Pierce Brown Quotes

My first novel was rejected by some of the most eminent publishers in the world. Starting again was a real wrench.

Authors by the hundreds can tell you stories by the thousands of those rejection slips before they found a publisher who was willing to 'gamble' on an unknown.

I kept sending out stories and getting rejected.

I got nice rejections explaining that historical fiction was a difficult sell. But I kept trying.

Rejection is part of the process, so you can't let it crush you. My first three novels never made it into publication, but my fourth, 'Sheltering Rain,' was translated into 11 languages.

I struggled for a long time to get anything published.

I became a connoisseur of that nasty thud a manuscript makes when it comes through the letter box.

I had a very high-grade publisher tell me I was incapable of writing a memoir.

I had left the music industry at the end of 2001, after 10 years, and had spent three years writing every single day - producing two unpublished novels, one abandoned novel, and three unproduced screenplays. The word 'no' and I were on more than nodding terms. The word 'no' and I were talking about going on holiday together.

The starkest rejection letter might be followed by a million-dollar advance. Don't let rejection start to look the same as failure.

I used to submit to anthologies and magazines when I was a student - but I knew I was never going to be picked up.

Most writers want to share their essay or book much too quickly. Those who accept the pain of hard work and revising are those who get published.

I've never actually even contemplated writing a book or having a book.

I used to save all my rejection slips because I told myself, one day I'm going to autograph these and auction them. And then I lost the box.

My first book was rejected nine times. It turned out to be a best seller, Battle Cry? in 1953.

The first rejection that 'Dexter' got, I was like, 'OK. This hasn't worked. Let's try something else. I'll go get a teaching job or something.'

Criticism is part of being in the marketplace. If you can't take a bit of criticism, you shouldn't bother publishing a book.

I just assume that I'll fail at something for several years - that I'll try my hardest and still fail for several years. With writing, that turned out to be wrong. I tried my hardest and failed for about fifteen years.

When I got out of high school, I wanted to be an actor but was getting a lot of rejections. I was getting rejected by life. My mother, God rest her soul, told me not to quit.

For over a year I continued to submit mss, and have them rejected - the last few with rejection letters indicated the story was pretty good, but I was American.

The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected.

I tried to get into the National Youth Theatre and didn't, and I tried to get into drama school and didn't, and then I went to university and was really delighted that I went there. I think having the word 'no' can be quite creative.

I was rejected by casting directors during the day. I attended class in the evening, then rode 90 miles on the train home.

The usual way - through a long series of rejections, revising my manuscripts, and kept trying again and again. Finally I was fortunate enough to find a good agent.

If you want to be a writer, you write. Everybody wants to get published. You gotta play your long game.