Things She Could Never Have
In the fall of 2017, Mawenzi House will publish my short story collection. Two years back, I quit my part-time job to focus on writing full time, and have since then, received so many rejections that I have lost count. As bizarre it may sound, I, now, take heart from the improved quality of the rejections. While earlier, most publishers and editors would not even bother writing back, now some of the kinder ones, take the trouble to give advice and encouragement. A rejection letter from the likes of Granta and the New Yorker actually has me dancing around the house. The 'yes' from Mawenzi House had me soaring for days and yet, seeing my book up for pre-orders on Amazon, feels unreal.
The intention behind writing this particular post, is to encourage anyone reading this, to persevere. It doesn't matter what you set out to do, there will be setbacks, but the point is to continue pushing that rock.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow."
Mary Anne Radmacher