Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Nielsen.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For me, the road to publication was long and oftentimes, frustrating. Although I’d always enjoyed writing, I’d never considered it a realistic career option for me, so I never did any of the things one would do if they were serious about publication. So when I decided I wanted to try to get published, I really was teaching myself everything from Step One.
I wrote at least four full manuscripts before I started to write anything of value. I attended conferences, read articles, worked with critique groups, and began querying agents and editors. That latter step had more rejections than I can count, but I learned from it and just kept going.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the things I’ve learned as an author is that the obstacles we face are not an impediment to our progress; they’re an invitation to improve my skills as a writer.
When I was in the rejection letter phase of my career, although I didn’t love any of it, looking back, I realize it did a few things to help me that I didn’t understand at the time.
First, the rejection bonded me to this goal of becoming an author.. If I was going to quit, I’d have done so somewhere in the first dozen rejections. But after that, I figured if I’d gone this far, I had to stick with it. I worked so hard to get here, I don’t take that for granted now.
The second thing rejection did is to thicken my skin, which is vital for anyone with a career in the arts. Because there will be a share of bad reviews, poor sales numbers, low turnouts at a signing, or criticism of something you’ve poured your heart and soul into. I don’t enjoy any of those things, of course, but they don’t separate me from what I love doing.
Third, and most important, is that I had a goal with each rejection letter, to find a way to get better before I submitted again. The failures forced me to improve at writing. I wouldn’t be here now without having gone through the obstacles. They still come, but they’ll eventually go away too., and I’ll still be here.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m the New York Times Bestselling Author of more than twenty books for young readers. I primarily write fantasy and historical fiction, and am probably most well-known for THE FALSE PRINCE and A NIGHT DIVIDED.
I’m also the founder and director of a charity organization called Book Drop, which gets books into the hands of children in Title 1 Schools and pairs that gift with a donated visit by the book’s author.
My proudest moments come when I get feedback from readers about how something I’ve written has impacted their life. Every time I do, I’m reminded of the great power in art, of what becomes possible when someone opens a book and brings those characters into their own imagination.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I don’t see success as a destination – as something that you achieve and now you’ve made it. Instead, I believe success is a direction, a constant journey toward the next goal. And there always should be the next goal. What a tragedy it would be if I ever saw myself as having achieved all I wish to achieve as a writer… I embrace the idea that the best stories I will ever tell are still ahead of me, and that if I keep working on the craft, I will find them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennielsen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nielsenwriter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nielsenwriter
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nielsenwriter
