Never Give Up

     I remember I was at a writer's conference with Allyson Condie and she was giving the big speach.  She read through a stack of rejection letters.  I'm talking big.  She went on and on and we got more and more depressed. For her, sure, but more for ourselves.  Because if Allyson Condie was getting rejected, oh my word, what was in store for us?  But then, she did it.  She read the very last letter.  And it was a great letter.  It was the type of letter that would have most of us running in the streets, yelling with joy and possibly skipping. Her book was accepted for publication.  By the way, that book that was accepted?  A little book called Match.  I'm sure you've seen it at Costco.  Hugely successful.  Hugely amazing.  You know the one.  So I'm not going to go on and on about this, but my point is: It only takes one YES.  Just one.  It doesn't matter how many no's you've heard.  I don't care.  It just takes one yes.  So if you have a manuscript you've submitted eight times.  Get it out.  Dust it off.  Go over it again and then try.  Keep trying and don't give up.  That and keep writing.  Because your next book might get accepted first which will pave the way for the previous one.  That's happened to me.  Anyone willing to try one more time?