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Duane E Schwartz's
Success Story
Success takes time, twenty years or so for me. And it takes help and understanding, something my wife, Betty, is extraordinarily generous with. It is my hope that all of you aspiring authors, poets, and artists of all fields have someone as great as her.
That having been said, success also takes work. Lots and lots of it. And it takes perseverance. My first effort, Cobb’s Landing, published in May, 2009, took more than three years to refine to a publishable level, the final product having little in common with the original version. That’s the work I refer to.
Now for the perseverance.
I no longer recall how many agents, publishers, whatever, I ‘snail’ or ‘e’ mailed over time, but I assure you it was far more than I have digits to count them on. And all I seemed to be accomplishing was the development of an ability to shrug off a firm NO! (Did I mention you will also need skin thick enough that rejection cannot penetrate it?) But in the end, and to avoid having anyone believe more of me than there really is, I will tell you it was not until I had had my fill of it all that success finally showed itself. I had told Betty that I would send out to one more publisher, that I would patiently await that rejection, and while I waited, I printed and boxed Cobb’s Landing for storage. The rest, as they say, is history. Or is it? Let’s hope not. Let’s hope it’s the future.
People read Cobb’s Landing. People told me they loved it. My second novel, Calumet, came out several months later and the same thing happened. My latest, Little Cicero, released June 25, 2010. Too soon to tell, but I have a feeling. I had editing help from some friends, and have been assured that it is the best yet. If you chance to read it, e-mail me and let me know if they’re correct.
I wish all out there the best in your endeavors. And to all who read, God bless, and give us new guys a try. We have something to offer.
