After 70+ rejections and 3 years of querying, this author got published 🥳
Today's guest is author Amy Rossi
If you’re getting dozens of rejections, it’s easy to feel like your publishing dreams are over.
But they’re not. Rejections don’t mean you don’t have talent; they just mean your book wasn’t right for those particular agents at those particular moments.
And the right one is worth waiting for.
So many published authors were in your exact shoes.
The truth is that many of the books you see on shelves today were rejected dozens of times over. Your continued effort to refine your work and send it back out is proof that your dream is still very much alive — so keep persevering.
In today’s interview, author Amy Rossi shares how she got through the query trenches after 70+ rejections over 3 years, what happened after she didn’t sell her first book, and the importance of trusting your reader.
OUR SPECIAL GUEST TODAY IS…
Amy Rossi
Author
Available now: The Cover Girl
How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?
I started querying in August of 2016, focusing on agents for recent and forthcoming debuts. One rejection in particular stuck with me: the assistant to an agent I’d queried let me know they both enjoyed the book so much, even though it wasn’t right for their list, that they encouraged a colleague to take it on (she passed).
So as I continued to receive rejection after rejection—at least 70—I held onto that: these two people believed in it.
In fact, my now-agent also originally passed on the manuscript but told me to let her know if I ever revised. I had been working on a revision, and by the time I signed with her, it was January 2020—almost 3 and a half years into the journey.
The book, as mentioned above, didn’t end up selling, and my agent remained a positive force throughout the entire process. People who tell you no agent is better than a bad agent (or an agent who’s a bad fit for you) are 100% correct.
It can be hard to hear when you’ve been in the trenches for a long time, but it is so worth holding out for the right person—the person who has the editorial vision, communication style, and relationship management that brings out the best version of your book and you. I couldn’t have gotten luckier.
What’s been the toughest moment in your publishing journey, and how did you get through it?
When I went on submission for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect, but I wasn’t imagining what it would be like to NOT sell my book. That’s what happened, though.
And not only did the book not sell, but months into the submission process, I saw a deal announcement for a novel with a very similar plot. I know now that this isn’t terribly uncommon, but at the time, I really struggled. Somehow this other book served as confirmation that it wasn’t just my novel that was being rejected, but I was too.
Shelving a book I’d put years into was hard. Honestly, what got me through was time and making space to process with my therapist. Danielle Lazarin also wrote a great essay about grieving an unsold book in LitHub that helped me feel less alone, and having another manuscript at the ready helped.
But I’ll tell you what the takeaway is not: while going through this has helped me be even more grateful for the opportunity to publish THE COVER GIRL, it doesn’t mean I earned it more than someone who had a quick query and/or submission process. It can be really easy to fall into that line of thinking, but it’s not a helpful mindset! We’re all running our own race.
What’s one thing about the publishing process no one tells you, but should?
The goalposts are going to move, and you have to figure out how to deal with it. You’ll think everything will be fine once you get your agent, once you go on submission, once you sell your book.
But it turns out there will always be a next thing, and it can be really disorienting—like, am I incapable of being satisfied? No, it’s just that the goalposts move. And because they do move, be sure to allow yourself time to enjoy each win.
What is the most memorable writing tip or technique that you have heard, and how did it influence your process?
I once had the great fortune of taking a class with Amy Hempel, and she said, “Write for the smart people.” To me, that means trust your reader. I find this to be a helpful mantra when it comes to writing recent history, when I feel tempted to put each narrative choice in its appropriate 70s or 80s context. When I revise, I look for places where there’s a lot of explaining to identify if it’s really necessary or if I’m just not trusting my reader.
Ready for feedback that takes your story to the next level?
“Having Alyssa edit my manuscript was truly one of the best decisions I could have made. Her suggestions absolutely made my story better. Then, the very first agent I queried requested to read the whole manuscript after reading the revised pages we worked on!”
—Laura Geraghty, historical fiction author
What part of the writing process brings you the most joy?
When I realize I’ve left myself all the necessary pieces to solve a narrative problem—when all the things I wasn’t sure about come together and add up into something even better than I could have imagined. It is the best feeling and such a good reminder that even on the days where it doesn’t feel like things are clicking, work is happening.
When life gets busy, how do you protect your time to write?
I have an 8-5 job, which means my writing happens in the evenings and on weekends. I don’t make plans during the week very often, and if I do, it’s one night max.
I’ve also learned to tell people when I’m on a deadline. In the end, I’m the only one responsible for keeping myself accountable, but bringing my friends into it has helped me find balance when needed—like, they’ll understand if I can only pop out for an hour. From a practical standpoint, freezer meals and housecleaning services (if the budget allows) are also good time protectors.
ICYMI…this week on YouTube, I’m critiquing three subscribers’ fantasy novels, sharing which ones I’d pass on and which I’d want to read more of.
Marvelous answers, she (we?) deserves a full length conversation article where she talks about what goalposts, how often she queried, did she go to writers conferences, etc…