“Don’t give up” perhaps sounds cliché in moments of writing despair when you start doubting your craft following a string of rejection slips. As worn-out as it may seem, this piece of advice is a maxim that has pushed many novice writers to snatch elusive words, weave them seamlessly, and leave no manuscript unfinished. Such dogged perseverance has, time and again, turned many writers into authors—and eventually, into literary legends.
Xlibris author and retired cardiologist Stephen N. Berberich faced hurdles in promoting his self-published titles to traditional publishers, but a recent literary feat shows he’s gradually getting there. His third Xlibris-published novel Shadows of Reality made it as a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2013, which gives entrants the chance to sign a publishing deal with Amazon Publishing. Out of ten thousand entries, his book was among the chosen few in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres.
Sharing his writing and self-publishing experiences, as well as his shot at traditional publishing, Stephen inspires hopefuls who may be on the verge of tossing their manuscripts in the trash can.
Unfazed by Rejections
Several months ago I completed my third novel, Shadows of Reality. It is a techno-thriller about a young man in search of the truth. Actually it is the third manuscript I have published through Xlibris. Like many of your self-published authors, I became quite disillusioned by the time-honored way books are considered for publication. I must have sent over 500 query letters to agents who never took the time to read them. All the rejections were the same. They began with Dear author, followed by:
“We have carefully evaluated your manuscript and I regret to say that it is not presently on our list of interests. But please don’t become discouraged. There may be an agent out there just waiting to read your novel. Best of luck in the future.”
Unless you have a huge platform, like Bill Clinton or Bill O’Reilly, agents simply disregard your work. So much so that many of us unknown authors become discouraged and begin to doubt our knack for writing.
That pretty much defined my self-image three months ago. But before I gave up entirely I decided to give writing one more shot. I entered The Amazon Novel Writing Contest. At least I could be assured that someone took the time to honestly evaluate what I wrote. As I say, that was three months ago. After competing with 10,000 other novels, I am vying for a place in the semi-finals.
So my message to your blog readers is a simple one. Don’t give up. Your manuscript may be better than you think. It just hasn’t had a fair shake.
A Sneak Peek at Shadows of Reality
Finally, as an obscene profit plug, I want to include a glimpse of Shadows.
Shadows of Reality
A Glimpse of the storyline
Jack Tessler was deeply disillusioned when, as a youngster, his mother told him that Santa Claus was only a mythical character. But unlike most children his age, Jack did not take the news lightly. The lie compelled him to question the very fundamentals of a Catholic belief system he had accepted on the basis of faith and his parents’ trusted word. And as time passed, the driving force of Jack’s life became a quest to know the truth through the instruments of science and reason.
Then a very strange thing happened that changed everything. In the wee hours of Christmas morning, 2015, a crippling blizzard blanketed the Washington, D.C. area with an opaque shroud of howling wind and driven snow. All air traffic on the northeastern corridor had been cancelled and the radar screens at Dulles International Airport fell silent. Yet out of the blue an urgent dispatch alerted Ray Hodges and warned him of incoming air traffic 60 miles out and on a trajectory to land at his airport. Something was terribly wrong. The aircraft’ signature indicated that the incoming bogey as a TWA Constellation, a prop-driven passenger plane that he had not seen aloft in four decades.
As a well-respected theoretical physicist at Cal Tech, Tessler was called upon by NSA director Alex Long to investigate the incident. What Jack found would shake the very foundations of modern science. The factors that caused the TWA event lay well outside the accepted laws of physics. It seems that the aircraft in question left Logan Airport in Boston early Christmas day, 1954. That single event launched Jack on a journey into the dark crypts of the unknown. It was a place where all reality would become an illusion… a place where he would finally discover the truth.
Congratulations, Dr. Stephen Berberich, on your literary achievement! Xlibris is truly proud and happy for your success. On top of your accomplishments in the medicine field, your writing talent will help you go a long way.
Be inspired by other noteworthy Xlibris authors at the Xlibris Indie Author Roundup and learn writing, editing, and book marketing tips at the Xlibris Writer’s Workshop.
Check out other books by Xlibris author Stephen N. Berberich MD: