“IF AT FIRST…(OR 40TH)….”

Many years ago I joined a writers’ group and wrote my first short story. Since it was based on events around my father’s death, it was important to me to have it published. Encouraged by the group, I submitted my story to a magazine. (“Submit” is the unfortunate term for sending your work to an editor or publisher.) This initial submission was returned with humiliating haste. It’s only one editor’s opinion, I reassured myself. But one became two…three…ten, etc. All with the same standard phrase: doesn’t meet our current needs. Your response doesn’t meet my needs, I felt like answering.

I wanted to give up, but the group encouraged me to keep trying. The problem was that the steady run of rejections not only made me doubt the merit of the story, but lose belief that I had any ability to write. As many of us do, I translated these futile attempts into a full-blown: I ‘m a failure . After 28 rejections, I threw the pages into the back of a drawer.I did try writing other stories but my ragged confidence made it hard to do anything.

One evening a writer from England visited our writing group. After the meeting we walked to the bus stop together, and I confided my experience with the demoralizing rejections. ”I’ve given up,” I announced and waited for sympathy.
“But 28 is nothing,” he said in his precise British accent. ” I’ve been published after 40 rejections You simply keep at it.”
Chastened but doubtful I sent the story out again. It was accepted and became my first publication.

Since then I’ve written and published many stories that were initially rejected. So I set up an index file. Each card has the title of the work, the date of submission,, and – taking up most of the cards – the dates of the responses, often so many they fill up several cards.
Is this wear and tear on the nerves worthwhile? This week my 33rd story was published.  Interesting to see what some editors disdain, another may enthusiastically accept –– proving that editors are almost as human as writers!

This grit-your-teeth-and-keep-going attitude isn’t just for writers, of course. How many of us have faced the challenge of staying with a frustrating job – or difficult relationship –though multiple storms? We have the choice of giving up or holding on, hopefully to a hard-fought victory.

Whenever I give a book talk I’m invariably asked what I consider the most important ingredient for success. When I proclaim, ”Persistence!” some doubters always protest ,“More than talent?” Well, talent doesn’t take us to the finish line if we give up too soon. So I applaud the words of former US Senator and basketball legend Bill Bradley: “Ambition is the path to success but perseverance is the vehicle you arrive in.”

WEBSITE: www.annehosansky.com
BOOKS: COME AND GO – available through BookBaby.com, WIDOW’S WALK –iUniverse.com; TURNING TOWARD TOMORROW –Xlibris.com; TEN WOMEN OF VALOR and ROLE PLAY– available through CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com; also Amazon Kindle.