I believe that you're most likely to be successful and selling a book if you focus on a particular kind of story that you are familiar with. That means studying the genre that you most enjoy following. Let's say that you like reading James Patterson's thrillers. Well you don't have to write the next James Patterson novel, it's probably an area that you already are interested in and that you can possibly find a story in your own voice that would serve the reader that is used to picking up a copy of the James Patterson novel at the airport. The same goes for anybody who is a fan of John Grisham or Stephen King. These are well known genre writers who have immense audiences and if you're a fan of one of these writers then finding your voice in those genres will help you find a story that readers will want to read.
Every writer gets rejected. It doesn't matter how many books you've written or how many you've sold. There's no way of getting around it. I remember an interview with Barbara Streisand, and she said if someone rejected her for a project, the onus was on the producers for failing to recognize her talent and ability. Paraphrasing, “What, are they nuts?” I like that. Editors and producers don’t know what they want until they see it. It’s kind of like pornography as defined by Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, “I know it when you see it.” Gatekeepers don’t know what they want until they see it. However, that doesn’t soften the sting of rejection. Dealing with rejection is a difficult skill, but it is essential. Everyone experiences rejection at some point, whether in the form of a job application not being accepted, a romantic interest was not reciprocating feelings, or a friend group excluding someone. While rejection can be painful, it is essential to remember ...
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