Your attitude towards established rules says a lot about your inner workings as a creative. After all, rules are meant to be…broken? Enforced? Bent? Do the rules matter a great deal or do they not matter at all? What are the rules anyways when you want to express an idea? What are rules for entertaining? Rules for educating? What are the rules if you want to do something new? Something no one was ever bold enough to do? Living on the edge is different than living in the center. Dr. Seuss changed the world with his ideas and style of writing. But here’s the real kicker. You can too.
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The Man Behind the Cat in the Hat
Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss as most of society knows him, was anything but an industry rules and norms obey-er. His stories, now classics and heralded as monumental breakthroughs that created the Easy Reader market, were different. So different, in fact, from what was available at the time that his first book, And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street, sold to the 28th publisher. That’s right. Twenty-Seven publishers said NO to Dr. Seuss before Vanguard Press said YES in 1937, purchasing the book the day Dr. Seuss was planning to burn it!
It’s not easy being an author or illustrator. Rejection and doubt are two experiences we in the publishing industry become all too familiar with. Examples of successful authors and illustrators helps remove the sting of despair. Dr. Seuss is one of those great examples.
Born in 1904, Dr. Seuss held a variety of jobs to make ends meet through the great depression. He worked with cartoons, an insecticide company, and military propaganda campaigns. He eventually bought an old observation tower for a home where he would write 8 hours a day and take breaks to tend his garden.
Dr. Seuss was, in most regards, just like us. He worked a variety of jobs to provide an income while he pursued his passion of writing books. He had ideas that he felt passionate to express. Despite rejection after rejection and a long, windy road to ultimate goal achievement, he kept pushing forward.
Hooked on an Idea
Dr. Seuss was hooked on an idea that reading should be fun and not limited to other books available. Books were to be creative and unique, bringing value to a reader in more ways than one.
Maybe, just maybe, you and Dr. Seuss are more similar than that. Maybe you’ve got an idea for a book story or style that isn’t fitting into industry norms like genre, plotting, or word count. Maybe your favorite publishing house is closed to your genre or your dream literary agent is closed to submissions. What to do?
Consider, just for a moment, doing what Dr. Seuss did.
Dr. Seuss published 60 books. He didn’t give up at the first rejection on the first book or the 27th rejection on the first book. He wrote 8 hours a day for extended periods of time, showcasing his commitment and passion to be an author.
When we consider his 60 book career, it’s easy to assume it was one great best seller after another. But that wasn’t the case for him and it likely won’t be the case for us. Between the publishing of Dr. Seuss’ first and second book, 17 years went by. Can I say that again? Seventeen years!
Publishing isn’t an overnight deal. It’s not a split-second successful moment of elation. Looking back on an experienced author or illustrator’s life is a long, arduous road of dedication and sacrifice. The more readily we accept this fact, the less painful surprises we’ll experience on the road to continued publication.
Interestingly, the book that many attribute to Dr. Seuss’ place being marked in history as a children’s book author, was not his first book. Nor was it his second.
Dr. Seuss’ third book, The Cat in the Hat, published in 1957 – a full 20 years after his first book was published – was the book that made him world renown.
Let’s take a pause here and consider these facts.
If Publishing Books was Easy, Everyone Would Do It
The book that allows you to make your mark and achieve the level of success you are sacrificing for might be your third book…not your first. It might also be after your 28th publisher pitch…not your first.
Creating books isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s not for the coward. It’s not for the lazy.
Will you quit when the going gets hard? Will you quit when the trolls come after you?
You won’t. You’re committed. You’re sacrificing. You have a vision. You have ideas. You want to give the world something it doesn’t have yet. It’s new. It’s unique. It’s original.
Don’t give up. Don’t stop writing. Maybe you’re the one who’s created someone that exists outside the rules. Outside what’s already available.
“Sometimes, you won’t know the value of the moment until it becomes a memory.“
Dr. Seuss
If you found this post helpful, would you let us know in the comments? Share it on social media using the links below and be sure to subscribe via email to get new posts delivered directly!
Nancy Roop
November 17, 2021I can identify with Dr. Seuss in that I have created a early reader book format that is different than what the market provides. A few years ago, I went back to college at age 50 to finish my bachelors and learn how to write books for neurodiverse children. For my undergraduate thesis, Developmental Texts for Students with Autism, I combined three genres and embedded teaching methods to enhance reading comprehension in a new book design. Best of all, the series will be sensory friendly which allows access for students with sensory processing challenges.
I am starting a self-publishing journey this week, and hope to release by April 2022. When I was young, I was a huge Dr. Seuss fan, and now after reading this post, I realize that he is an inspiration for me to keep breaking the rules!
Thank you!
Rhys Keller
November 18, 2021Thank you for sharing all of that, Nancy! We humans are so resistant to change and all the reasons something “shouldn’t work” are far easier to dream up than the reasons something “will work”. Kudos to you for believing in your stories/concepts and pushing through the difficulty of achieving acceptance. As you said, many great authors have felt a similar sting and if it wasn’t for perseverance amidst difficulty, our world would not be as rich as it is today.
Midge Ballou Smith
March 22, 2021Have been battling a bit of discouragement lately, so this was encouraging! Thank you for posting, Rhys!
Rhys Keller
March 22, 2021Thank you so much for sharing that, Midge, and I’m glad it gave you just what you needed at the perfect time. Don’t quit!!!
Frank Oliver
August 30, 2020As a child I never liked The Cat in the Hat (and later the thought of green eggs didn’t help my opinion of his stories or art work). Instead I was a Peanuts fan from the start, because though a comic strip and later a television staple, Charles Schulz did include a great deal about the trials of life in his stories. I do appreciate your advice about not giving up, though I’m a believer that rules, like red lights and stop signs, are there to help us, not supress us. At times I have a conflict with literary because they push us to go too far for the sake of being creative and accepted (and selling books) when children are today are incredibly desparate for good role models. As far as my MG MS projects, it’s been 5 years and I’m still at it. P.S. I did not know Dr. Seuss was about to burn his draft when he finally struck pay dirt….
Rhys Keller
August 31, 2020Frank, thank you for such a thoughtful and introspective comment! I completely agree with you and I believe you received the post in a similar vein as my intent – not a call to arms in the abolishment of “rules”, but an important reminder that the decisions we make must be grounded in more than other people’s, or the market’s, opinion at the time. I appreciate your diligence in developing role models for children. You are right – children need them! Grown ups, too! It’s a unique battle in the literary agency bringing ideas to life that do or don’t sell. We have to decide to continue fighting for them or to let them die. I don’t blame anyone for giving up. It’s certainly normal. But I do give extra appreciation to those who keep trying in the face of adversity. It’s not easy. Thank YOU for not giving up on your project. I hope one day we’ll read about you in the score boards.
Tree
August 13, 2020Thank you for this. I really needed this message this morning.
Rhys Keller
August 13, 2020Thank you. It means the world that it stoked the flame already within you!
Sara Jane Kehler
August 1, 2020Thanks Rhys. I needed this encouragement this week. Writing is a ridiculous roller coaster! Yet, through the highs and lows, I keep taking steps forward. Thanks for giving me the boost I need. 🙂
Rhys Keller
August 1, 2020Thank you for sharing your up and down journey with us, Sara! The primary differentiator between aspiring and successful is dogged determination. It’s the ones who simply keep going, keep trying, keep learning, and keep growing that look back on a life of little and big achievements. You have got this! The difficulty is what thins out the crowd, removes the non-committed, and helps showcase those who truly work hard. See you at the top.
Sara Jane Kehler
August 2, 2020It’s so true! I don’t even understand how I keep working so hard, but I am! I’m not giving up. I keep learning and growing. Nothing is wasted. 🙂
June Steube
July 26, 2020Thanks for this encouraging reminder to keep plugging on, especailly for those that are often told they are not a right fit for the market. My husband and I had a chance to see the Dr. Seuss museum in Springfield MA and we were completely enthralled by the collection of his hilarious personal letters. The museum also happens to be close to the Norman Rockwell and Eric Carle museums- all worth a visit!
Rhys Keller
July 26, 2020Oh wow, how neat, June! Thank you for sharing that. I’m sure the personal letters were insightful to see the man behind the character and what his struggles and joys were. Us authors and illustrators need to do more of that, sharing the real experiences for newer creatives to be reminded of.
Richie
July 26, 2020Hi Rhys. That is absolutely incredible. Talk about persistence and determination. I have to confess, I thought authors had a pretty cushy existence – sitting by the pool, sipping cocktails, writing a few words each day, before sending off the manuscript to the publisher and watching the huge royalty cheques roll in. Boy did I ever have it wrong! I now have a new-found respect for anybody that writes for a living. Well done to all of you – and keep at it!
Rhys Keller
October 28, 2020Appreciate the change of heart and thoughtful feedback, Richie!
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez
July 25, 2020Very empowering!
Rhys Keller
July 25, 2020Another reminder that those who have come before us can be a great source of encouragement and hope! Some of the greatest authors in history didn’t hit their home run on the first bat. We should at least expect the same!
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez
July 25, 2020EXACTLY
Elspeth Alix Batt
July 25, 2020This is exactly what I needed to hear at the moment. Thank you!
Rhys Keller
July 25, 2020Yes! So glad to hear that and thank you for sharing. Excited to see what you do with a new fire in your soul!