Allison Collins Writes

I’ve reached an exciting phase in my author career: continually hearing the word “no.”

Rejection is inevitable in this industry. So far I’ve queried 13 agents and have received 3 rejections. I have to remind myself that this is part of the plan. That this was expected. The brief hope seeing “Query Reply From…” in my inbox is exhilarating regardless of what the message contains.

Writers hear “no” everyday, but the hope of a “yes” is not what keeps us writing.

I write because I have characters in my head that demand their stories be told. I write for the young girl I used to be who found more friends between the pages of books than in the halls of high school. I write so I can continually be in awe of what the human brain can pull out of thin air and put onto a page or screen.

So I will keep trying, keep writing. I’ll retool my query letter and continue to find agents looking for a project like mine. I’ll work to build my platform, build my community, and work toward my goals. I believe in my project, in my voice. Whether I sign with an agent or pivot to self-publishing in the future, this story will be heard.

xo Allison