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𝐃𝐮𝐕𝐀𝐘 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐗's avatar

What U said.

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David W. Berner's avatar

"Devotion" is a great word. It implies discipline with passion. I like that. Regarding "discouragement" - well, the fact that a good manuscript might never get to the publisher unless your IG followers reach 100K is a sad state of affairs, if you ask me. But, again, as you implied here, it is what it is. (Tired phrase, I know, but it fits here.) When I had an agent, she told me once that "I was getting the best rejection letters she'd ever seen." Yikes. I wasn't sure how to take that. She's not my agent anymore, but that's another story. I have found the small or medium sized publishers tend to be a lot more about the writing than about the marketing or the "buzz" around an author. So, there's that. Thanks for the post.

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Robin Blackburn McBride's avatar

I love this, Jen!

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Laura Esther Sciortino's avatar

Jen, Thank you thank you thank you for sharing this.

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Not The Enemy's avatar

Be what and who you already are. Yes. Taking away the compulsion for striving adds back what was always there: Beautiful you, freely and genuinely contributing to society with fully integrated works of art.

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