Ask the Author: Igor Eliseev
Answered Questions (3)
Igor Eliseev
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Igor Eliseev
Do I not have another example of this already? There is "Rejections, rejections, rejections…" given below is a public offer. More seriously, I just can't stop writing. It hurts me.
I believe any beginning writer has ever met with rejections with varying degrees of damage. Rejections run through the whole life of Martin Eden, having pushed him to the final frontier. Rejections have brought about serious reconsiderations in Nabokov’s life, having forced him to write in English (his Lolita was written in English and published in 1955 in Paris, in 1958 in New York). Rejections might have caused the main reason for cessation of literary activity of Man Booker prize winner Marlon James. There are many examples of rejections coming out under false or true pretenses. Truly speaking, I’d really want to avoid such a destiny as certain knowing what the rejection is, but, quite apparently, I am required to go through similar cases of a full literary experience, just like Martin Eden did. I get rejections almost every day at some point or another: big ones and small ones, engaging ones and distantly polite ones for all taste, smell, color, appearance, etc. Well, people are entitled to express their views, whether we like it or not.
These thoughts most often appear after a “prodromal” period:
“....I am refused because there are too many writers in the world and too much competition....”
Let’s take a closer look at this statement. Indeed, there are a lot of writers in the world, and their nominal amount will increase further in the near future because the number of educated and knowledgeable people is going to increase as well. However the number of lawyers, accountants, stylists, constructors, athletes, chefs and long-term unemployed persons around the world grows up in proportion; thus you might face the serious competition almost everywhere. But despite everything, reading audience may always be found, since more and more people of multicultural knowledge societies interested in self-development will keep on reading more and more books (during a person’s leisure time).
“....I will give up writing because book shelves are filled with books. Hundreds of thousands of English-language books are published each year. My book will get lost among them....”
Yeah, the beginning writer seems a tiny fish among blue whales in a modern publishing world; his book may not be known under the pressure of eminent writers and new authors until it gradually disappears and to never be found. But that is not something to regret, that is an occasion to learn new writing techniques and finally come up with works worth to be published in literary magazines, books and even to be awarded at national and international contests.
“....I do not write as I should because I have to support myself financially and have been doing it for years....”
This is a really substantial reason to stop writing; I see what you are driving at. And yet, I insist, money itself doesn’t bring happiness, true happiness is brought by favorite job. Many famous authors had to work at another job to make a living before their novels became a part of history. So, I've got just one question, do you really love to write?
I personally found my calling as a writer when I was eighteen; since then a lot of things has changed in my life, almost everything except my calling to be a writer. For me give up writing is equivalent to stop drinking or eating. Do you dig what I mean?
I surly want to gain income from my books, but this is normal and natural desire, especially in our own stark times when everything costs money. But I am going to write under any circumstances, whether I am published or not, if I could buy things I don't need to impress people or I am dying of hunger which might impress people also.
In conclusion I want to say, I cope with rejections in the simplest possible way: I read them smiling slightly trying to discover any of the experts’ hints and tips; sometimes agents or publishers can give a good advice, believe me or not. And then, after reading the “Correspondence Outliers Rejection”, I start working on my next novel which is supposed to be published.
Friday, January 22, 2016
I believe any beginning writer has ever met with rejections with varying degrees of damage. Rejections run through the whole life of Martin Eden, having pushed him to the final frontier. Rejections have brought about serious reconsiderations in Nabokov’s life, having forced him to write in English (his Lolita was written in English and published in 1955 in Paris, in 1958 in New York). Rejections might have caused the main reason for cessation of literary activity of Man Booker prize winner Marlon James. There are many examples of rejections coming out under false or true pretenses. Truly speaking, I’d really want to avoid such a destiny as certain knowing what the rejection is, but, quite apparently, I am required to go through similar cases of a full literary experience, just like Martin Eden did. I get rejections almost every day at some point or another: big ones and small ones, engaging ones and distantly polite ones for all taste, smell, color, appearance, etc. Well, people are entitled to express their views, whether we like it or not.
These thoughts most often appear after a “prodromal” period:
“....I am refused because there are too many writers in the world and too much competition....”
Let’s take a closer look at this statement. Indeed, there are a lot of writers in the world, and their nominal amount will increase further in the near future because the number of educated and knowledgeable people is going to increase as well. However the number of lawyers, accountants, stylists, constructors, athletes, chefs and long-term unemployed persons around the world grows up in proportion; thus you might face the serious competition almost everywhere. But despite everything, reading audience may always be found, since more and more people of multicultural knowledge societies interested in self-development will keep on reading more and more books (during a person’s leisure time).
“....I will give up writing because book shelves are filled with books. Hundreds of thousands of English-language books are published each year. My book will get lost among them....”
Yeah, the beginning writer seems a tiny fish among blue whales in a modern publishing world; his book may not be known under the pressure of eminent writers and new authors until it gradually disappears and to never be found. But that is not something to regret, that is an occasion to learn new writing techniques and finally come up with works worth to be published in literary magazines, books and even to be awarded at national and international contests.
“....I do not write as I should because I have to support myself financially and have been doing it for years....”
This is a really substantial reason to stop writing; I see what you are driving at. And yet, I insist, money itself doesn’t bring happiness, true happiness is brought by favorite job. Many famous authors had to work at another job to make a living before their novels became a part of history. So, I've got just one question, do you really love to write?
I personally found my calling as a writer when I was eighteen; since then a lot of things has changed in my life, almost everything except my calling to be a writer. For me give up writing is equivalent to stop drinking or eating. Do you dig what I mean?
I surly want to gain income from my books, but this is normal and natural desire, especially in our own stark times when everything costs money. But I am going to write under any circumstances, whether I am published or not, if I could buy things I don't need to impress people or I am dying of hunger which might impress people also.
In conclusion I want to say, I cope with rejections in the simplest possible way: I read them smiling slightly trying to discover any of the experts’ hints and tips; sometimes agents or publishers can give a good advice, believe me or not. And then, after reading the “Correspondence Outliers Rejection”, I start working on my next novel which is supposed to be published.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Igor Eliseev
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)
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