Would You Like Chicken Soup with Your No?

I got turned down for the first time in my life by a book agent this past week.  Probably would have gotten turned down many more times if I had been pursuing an agent and publisher like I should be.  From many different mentors who have written books, I understand that this happens to every new author - many times dozens of "No's" before landing the first deal.  

I am extremely grateful to so many people who helped me get to this point - we have depended on the wisdom and support of dozens of people to even get to the point of finishing Revolutionaries.

It never feels good to get a no.  Honestly, with so much enthusiasm about the book from people I respect - I thought there was a chance that I could get really far with little effort.  That rarely proves to be the case in life, however.

I also understand that I'm in good company:

-A friend and mentor, Jason Frenn got turned down several dozen times over a period of two years before landing an incredible publishing deal for his new book Breaking the Barriers.  By that point, he had already sold 100,000 copies of his first book - yet still had trouble finding a publisher.  

-New York Times bestseller, The Shack author had trouble publishing his first book.  He got several dozen "No's" from Christian publishers before he and two Pastor friends conceded to publishing themselves.  They sold a million copies that way.  They were finally published by one of the best publishers and have now sold over 7 million copies.

-The Chicken Soup for the Soul authors had trouble finding a publisher or even selling their first Chicken Soup book.  For two years they worked their tails off doing several small things a day to advance and promote the book wherever possible.  It finally took off.  To date they have sold 117 million copies of the Chicken Soup franchise books.

Bottom line: No is never the final word if we are willing to keep on keeping on as the Lord directs us!