Encouraging Words

As you all know, rejection is part of the writing process. But a tiny bit of honey helps to make the rejection more palatable. Here is what a fellow writer and mentor wrote after turning me down for a mentorship. Note: this was in response to a manuscript that I had not submitted before. She wrote:

Patricia,

I wanted to thank you so much for applying to be my mentee. You were a standout, for sure. I absolutely loved your manuscript. What a beautiful, tender story. So well written. I hope you query agents and/or publishers with this. It's outstanding.

Please feel free to reach out if I can be of any help. I can't wait to see your books on store shelves!

These moments help me to go on and feel as if I am getting closer, despite the disappointment.

I am equally grateful for all of the kid lit authors, agents, and editors who have been kind, helpful, and encouraging. This is an amazing community!