all asked when the next book was coming out and all of them told me they finished reading the 355-page novel in one sitting.

Now it's been 3 more years and I can't finish it! It's left me so depressed. I've never give up before and I don't want to do that now. I know I have to persevere. I know some of the best authors had lots of rejections. I just seem to have lost my momentum - maybe my belief in myself? Any suggestions? Serious caring responders only please.
 
H

HPResource

New member
I know it's much easier to say than it is to do, but you might have to figure out how to feel happy and validated without publishing this book. It's time to move on and write another book.

Dozens of writers persevere, but they don't do it by clinging to one story. Instead, they let go and start writing something new, something fresh. It's not giving up. Giving up means never writing again. You're just putting this story away. Who knows, your NEXT book might get ridiculous attention from publishers, and you can say, "well, if you liked that, check out what I've been sitting on for a few years."

It really stinks when your book is good but nobody takes it, but that's just the business. Thousands of really crappy books get published, and thousands of really wonderful books don't get published. It's not fair, but that's just how things are. You can't base your success as a person and your talents by whether or not you publish your first work.

I really hope you continue writing, because you're obviously talented if all these people are devouring your book. But don't waste that talent by focusing on just one story.

Best of luck!
 
M

Missy

Member
Your first novel is still not published? Awe, I'm sorry about that. :( It sounds rather heartbreaking to me, seeing how depressed you are over this. Did you know that J.K. Rowling was rejected by twelve publishers? You're definitely in good company.

It's so hard for me to suggest what you should do, since I have yet to get published. Even though I have tried writing several novels before, I'm really only writing my first real novel now. I'm approaching the 50,000th word, which makes me ecstatic. My novel will be around approximately 85,000 words. I could be upset right now, because that's a long way from 50,000. Instead of seeing the glass as half empty, I like to see it as half full. It raises my spirit quite a bit. One could say, 'I have half the book left to do! I'll never finish! Maybe I should just give up now.' Another person could instead say, 'Whoa, I can't believe I'm already halfway there! I'll finish this novel in no time!' You see, it's the perspective you decide to take. My only advice is that you just need to keep on trying. Never give up on yourself. What if J.K. Rowling gave up on herself, and never applied to that magic 13th publisher? We would have never heard of Harry Potter! Could you imagine if she quit on herself? She could still be living near poverty right now. Please, believe in yourself! I have faith in you.
 
I

It'snotImportant

New member
Here's a fact: EVERY SINGLE WRITER IS REJECTED. ;)

That doesn't mean you can't write, it's just not what they're looking for. Me, I prefer to just keep submitting my book no matter what happens, because I believe in it. First, I tried Harper-Collins--the big boss. El Numero Uno. They're known for books like 'Where the Red Fern Grows' & 'Where the Wild Things Are'---you get the picture. They're one of the best. And they rejected me. I went through three publishers--Then I tried Scholastic. They accepted. Requested for the whole thing. Try once more with your book.

Patience, they say, is virtue.
 
C

cathrl69

Member
Maybe you should try a critique group, instead of only asking close friends for comments? I mean, there's no _way_ that a random selection of people would all have finished a 355 page book in one sitting. It has literally _never_ happened to any author for any book. Which means you've only asked people who were never going to tell you anything except that it was wonderful.

Which doubtless made you feel great. But, really, is about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

I recommend www.critiquecircle.com. I also strongly recommend you step back and look at the sort of things people say in critiques...because they _will_ say them about yours too, and I get the strong feeling you may never have been told your writing has weak points, and it's a horrible shock the first time that happens.

Did you get any specific comments from these agents and publishers at all? Have you followed up on them? You say you went back to the drawing board, but paying an editor isn't going back to the drawing board, it's fixing minor details. How many drafts have you been through, and did you do any more in them than what a friend of mine refers to as "rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic"?

How do you know it's 355 pages? If that's in word processor format, unless you have a humungous font size and line spacing, it's monstrously long for a YA novel. If it's not in word processor format, did you submit it to these agents and publishers in the format they asked for? It just seems really, really odd that having submitted to all these people you are talking about pages and not wordcount.

Really recommend you go get some critiques from people who aren't going to tell you how wonderfully you write because a) you are a friend and b) they think being able to write at all is wonderful. Also really recommend you sit on your hands for 24 hours after you get them. It will be a shock. It always is.
 
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