"When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it."
I found this nugget in a page of quotes a friend sent me. (Do you get the feeling that my friends know I love inspiring quotes?)
As I read and re-read this line, I thought back to my (many) mistakes and shuddered at just how many there were. Then I started thinking of something good that came from a mistake. One such thing started with a rejection letter on a book manuscript I'd sent to a publisher who had bought from me earlier. The rejection hurt. (They all do.)
With distance and time, I recognize that the manuscript was not particularly good. It was riddled with poor writing, inconsistent timing, and cliches. I put it away. A year later, I dragged it out and looked at it with fresh eyes. Was there anything worth saving in it?
WIth all those mistakes, could I salvage anything from it?
A NY publisher had advertised that it was looking for manuscripts for a new line. I decided to revise my rejected story, cut it to the desired length, and sent it in. Unbelievably, it was accepted. I was delighted. From the ashes of all those mistakes, I had sold to a publisher I had long desired to sell to.
So, for today, I am grateful for those times when I learn from my mistakes.
That's a neat story about your book. And yes, isn't it neat when we can learn from our mistakes.
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