I guess I want to inspire you if I can to keep writing and working and doing what we all LOVE so much! If you told me one year ago I would land an agent and sell my first two novels, I would have thought you were crazy or pretty drunk! It's amazing what can happen in just one year! Look at my stats!!!
February 2008 - March 2009: Racked up 175+ rejections (staggering, I know) from agents...cried a lot!
April 2009: Landed my agent
June 2009: Offer on NIGHTSHADE CITY
September 2009: NIGHTSHADE CITY sold to Holiday House
February 2010: BILLYCAN: Book II of Nightshade City sold to Holiday House
April 2010: ARC for Nightshade City
October 2010: NIGHTSHADE CITY HITS THE SHELVES!!!!
Long story short, dreams happen every day! Our hard work counts for something!! It really, really does!
xoxo -- Hilary
Now go write!!!
Awesome! You give me hope =) Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm happy for you! The best of lucks!!!! =D
This makes me feel much better! I've only had 23 rejections. Now I feel like a jerk for feeling so deflated!
ReplyDeleteThis is so exciting for you!!! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for this post, I needed it today. I'm in the "totally frustrated and want to pull my hair out and eat tin foil" stage of my MS. It's nice to know that there are people who DO finish their work, get agents, and get published!
Alebodden, Anon & Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI used to look at my inbox and break into tears! I think I got around 9 rejections in one day once! That was a hard day, but it got to the point where I started laughing about it, because it was laughable!!! How many rejections can a girl get? :) It's amazing what a change in your thought process can do. That's when good things started happening!!
xoxo -- Hilary
You give me hope and inspiration. You are my hero. Congrats on all the good things coming your way. :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I could just take your firm belief along with the eternal optimism and wrap myself up in it like a blanket. The publishing world is mighty cold out there. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement!
Sarah & DL,
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy how life can change on a dime! I have all the hope I will see both of you published!!!
xoxo -- Hilary
Yay! Congrats, Hilary! I'm crossing my fingers that I too will be able to join the ranks of success stories! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's stories like these that keep writers going! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteIt really is inspiring to see someone's journey climb to these heights - awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteI like tallying up and seeing how many rejections I get--always fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this! I love seeing other writer's journeys.
:-)
Hilary, this gives me hope. I'm only a college student (who spends all her spare time writing her novel(s)), but I think I can do it. Finish this novel and send it off. And hopefully people will like it. But if they don't, I like it--so who cares. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud and thrilled for you! And hoping I can have a similar blog post next year. :) Congrats, and squee!
ReplyDeleteYou are an inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome story and thank you for sharing those stats because it truly gives us all hope.
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations on your success, Hilary.
It's very inspiring to see your dream rolling out like that. I'm so excited for you!
ReplyDeleteInspiring!
ReplyDeleteGreat story.
I can't wait for Nightshade city to come out. :) I will so totally have an immediate copy.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting this! It really helps to see that despite the 175 rejections (holy guacamole!), you did NOT give up and that your perseverance paid off in the end. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that you're so close to getting the ARC! I'm impressed that you persevered, even with all those rejections. That's impressive. Congratulations on everything!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration. Congrats on all your success! This really made me smile.
ReplyDeleteHappy writing to you and I will get to writing:)
Hey Hilary-That's amazing. You are made of tough stuff. Thanks fo sharing your stats, although that's a little bit scary. Congrats!
ReplyDelete-Kelly
I feel guilty complaining about my minor amount of rejection letters. You have not only given others hope, but you have reminded me how persistance and relentlessness is not an option, but a must.
ReplyDeleteThanks...
Congratulations to you! Here's to hope! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Hilary!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou deserve it! Dreams do come true :)
Best Wishes to You!
Just shows if you keep trying you will eventually succeed. Yay! :o)
ReplyDeleteHilary--I'm so excited for you! It must be such a thrill...other than the quick deadline on Monday.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get my hands on a copy of your book in October. :)
Great story Hilary! It's so true - one day you're just waiting for your rejection letter so you can get your manuscript out in the mail again so you can wait for your rejection letter so you can . . . then one day, you don't get rejected - just like that!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your copy edits and enjoy holding your ARC!!
Well done you, for holding on to your dreams.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you put in so much hard work, and so truly deserve all your good fortune.
A big, fat, HUGE congratulations! You really do inspire authors everywhere! Thanks for the follow! :)
ReplyDeleteThat is sooo inspiring! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement! Very uplifting :O)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! Nice to know there's light at the end of the tunnel :)
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for that rundown! Gives me some hope. :) Congratulations on your novel, and have fun with those copy edits!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Hilary! I very much enjoy reading success stories!
ReplyDeleteAh, love success stories! Happy editing! With shiny new colored pencils, it's bound to be successful. :)
ReplyDeleteYou guys are sooooooo AWESOME! Thanks so much for your super sweet words! Sometimes you don't realize it can actually happen for you until it actually happens!!! I have all the faith I will see many of you on the shelves one day soon! I really do!!!
ReplyDeleteNow back to copy edits! My colored pencil is green!! :)
xoxo -- Hilary
How exciting! Your novel is steadily getting closer to publication :D
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the inspiration, it's always nice to get a bit of a boost!
Congratulations. You must be very excited. :)
ReplyDeleteYour post is very inspirational. It gives other writers hope.
YES!! whoop whoop! Dreams do come true. Congrats - we both can do the happy dance to hold our books - my next one will be on sale next month and then the third is set for Fall of this year (don't ask how I have two novels coming out in one year...lawd!)
ReplyDeleteBut I'll never forget the day TG came in the mail - It was so emotional, so exciting!
YOU GO GIRL!
Thank you for putting your little timeline up; it is very encouraging for us unpublished writers! I look forward to your book's release, it sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHilary! Thank you for following my blog! ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteI really admire you for letting us know your publishing journey--you are so awesome! (wow, 175? It's amazing there are that many agents out there to submit to!)
Congratulations ;)
Hilary, loving the blog and wanted to say congrats on the literary success. It is, if nothing else, inspiring to those who follow your moving and shaking.
ReplyDeleteever onwards,
jeff
http://awriterundertheinfluence.blogspot.com/
Hilary, you are AWESOME! OMG. Your stats are totally inspiring and double OMG I'm just reading this on Sunday night, so I'm sure your copy edits are done and shipped off already. Hope it went smashingly!!
ReplyDelete♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
AND my word verification was.... you read for this???
ReplyDeleteRATSY
could it be better fated? ;-)
Congrats! on the good news. Very inspiring to us aspiring authors. Best wishes for your continued success.
ReplyDeleteStephen Tremp
Impressive! Can't wait to read your debut, I love the whole "things are not as they seem" stories. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteWonderful encouragement. I'm so sick of rejection letters. Thanks for visiting my blog earlier. I'll be sure to check out your book. How cool! Dorine
ReplyDelete