What if They Don’t Like it?

Rejection, it’s a fear that touches everyone. From the time we interact with others the reality of rejection is ever present. As we grow the fear never leaves us and for many it increases. The difference between success and failure depends on how someone reacts to the fear.
For writers, novelists specifically, the fear reaches a pinnacle when it comes to letting others read your work. Ask any author and they will tell you how their work is not a generic product, but instead a look inside their soul. Take Once Left the Field of Valor for example. My novel is over five years of my life poured into a story. The characters have transcended their fictitious realm and have become almost real. With that being said, I was apprehensive to let others read it.
It takes confidence and a little courage to let others in. The confidence to face rejection comes from being secure in yourself.  You must understand that your worth is not tied up in the views of your readers. To do this, a writer must be able to separate themselves from their precious work. This separation will allow the reviews of harsh critics to be productive as opposed to devastating. The first critique I got on my first draft manuscript was less than flattering.  As I have done my entire life, I let my mom take the first shot at revising my work. With this being my first novel, I waited on pins and needles for her reaction. I was certain she would be blown away by my work and shower me with compliments.  This was not the case however, in fact what she provided was brutally honest. She told me it was pretty good but there were many grammatical errors that detracted from her ability to get into the book. She also told me this was not the type of book she would normally read, but it was pretty good.
Initially this review was dagger to my heart. I was distraught at the fact that my five years of hard work didn’t even get a great response from one of my biggest supporters.  But after a little time passed and some reflection, I was able to take a few lessons from this situation. First, I should not have been in such a rush to let someone read a manuscript I had barely edited. Providing a more polished product allows readers to focus on the story without being distracted by the errors. Second, I realized that not everyone will be interested in every book that I write and that is fine. For each genre you write, there is an audience that will love your work and one that will not. The trick is to learn from the bad critiques and not become over inflated by the good ones.
I am drawing near to submitting my book to agents and the fear is still there. What if they don’t like it? What if no one wants to read it? These are just a few of the questions that I have running through my head. However, success can never occur unless the fear of rejection is overcome. Therefore I am ready to face my fear and hopefully reap prosperity for my efforts.