When is it enough?

I've often heard writers ask, "When is my book done? When have I finished writing it?" I ask myself the same question. Frequently.

For the past few months I've focused on sending queries out to agents, and after initially good responses to my queries, I've since gotten rejections from some of those same agents. The standard line? "I didn't love it enough."

What is enough? I wonder. I love my book, which is why I wrote it. I even think it's close to being as done as I can get it—without outside editorial help, of course. But is it good enough?

I think it is. Really I do, but I also think I haven't found the right person yet who will love it and cherish it as much as I do. This may simply be the wrong time to be out shopping a young adult historical fiction. (Sorry, there are no vampires or zombies in this tale.)

What there is, though, is a story of heart and triumph over tragedy. Maybe now's not the time for it to make a big splash in the national publishing scene, but that doesn't mean I'm about to give up. I'll keep going, keep querying, keep seeking feedback on what I've written. And it may be that a small no-name publisher decides to take it on because they love it as much as I do. I'm realizing that will be more important than any six-figure advance because what I wrote will mean something to someone.

The moral of this tale? Don't give up. Even if you have to change your expectations, do whatever you need to do to achieve your dreams. It's worth it.