Considering the local atmosphere (mentality, politics, call it what you want), I'm quite lucky this gal gave me the time of day. She did order a copy...of Unbreakable Hostage. She was going to look into my other books and decide from there.
Did yours truly tell her they were LGBT contemporary fiction?
Nope.
Did yours truly even identify herself as a member of the LGBT community?
Ha! Yeah, right?
Remember that recent blog post of mine about coming out to my readers? Yeah, I completely nullified that one in one fell swoop. Good job, right?
The thing is, I don't want to push people away. I don't want to make people uncomfortable. I simply cannot handle the rejection. They'd be rejecting me - and my work - to my face. Have I not endured enough prejudice over the years that I must be personally rejected because my writing is LGBT fiction?
Ok, the truth is: I'm a wimp.
So, what am I to do? I'm a writer. I need sales and to have my books in stores! How can I approach this sensitive subject with tact? How can I handle my tremendous fear of rejection?
My partner told me I need to get over this, and she's absolutely right. I just don't know how. Any suggestions?
2 comments:
I designed a game called Rejection Therapy back in 2009 to encourage myself to get out of my comfort zone more. It was amazingly effective and enlightening (for as long as I did it).
If anyone wants to try it, it's here: http://rejectiontherapy.com
And good luck with your writing career!
Lauren, rejection's just part of the gig. Anyone who wants to do something amazing and fun for a living (writing, acting, music, etc.) had to recognize that a lot of other people want to do it, too, and the competition will be fiercer than trying to get a job making widgets eight hours a day.
That being said, when someone doesn't want to buy a widget, widget-makers don't feel like parts of their souls have been rejected.
To "get over it," start by selling to people who are less likely to reject GLBT lit. Find stores with Gay/Lesbian sections, contact university bookstores, and avoid rural Mississippi.
It gets easier, but it never gets easy. Best of luck.
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