In 2004, I achieved what I considered to be the epitome of my educational career: I received my Master's Degree. My thesis focused on the Friday the 13th films. In the years following, I put my thesis stuff aside and focused on fiction. Eventually, I picked it back up and attempted to have some articles from the work published, which never happened.
About 2-3 years ago, I decided to turn my thesis into a book. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment. I worked on it and sent the proposal to a couple of places, but nothing ever came of it. A former friend told me about a certain publisher, and since I didn't have anything to lose, I sent a query. They were interested. They looked at my first chapter and gave me wonderful suggestions on how to improve the book. I got to writing.
In December 2009, all communications with the company ceased. I sent several emails, but never got a response. I assumed that they rejected my book, so I thanked them for their time and moved on (completely, I wrote my YA zombie novel and didn't even think about my nonfiction). In August 2010, I received an email from the president of the publisher, asking if the book was still available and if we could continue our discussion. I, of course, said yes, and I was put in touch with another editor, who was wonderful and gave me more fabulous ideas on how to improve the book.
In November 2010, I finished the first half of the book and sent it off to the publisher for review. With the holiday season upon us, I didn't work on the second half until January 2011. You may recall that I took Friday off to work on it.
Yesterday, I received a rejection. All that time and effort on my part and theirs, and they changed their mind. It was devastating.
I'm still very upset, but the world didn't end and I'm still alive. I have no hope for this book. I don't think anyone will ever publish it. No one wants to read about slasher films unless it's fluff (you know, behind the scenes stuff or how special effects were done). But I'm not going to stop writing. I'm so close. I have a chapter and a half and I'm done. It will probably sit on my flash drive and no one will read it, but at least I will have finished it.
