ASJA Monthly

American Society of Journalists and Authors

October 2003 – Susan K. Perry, Ph.D

More than half of Keyes’ book is devoted to helping writers sustain faith in themselves once they being actively pursuing publication. Keyes makes excellent use of hundreds of anecdotes and quotes from well known writers. For instance, Kipling was told he didn’t know how to use the English language; Orwell’s Animal Farm was rejected for being tough to categorize; The Diary of Anne Frank was turned down by one publisher as being lacking in feeling. Keyes offers multiple examples of writers who succeeded against the odds, who kept hope alive, persisted, and prevailed. Informative and highly readable.