Guh buh wha SERIOUSLY?!

[SengaKitty]

So, a friend of mine's wife does NaNoWriMo. She was also recently signed on to Harlequin. My friend read a few excerpts from my NaNo Novel last night and said I should submit it to Harlequin for consideration, and that he believed I could be published. What should I do?!

[TheSHAD0W]

Submit it to Harlequin for consideration! (Obvious answer is obvious.)

[Plaidman]

Ya got nothing to lose by doing it, and everything to gain by doing it. So do it obviously.

[csquared]

Unless you have a problem with Harlequin, do it.

[SengaKitty]

No problem with Harlequin, just not really sure that my writing is good enough to be published. I don't particularly want to see a rejection letter, if you get what I mean.

[AdminAssistant]

Do you know any editors? I would recommend having someone look at your work, get feedback, revise, rinse, repeat, until you're completely confident in the finished product. Then send it to Harlequin.

[csquared]

If you are afraid of rejection letters, then writing is not for you. But then again, what is a rejection letter really saying? "Sorry, you are not in the top 1% of authors." At least you are not filmed and held out for public ridicule like an America Idol try out.

Go for it.

[Plaidman]

It's just a rejection letter. One person's opinion doesn't dicate the world's view.

Everyone fears rejection, but it does not stop them from asking people out, trying to get a job, trying to make friends. Do they get rejected? Oh hell yeah. But doesn't stop them from trying.


Put this way: They could say yes and your book is published. THey could say we like it but can you work a little more on this.

If you don't do it, you'll go through lfie wondering if maybe it was good enough to be published.

We don't regret the things we've never done, we regret the things we've never tried before we die.

Just try it.

[Andara Bledin]

Do eet!

Seriously, if you don't take the opportunity, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what you might have missed.

^-.-^

[AnaKhouri]

To be frank: you will never make it as a writer if you are that thin-skinned.

I have a box of rejection letters. I even print out e-mail rejections and keep them. All they can say is 'no'. My son Khan takes 'no' as a challenge; as frustrating as that can be for me it's not entirely a bad philosophy to have.

Edit it thoroughly, revise it three times, and send it. If they say 'no', send it elsewhere. And again, and again, and again.

Do or do not. There is no 'try'.

[lilnizzie]

here's another angle:

J.K. Rowling had her first Harry Potter book rejected 12 times before getting picked up.

If you believe in your writing, then push for it. You can't really lose, since like everyone else has said, all they can say is no. But you have so much you can gain!

[BookstoreEscapee]

No problem with Harlequin, just not really sure that my writing is good enough to be published.

Only one way to find out!

[Wenchie]

Submit it.

I'm friends with a number of authors. Rejection letters are always difficult and EVERY writer gets rejection letters unless they're a big enough name... and it takes time to get to that point.

So... I say, go for it. If nothing else, you'll have your first rejection letter. Frame it, because it's proof that you tried... and it'll give you a reason to try to replace it with a framed acceptance instead!

[Nurian]

How are you going to get published if you don't send it?

[MoonCat]

Wait. Before you submit it, get their submission guidelines. Every publisher has them.

You don't want to be rejected for something as simple as single-spaced typing when they want double-spaced (or whatever, just an example).

Check their website for how to obtain this, get it, follow it. Good luck! Let us know what happens!