Raising Your Expectations For Success: Thinking Positive In Publishing

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Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

Updated November 2023

At Writer’s Relief, it’s important to us that we help our writer-clients stay positive. The publishing industry can be a tough place, but we’ve got our writers’ backs. We hope this post will help you deal with rejection and stay positive despite the daunting odds. Keeping a good attitude is critical to success in publishing your books, short stories, essays, novels, and poems.

We know you like to read stories, so here’s some food for thought.

Jerry is a man who expects to be robbed. He has set up cameras and motion detectors all around his property. He patrols the sidewalk and glares at passing teenagers. He expects the worst from people, and that is what he receives. His neighbor Mary, however, sees the best in people and has a loving attitude toward them. Her house has never been TP’d, and when teenagers pass by, they greet her with a smile instead of a scowl.

You can use this deceptively simple concept to up your publishing success, simply by expecting success in your writing career. If it sounds too good to be true, keep in mind that many people have found that positive energy and high expectations have improved their relationships and even their health—why not their careers?

Writers are often paralyzed by fear: fear of failure, rejection, poverty, humiliation. This fear leads to low expectations for success, either from low self-esteem or as a protective device against rejection. And these low expectations are apparent to others in your work and attitude.

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A query letter from a writer who has set high expectations for himself will be more enthusiastic, positive, and generally more intriguing to a literary agent than one from an insecure writer with low expectations of ever being published. Most people aren’t aware that the energy they project has a direct effect on their own success and failure. Send out negative energy—you can expect negative results.

Most writers will encounter rejection along the way, more so than other professionals, but focusing on these rejections as we learn our craft slows down the process and impedes positive results. If we focus on the end goals and the positive things that come our way, the path to success is smoother.

It’s a harsh reality that getting published is a difficult task. Give yourself a little compassion and know that it’s a tough business, but don’t let it affect your motivation. Send out positive energy and keep your expectations high—imbue your work with that feeling. Negative energy is draining and nonproductive. Like Jerry, you will attract what you project, and no one wants a front yard full of toilet paper.

At Writer’s Relief, we consider it our duty to help our clients stay focused and keep writing. Our writers submit regularly because they develop good professional habits. If you would like to be considered for our invitation-only client list, please see our Submission Guidelines.

1 Comment

  1. Terry

    I am self-publishing short books (30 to 60 pages) and marketing them to friends via social media. The positive feedback I receive from this small audience does boost my confidence, and i believe in time I will have enough credibility and tangible proof of my writing skills that I will be able to attract an agent or publisher who will support my marketing skill and increase my audience.

    That’s at least the optimistic scenario held in view presently.

    Reply

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