The Silver Lining

Here's a story to inspire all the would-be novelists out there. Matthew Quick, a former teacher, quit his job, sold his house and moved into what his in-laws called "the Matt cave" to write his book.

More than 130 agents and 70 rejections later, his novel, The Silver Linings Playbook, is due out from Farrar, Straus & Giroux this September. In addition, the book has been optioned for a Hollywood movie, although that is still in the planning stages. In addition, Quick, has written a young adult novel due out in 2010.

Please note the following statistic one more time: 130 agents!!!!!!! Staggering and actually mind-bending. I had always heard that one agent won't touch what another has already tried to sell. Perhaps the meaning here is that Quick auditioned for 130 agents before finding one who would take him on. Because in the scheme of things, 70 rejections does not seem like an overwhelming amount.

The lesson here: persistence, of course but also the belief in oneself. Quick was following the advice he gave his students: "Live the unconventional life" but he was also accompanied by a supportive spouse who never stopped believing in him.

For every Matt Quick there are thousands who follow his recipe and still never reap the rewards. But it is always good to hear about the one that does.