My dad had a vocabulary that would blow most intellectuals away. It may seem like a trivial thing, but my mother gave me confidence in a very gentle way. Since I m pretty sensitive to criticism, her approach was exactly right. Oh, criminy, it s tough to break into this business. You just have to keep trying.
Rejection letters are hell.
I d get one I would try very hard to just slough it off. As I mentioned previously, I m the sensitive type. But, you know, you just have to gut it out. You have to tell yourself that you will only succeed if you lay your head on the chopping block for every agent and publisher to have a wack at you. Because if you don t get out there and try, your dreams and fantasies will be forever locked up in your heart.