Success and Support and Success

Friends and Critique Partners doing well while you're still pestering agents' inboxes? 

 This is me--trying to get some 'inbox' love'n...

If you're not feeling the momentum to wonderful things, don't panic or feel left out.

                       

Continue to surround yourself with good friends, reaching for success, and apply examples of how they are achieving their goals.

Seriously? Taylor Swift and Lorde are pals. Pretty good example that I'm right about this point.

How do WE, the rest of us non-Taylor Swift pals (at least outside of our imaginations and charity connections) achieve this?
Luck?
No. Work.

I've compiled an easy to follow list.

Some things I've gleaned from wonderful friends and fantastic writers

(in no particular order):

Never stop trying

 

Agents aren't going to chase you down and offer representation if you quit.

This includes always seeking opportunities to improve, grow, stretch, and risk. It's difficult and scary. Join the #TalkFear thread hosted by the lovely @Rock_andor_roll to voice the things that try to hold us back in life, but are not permitted to rule ;)

REVISE

You knew it was coming.
You can't improve without revision.
It's painful and tedious and absolutely required.

Seek a variety of methods to both query, pitch, submit, and learn

Pretend that says: And then he found the Perfect Agent

 

Be active on social media, blogs, and conferences in order to learn and grow, and let other's get to know how awesome you are

Be true to who you are and represent yourself as honestly and positively as possible.
Don't troll it up.
Don't be a pest, hound, or creepy shadow.
Be the butterfly that is most true
Personally, I lean toward #AwkwardButterfly in an endearing way

 

Don't let rejections define your talent

Harsh.
But, you wrote a whole book.
Now all you have to do is make that product marketable and you're golden!
Let's face it. This one's hard to do.

 

Continue to find joy in the success of those around you

(this is common-sense-karma so they can also celebrate with you when the happy news of agent representation or a book deal knocks at your inbox)

It's okay to feel deflated in the process (and evidence you're a human with emotions)

don't stay there.  

I know this from personal experience-the deflation is real.
The picking ourselves back up is real too

Being a writer is not easy.

Enjoy the process and the friends you make along the way.