Diva Jefferson

Everyone has felt the bite of rejection. It stings for a while and sometimes it's really hard to get over. Luckily, I'm not about to go into the best rejection letter I've ever received, because I've already been there and done that on my post called "Exits and Entrances".

The real reason why I made this four-part series in the first place is to tell everyone about my successes, not my failures. How I've overcome the hurdles in my (short, to some) life and came to where I am today.

No, I'm not a bestseller, but I'm published.
No, I don't make six figures a year, but I'm rich in creativity.

I hope you listen to my words and gain inspiration to find happiness in your life. This is my ultimate goal. I think this is my calling. The only way I can truly help others. Even though I'm currently on a hiatus from writing, I can still encourage other people to make their dreams come true. I've mentioned how you could overcome other people's expectations, how writing can take you away from the stress of everyday life, and how time could affect your creativity. Now, it's time to overcome your own fears and reach your greatest potential.

Yes, it hurts when the people closest to you doubt your ability to reach success, but when you doubt yourself the possible becomes impossible.

In 2008 or 2009 I asked my only friend on the planet to beta read my first book before it became self-published. I sent her the whole novel through email. A couple months went by and I didn't receive a single reply. I wrote her again and she said she was so busy that she couldn't get past the first chapter. The whole time I'm thinking, she must have hated it completely. This friend was an avid reader. She is the person who let me borrow "A Rose In Winter" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and hooked me on romance. Why would she let me down when I'm trying to become one of those authors she adores?

Let's just say it hurt. I got so emotional about it, I published the book without making sure it was the best it could be. I wanted my estranged family to read it. I wanted my coworkers to read it. I wanted the world to read it. I think it was a cry for attention or at least notice, because after they'd read it I asked for input/reviews, etc. Most of it was positive. They wanted me to write a sequel. Do you want to know why they felt this way? Because I knew them. They cared about my feelings. It became a personal reaction, not an unbiased assessment of my work. Of course, years later, I see every single flaw in that novel and it irks me to know I let this reach so many hands. I'm ashamed, rather.

Then I read the newest book on the bestseller's list and wonder why I can't write like they do. Why hadn't my published book get placed on the list? Maybe I hadn't done as much marketing/promotion as I could have. There are things that I could've done, but so many more things I could be doing.

The fact of the matter is there are things that are in my control and there are things that are beyond my control. Right now, I still write everyday, whether schoolwork or a blog or even a comment. I learn as much about the craft as I can and I take these skills to my own writing to improve the quality. This is all I can do for right now. Until I have a large outreach, this is all I have to do. What I can't do is force people to buy my book and expect readers to find me themselves. Writing is amazing, but it's a career for a reason. You have to build yourself to the top like everything else in life worth having.

So, you wanted the recipe for success? Well, here you go. Never give up, never surrender. Thanks so much for reading. I appreciate every single one of you!



Happy writing!
Diva J.

If you came here, expecting a life story, then please read my autobiography in forty or so years. This is a series of confessions that I will tell you in relation to my publishing journey. This is for anyone who ever picked up the art of writing or anything they dreamed of doing and found discouragement. Sometimes, it comes from your friends and family, co-workers, other people in your profession, and yourself. Personally, I think we are our own worst critics. Since we are the author's of our lives, we take the blame for everything that doesn't go according to plan, and we punish ourselves.

No matter what is holding you back, don't EVER stop what you love to do. Why spend your life wallowing in the day to day or finding another outlet to enjoy yourself? If you believe what you love to do is just a hobby, then you are not driven, and your main focus should be is to find motivation. Success never comes before hard work, unless for some reason, someone did everything for you. I really hope this is not your case, because I have more faith in you than you have in yourself.

Speaking of faith, here is my first confession: The one person in my life I thought would stand by my side, told me that I'd never go anywhere in life and that writing shouldn't be my main priority.

Okay, maybe this person is a generalization of a few people fused into one. Anyone who doubts someone this much, needs to first get their own priorities straight before offering their disheartening advice. The fact of the matter is that I've heard this from many people throughout my life. Friends, family members, significant others, etc. They are pretty much the people I care about the most. Not knowing how they felt about me was one thing, but hearing it was entirely another. Actually, it was the best motivation I'd ever received. Not even a rejection letter could make me this ambitious. It was like receiving a million-dollar cash prize. Well, maybe not that great. :)

Don't get me wrong, you will become emotional and feel lost, but then you consider it a challenge to meet and beat their expectations. And I'm not even competitive. Believe me, I've been trying to overturn everyone's expectations my whole life. I turn all of those doubts upside down.

When you let your past come in the way of current goals, your view of success may change. Yes, you will no longer consider your profession as a hobby and take it more seriously while working for what you need to survive on the side.

I've read a few articles where people wish they could reach success at an earlier age. Others believe youth is wasted on the young (In which, this is true on many occasions.). For those who think they wasted their youth on less productive endeavors, I salute you. Either you worked really hard to get where you're at right now or you had a great time and laughed. When I say this, I'm coming from the perspective of the youth. College, working retail/fast food jobs to pay rent, etc. is a major setback for people my age. I don't have the time nor resources to set my writing career into full motion. I don't have the funds to attend conferences, or the free time to do anything other than write the books. Looking up publishers and agents is very time-consuming. Every time you think you have a working list, another year passes and it's out of date. :)

In order to cope with the day to day stress, I've gone on a few writing hiatuses, (lasting from one to three months) in order to work more hours, go on vacation, etc. And I regretted every moment of it. Well, maybe not the vacation part. Anyways, wherever you are in life, don't give up on your dreams. Luckily, they don't have a deadline and are attainable at any age. I believe in sacrifice, but not at the expense of your whole being. I love writing so much. It's become a part of me more than anything else. I'd be lost without it.

Thank you so much for reading! Join me next time for the Naughty or Nice giveaway hop and another author confession! :)



Happy writing!
Diva J.

As I countdown to the release of To Love An Irishman on March 17th, I reflect on my past rejections. One in particular comes to mind from Harlequin. Believe it or not, that was the first place I queried my first novel. They helped me without realizing it.

Well, like anyone who has achieved success despite their failures, I only aimed to the sky and fell among the stars. Believe me, it sounded better than it came out. When I sent the well-researched query letter, a synopsis, and a partial for The Phantom of Fonthill Abbey to the big name publisher, I felt confidence seeping through my being. I knew that if I didn't try as hard as I can the first time around, then if there was another time, it wouldn't be as rewarding.

Needless to say, they rejected the story saying "Although the plot sounded promising from the synopsis, the story itself was rather slow to get going." I agreed that I am a very descriptive person, and I use detail like mist around my characters. After all, my new brand is 'Beautiful landscapes, passionate love, and regrets of the past.' I absolutely have to live up to it, right?

They mentioned my heroine, Elizabeth, "was a little hard to engage with because she seemed so very young and naive." I loved a woman going into a situation without knowledge of how her actions could affect her world. Now my heroines are too smart for their own good. In which, I love completely!

Then they included 4 tips "to bear in mind for your next submission":
1) Ensure that your story and conflict are character-driven.
2) Focus on the internal emotional conflict of your characters.
3) Use secondary characters to add richness and depth to your central romance but don't let them take over!
4) Read current books from the Historical Romance series as these provide the best guide to what our readers want.

The final words. "As a whole, we don't suggest that you attempt to revise this story. We would advise that you start again on a new story, bearing in mind the points made above."

To tell the truth, not all rejections are bad. Some offer great advice like mine and others will actually empower you to succeed even more. I didn't revise this story, instead I wrote another and another....



Do you have any rejection stories to share? Feel free to tell us in a comment below.



Happy writing!
-Diva J.