Nobody Wants to Publish My Book—Now What?
Episode #328
Facing rejection? Sam Cotterill and Jake Parker teach when to dump a project, when to persist, and how to take a no (without taking it personally).
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Is your idea bad or just half-baked? Step away long enough to return with fresh eyes and decide whether to try again or toss it.
Encountering rejection doesn’t mean that you’re a bad illustrator; you can use this valuable feedback to improve your work and succeed next time.
Sometimes the work is good, but the team is not. Collaborate with people who catch your vision.
Not every start has a finish, and that’s ok.
You can learn from every project, even if you don’t complete them all. Try reusing your favorite elements from an abandoned idea in your next project and see how you can make them better.
SUMMARY
So your book’s been rejected; now what?
If you’re feeling discouraged after a long list of nos, let’s talk. Being turned away can feel like a personal rejection, but take heart. A publisher might not align with your book for a myriad of reasons, but that doesn’t automatically make you a bad author or illustrator. Learning why you were turned away can help you determine your next step.
The most common reasons a publisher would turn down a book are these:
1. You’re unagented. While you can totally approach an editor on your own, having an agent gives you an extra boost of credibility (and, potentially, a pre-existing relationship with the publishing house).Your idea is underdeveloped. This doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it might be half-baked.
The publisher already has lots of similar books. Congratulations on having good taste and knowing what’s popular; you might just be a moment too late, at least for that publisher.
Genre/vibe mismatch. That publisher doesn’t sell work like yours well, and they know it.
Wrong collaboration. Whether it’s between you and the publisher or you and your author, some teams simply aren’t meant to be. With another partner, you might flourish!
Once you understand why your proposal wasn’t accepted, you can move into “what’s next” mode. You might think we’d urge you to self-publish, and it can be a great option, but don’t choose it reactively. Self-publishing is a lot of work and lacks the built-in marketing you’d receive with a publisher. If there are real issues with your book, take the time to address them rather than insisting on publication. If the work is good and genuinely too niche or underappreciated for mainstream publishers, that’s the time to pursue an independent path.
If your idea is underdeveloped, consider how you can help it unfold further. Do the characters need more attention? Could you tighten the storyline? Often, it’s useful to shelve an idea for a while, then return with fresh eyes to assess whether it’s worth reworking. If it’s not, you can still preserve the elements you like most and repurpose them in your next project (and, hopefully, make them even better).
Not every start has a finish, so take the lessons of a sacked project and move on without berating yourself. You are not your art, and you can improve your work and try again. Your commitment to your creative vision is the real victory.