Keep in mind that many, many extraordinary - and extraordinarily well-sold - authors were rejected many times over before they finally got their break.
It's true. Many authors also get in through the back door - that's what I did. I posted a creepy comment-story written on the fly to a friend's LJ. She responded, "I have serious chills right now. More?" I filled out the story a bit and posted it to my website, then linked her. She IMed me a few days later and told me how much she loved it - and went on to say that she's actually a published YA author. Her publisher was apparently looking for "the next R. L. Stine or Christopher Pike." She'd shown my short story to her editor, who (she reports) also got chills. The next day I got a call from him, asking if I had an agent. I reported that I didn't, but I did have a lawyer and a few leads on agents.
I called my best friend from middle school's mother, who has over two dozen published YA novels to her name. She read my story, passed it on to her agent, who signed me less than a week later. I put together a book proposal with a sample chapter and she shopped it around. We ended up going with my original friend's publisher.
My first two books have been published, a third is in the mill, and I'm to start writing my fourth on November first - since I write YA Horror, right now is our big promotional time. :)
Once I get a few more books under my belt, I'm hoping to be able to branch out and write some adult sci-fi/fantasy, which is more where my interests lie. Right now I'm filling a gap and tapping into a skill for scaring the shit out of 10-15-year-olds - something I attribute to being a big sister with a couple of younger brothers I love(d) to torment. :D
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It's true. Many authors also get in through the back door - that's what I did. I posted a creepy comment-story written on the fly to a friend's LJ. She responded, "I have serious chills right now. More?" I filled out the story a bit and posted it to my website, then linked her. She IMed me a few days later and told me how much she loved it - and went on to say that she's actually a published YA author. Her publisher was apparently looking for "the next R. L. Stine or Christopher Pike." She'd shown my short story to her editor, who (she reports) also got chills. The next day I got a call from him, asking if I had an agent. I reported that I didn't, but I did have a lawyer and a few leads on agents.
I called my best friend from middle school's mother, who has over two dozen published YA novels to her name. She read my story, passed it on to her agent, who signed me less than a week later. I put together a book proposal with a sample chapter and she shopped it around. We ended up going with my original friend's publisher.
My first two books have been published, a third is in the mill, and I'm to start writing my fourth on November first - since I write YA Horror, right now is our big promotional time. :)
Once I get a few more books under my belt, I'm hoping to be able to branch out and write some adult sci-fi/fantasy, which is more where my interests lie. Right now I'm filling a gap and tapping into a skill for scaring the shit out of 10-15-year-olds - something I attribute to being a big sister with a couple of younger brothers I love(d) to torment. :D