1671) For those who do not live in a writer’s world, it may not be obvious why so many who set out to write a book fail. Let me see if I can describe why this is so.

First, you’ve got to come up with an idea. Then, you have to write the story. Most publishers are looking for novels that have between 70,000 to 90,000 words. Then, if you finish this arduous task, you have to go over and over your manuscript and get it as polished as you can.

Next, you have to send query letters (which takes a lot of work to get this right) to agents and publishers, hoping to find someone who will see your book as marketable. The waiting time to hear back from them is usually several months, if you do hear back from them at all, and the replies of no thanks are frequent.

If you are one of the few who receive a “yes’ from a publisher or agent, then there are multiple rewrites that are more laborious than the original writing. Do you see why many who wish to write feel like failures and want to quit and often do?

Failure is a heavy load to bear. We can see this in the disciple, Peter. Here was a dedicated follower of Christ and yet, when under pressure of death, denies that he even knows Jesus. And yet, even though he failed to stand up for him, he was one that the resurrected Jesus spoke with and forgave. John 21:1-25

Peter doesn’t allow the feelings of failure to linger within him. He becomes a mighty member of the early church and does incredible things for God.

You don’t have to be a writer or Peter to understand failure, but failure doesn’t have to be the end of your story.