Gayle's Gazette Archives ~ Page 9 of 11 ~ Gayle Brown, Author

Okay, so I’m about a week behind on my posts of what I’m reading. I finished this book last Sunday, and let me just say, this was a winner for me. I read it in three days. That’s right, three days.

All Your Perfects was just as good as It Ends With Us. That is two for two for me with Colleen Hoover’s books. I love her style of writing. I love her stories. I love her characters. I find myself rooting for both the protagonist and the “antagonist”. I use that term loosely because really, the opposing force does not feel like an antagonist. Hoover writes those characters in such a way that you find yourself torn about how you want the book to end.

Content warning, though, for this book––if you have suffered or suffer from infertility, this book may not be suitable for you. I did have infertility issues many years ago, which thankfully were resolved, but I could relate to Quinn so much so, that I felt like I was reliving those years.

Colleen captures infertility and all it does to you both physically and emotionally so well. By the time I neared the end of the book, I was crying. Not tiny little tears, but big ugly tears. My heart ached for Quinn and Graham and I wanted the happy ending. I’m not saying if there is or isn’t one. You’ll need to read this book to find out for yourself. It is a great read and I highly recommend it.

Querying is tough. Getting rejection letters is tougher. You pour your heart and soul onto the paper, spending endless hours writing, revising, editing, rewriting––an endless cycle of effort and energy. And then, when you think your manuscript is polished, you submit it to a literary agent. Soon after, if you’re lucky enough to receive a response, you get a “no thank you.” So how do you keep going? How do you muddle through rejection after rejection?

If you’re one of the lucky ones (and it does happen) and you receive an offer of representation (or sell your book directly to a publishing house) with sending out less than a dozen queries, congratulations! Job well done. However, if you’re like me and are dozens in, then you’re all too familiar with the soul-sucking experience. I had two empty walls behind my desk. I labeled one, “Wall of Shame,” (in a sarcastic joking manner) and the other, “Wall of Fame.” Can you guess which one had more covered?

You guessed it. The “Wall of Shame.” I had enough rejections to cover an entire wall. An. Entire. Wall. And as I felt worse and worse with each passing “no thank you,” I needed something (besides that one yes!) to motivate me. Enter “My Someday Jar.” I’d decided for every “no” and every DNR (did not respond), I’d put a dollar in the jar. And then, someday, when I finally received a yes, I’d buy a bottle of champagne worth the amount collected.

The Celebration Jar

Finally, $80 later, I bought my bottle of champagne. Yes, you read that right—$80––I queried over 80 agents, 81 to be exact. Nine months, two manuscripts, eighty rejections, and one deliciously expensive bottle of champagne. Of course, it’s not as expensive as Dom Perignon, but I’ve never been so happy not to afford said champagne. That would’ve meant at least 185 rejections. The “Wall of Shame” couldn’t have handled it and quite frankly, I’m not sure I could’ve either!

Yes, the rejections suck. They crush you. They knock you down. They make you want to quit. But don’t. Unfortunately, they’re all part of the process, a fatiguing one at that. But someday, a “yes” will come and I promise you, that victory will taste sweet, and suddenly, that rejection jar will turn into a celebration jar. Trust me, I know. I’ve lived it. My advice to you? Keep on digging through the trenches and I’ll be here, rooting for you, looking forward to hearing about your one “yes.”

Best of luck and cheers!

Category: Gayle’s Gazette

What I Finished Reading

Rejection Motivation

The Celebration Jar