The Perfect Substitute

It is no secret that these are challenging days for many people. Publishing isn't immune to the economic situation which is rocking many areas of our culture. If you are trying to get your book or magazine article published, you are probably hearing the word "no" much more often than you like.

Years ago I read the inspiring story of Ann Kiemel who wrote I Love the Word Impossible. No matter what came her way, Ann continued to hang on to her dreams and look for the open door of opportunity.

From my experience in the publishing world, the doors of opportunity are still there--but more difficult to find. One of the most wildly successful series in book publishing history is the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Yet few people recall the beginnings of those authors when they were trying to get their book published. If you need some encouragement or inspiration, I would encourage you to read the sample of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. In the foreword from Mark Victor Hansen, you will read about the many times, Mark and Jack Canfield were told "no" from publishers. When you read their experience, compare it to your own. How many times have you been rejected for your idea? If they continued, can't you continue?

Whenever you hear the word "no" associated with your book idea, I encourage you to make the perfect substitute--Next. Yes, the word is close to no but you can use it to propel you ahead in the pursuit of your dreams.

I give step-by-step encouragement for advanced and beginning authors in Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. Rather than take my word for it, look at this independent review from a March magazine.

If you are struggling to get attention in the publishing world, here's several ideas for you:

1. Start with something less than a book. Write a magazine article and you can learn a great deal from that experience--even for a small publication.

2. Don't write alone but get feedback through a critique group. If you don't know how to find one, use this article.

3. Join a writer's organization and get involved and learn from the other people.

4. Get to a writer's conference to make new friends (relationships are key in this business) and grow as a writer. If you check my schedule you will see that I'm going to be traveling to a number of conferences in the coming weeks. I hope we can connect there.

More than anything else, keep going and persist. You may feel as though you are driving down the road and can't find the entrance to your dreams. It might be just around the next bend.