To all the writers who are feeling down today. Those with rejections piling up. Those with fears no one will ever read your beloved book. This is a thread for you. The story of a cursed book and a 13 year journey of perseverance. #amwriting
Thirteen years ago, I came up with the idea for a book called The Camelot Code. Where a young King Arthur accidentally time travels to the future and Googles himself and realizes his destiny and decides he doesn't want to go home....
I sold the book to an independent romance publisher who had started a YA line. It was a two book deal and they asked me to do the other book first. But by the time I got to Camelot Code, they had closed their YA line. And they dumped the book.
And so I had my agent send it out wide again. And it sold again, this time at auction! I was thrilled! My book would be an actual book! But they bought a two book deal and--guess what? They wanted the other book first! And so Camelot Code waited again.
By the time I had written Camelot Code, my editor had left the publishing house. As had the head publisher. The new head of the line was not interested in my story--she wanted more literary fiction, less commercial. My book was dumped for the second time.
And so we sent it out again. But by then the YA market had changed. No one wanted tween fiction - they wanted more crossover to adult stuff. My book was not quite YA and not quite MG - and so it got rejected. Over and over again.
One publisher suggested I do edits for them and turn it into a solid middle grade book instead. They gave me a TON of edits - months worth! Which I faithfully did. Only to have them decide in the end, they didn't want it after all.
So we kept sending it out. And rejections kept coming in. I got five rejections the day I gave birth to my daughter. My agent forwarded them to me a few days later when I was in the throes of post-pardum. I can't remember ever feeling like such a failure. Crying so many tears.
But then my husband took me aside and dried my tears. He reminded me that so much good had come from this book - even if it wasn't in the form of publication. For example, the advance I got allowed me move to NYC- a lifelong dream. And where I met him..
And when the contract was cancelled, I moved in with him since I couldn't afford my rent--bringing us closer together. We eventually got married and had a beautiful daughter. An entire person on this earth - because of book deal gone south! (Of course we had to name her Avalon!)
And as I thought about that, I realized that he was right. My story had already had a sort of happily ever after - even if it wasn't the one I had pictured. And for a while that was enough. But then...A third act!!
Disney Books put out an announcement looking for a certain type of book. And I begged my agent to send Camelot Code to them in a last ditch effort! This was over 10 years since the book originally sold, remember. So I didn't have much hope.
But low and behold, the publisher wrote back to my agent saying she loved this book as much as she loved it the first time around. Huh?
I was so confused! If she had loved it, why hadn't she bought it? (Remember, I had been rejected all over town at this point!) Well, turns out, she had!
She had been the publisher at the second house that bought the book. And she had read it back then and remembered it all those years later. And she bought it again. And gave me the best editor ever to work on it with!
And now...TODAY... Nearly 13 years since I originally came up with the concept, THE CAMELOT CODE: THE ONCE AND FUTURE GEEK is out in stores! It's something I NEVER thought would happen. And yet... I must have on some level. Because I never gave up on it. Not entirely.
And now it will be in kids' hands, in their backpacks, on their bookshelves. They'll sneak read it in class or when they're supposed to be asleep. And I will finally be able to share the story that's been in my heart for so long. And there's NO BETTER FEELING THAN THAT!
It took 13 years for this cursed book to finally get its Disney happily ever after. I hope it doesn't take you half that long. But true writers are in it for the long haul. Overnight success is so rare it's almost mythical...
But if you stick with it, if you persevere -- at the very least you'll still be in the race. And maybe good things will happen along the way. Take the time to celebrate small victories as well mourn your defeats.
I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm not saying it will be fun. I'm not saying you won't cry a billion tears at times and feel like a total failure.
But I am saying is it will be worth it in the end. 
