Comments on: To Champion Worthwhile Books

By: webpage

webpage — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:41:40 +0000

By: Dabney Hedegard

Dabney Hedegard — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:31:40 +0000

Hello, Rachelle.

Tyndale offered me a contract last Tuesday. I have a silly question. Since I met them through a conference and found the deal on my own, do I still need an agent?

By: Deena Safari

Deena Safari — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:15:04 +0000

Learning to respect my own writing pace/process is requiring major diligence. I’ve discovered I’m not like a lot of other writers I’ve come across in that I don’t have the ability to pump out 90,000 words in 2 months. It’s hard not to feel like an oddity with those kind of writing monsters in my circle.

By: Barbara Jean Byrem

Barbara Jean Byrem — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:58:39 +0000

In reply to Sarah Thomas. Absolutely the most awesome diligent effort.

By: P. J. Casselman

P. J. Casselman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:58:17 +0000

In reply to Helen W. Mallon.

Helen, thanks for asking! Here’s my blog: http://pjcasselman.blogspot.com/

By: Helen W. Mallon

Helen W. Mallon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:29:21 +0000

In reply to P. J. Casselman. Hi, P.J., Do you have a blog?

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:40:22 +0000

Thanks for this post. I am pursuing my architectural license (8 years of school including a Master’s degree, 7 exams, 2.5-3.5 years of logging my experience) and I’m almost there! (By the end of 2012!) And it’s worth it. And the long haul will be worth it when I pursue writing as well!

By: P. J. Casselman

P. J. Casselman — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:22:13 +0000

In reply to Helen W. Mallon. Helen, Thank you as well for the encouragement. I look forward to that novel. Keep me posted on its eventual release!

By: Helen W. Mallon

Helen W. Mallon — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:50:57 +0000

In reply to P. J. Casselman. P.J., I really, really like your attitude. I've been working on a novel for 10 (gulp) years, after deciding at age 45 (gulp) that what I really want to do is write fiction. Soon I will be in the agent search process...which may turn out precisely as yours did. Thanks for not only the reality check, but the words about persistence, no matter what.

By: Cherry Odelberg

Cherry Odelberg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:20:39 +0000

In reply to Rashad Pharaon. What a fine metaphor for writing! The waiting. The patience. The persistence. The unknown. Yet, how far beyond anything I have had to trust for. Very humbling. I wait and persist from the comfort of my own home, in my own country, where I can get in the car and drive to the house of a family member for dinner if I get hungry.

By: Cherry Odelberg

Cherry Odelberg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:06:14 +0000

Thank you for this post. It was both encouraging and humbling. Now, as for your question: Have you accomplished anything in your life that required you to be diligent and persist despite tall odds?
Would you be interested in reading my autobiography? Oh, I guess they are calling that memoir these days.

By: SF Tidbits for 2/9/12 - SF Signal – A Speculative Fiction Blog

SF Tidbits for 2/9/12 - SF Signal – A Speculative Fiction Blog — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:48:18 +0000

[…] Rachelle Gardner on To Champion Worthwhile Books. […]

By: Graeme Ing

Graeme Ing — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:02:51 +0000

It’s crazy how often I still hear writers ranting about how mean and uncaring agents are. It sounds like a really tough job, so much so that you have to like the industry to do it. But it’s always heart warming to hear an agent show that they really do care, so thanks for doing that 🙂 I’ve always thought of an agent as a partner in helping make my books the best they can be.

I will follow your advice and hang in there.

By: TNeal

TNeal — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:50:01 +0000

I can think of two experiences that remind me to stick through the tough times.

The first happened as a high school sophomore playing football. The coach tried me out at fullback and worked my tail off. It was, in my adolescent way of thinking, just too tough, so I slipped back over to continue my mediocre life as an undersized lineman.

The second happened when I got a summer construction job that paid well. My first day on the job, the foreman had me doing everything all the time. I lost buckets of sweat under a hot Texas sun (which is the same sun seen in places as distant as Zimbabwe, but it sounds hotter than the polar sun). I felt like quitting but decided to give it another day. Day one was simply a test. The rest of the summer I worked hard but not as hard as that first day.

I wish I’d stayed with the fullbacks. I’m glad I stayed with the summer construction job. I choose to do the same with writing–that is, stick it out.